Tuesday, October 31, 2017
Were there links between UKIP and US right wing website?
Allegations in the Independent that Individuals paid by the right-wing US news organisation were working as senior unpaid UKIP volunteers have been drawn to the attention of the police and the Electoral Commission.
The paper says that a Labour MP has written to the Metropolitan Commissioner, Cressida Dick, and to the Electoral Commission watchdog, to find out if claims of illegitimate foreign donations to UKIP linked to the pro-Donald Trump Breitbart website, in the run up to the Brexit referendum have been fully investigated.
This follows revelations from two UKIP whistle blowers that they filed complaints to the Commission over fears the party was making “unusual arrangements” with Breitbart:
Individuals paid by the right-wing US news organisation were working as senior unpaid UKIP volunteers, it is alleged.
The whistle blowers feared that work could be interpreted as an indirect political donation by a foreign donor, according to anonymous sources who spoke to The Guardian.
It is believed the complaints were brought to the attention of the Metropolitan police by the Electoral Commission, but the police decided to take no further action.
These allegations have surfaced at a time when there is speculation about links between UKIP, WikiLeaks, Breitbart and Trump, none of which it is suggested is illegal, but which illustrate the reach that right wing groups are able to achieve.
Put into the context of developments in the USA, where individuals linked to the US President are being investigated and Facebook has now admitted that as many as 126 million Americans might have seen content uploaded by Russian based operatives over the last two years it is little wonder that there are concerns that our democratic processes are being subverted.
The paper says that a Labour MP has written to the Metropolitan Commissioner, Cressida Dick, and to the Electoral Commission watchdog, to find out if claims of illegitimate foreign donations to UKIP linked to the pro-Donald Trump Breitbart website, in the run up to the Brexit referendum have been fully investigated.
This follows revelations from two UKIP whistle blowers that they filed complaints to the Commission over fears the party was making “unusual arrangements” with Breitbart:
Individuals paid by the right-wing US news organisation were working as senior unpaid UKIP volunteers, it is alleged.
The whistle blowers feared that work could be interpreted as an indirect political donation by a foreign donor, according to anonymous sources who spoke to The Guardian.
It is believed the complaints were brought to the attention of the Metropolitan police by the Electoral Commission, but the police decided to take no further action.
These allegations have surfaced at a time when there is speculation about links between UKIP, WikiLeaks, Breitbart and Trump, none of which it is suggested is illegal, but which illustrate the reach that right wing groups are able to achieve.
Put into the context of developments in the USA, where individuals linked to the US President are being investigated and Facebook has now admitted that as many as 126 million Americans might have seen content uploaded by Russian based operatives over the last two years it is little wonder that there are concerns that our democratic processes are being subverted.
