05/04/2014
I wonder how many UKIP supporters have been writing to
The Times accusing the paper of harbouring a grudge against Mr Farage, declaring that it will no longer read it. But, to judge from
this coverage (pictured above), they had better get busy.
In fact, they might have good cause for complaining, as Mr Murdoch's comic has been at the forefront in publishing attack pieces, of which this is a good example. It retails the rather tawdry story that "police are investigating claims that the alleged former mistress of Nigel Farage falsely accused a Tory MP of sexual assault".
This is Annabelle Fuller again. Until recently, she was "a Ukip spin doctor", who, according to the rather decorous description in
The Times, "had previously accused Andrew Bridgen of inappropriately touching her at his Westminster flat in 2011".
At the time, however, Ms Fuller - even then a lady with
a colourful past - had given a
rather more lurid description and although Mr Bridgen was arrested, he denied wrongdoing and no charges were brought.
The incident centred on a meeting in June 2011 between Ms Fuller and Mr Bridgen, MP for North West Leicestershire, in a Westminster pub. They then retired to his flat with a mutual acquaintance whence, according to an account she gave at the time, the MP reached up her skirt and touched her in places allegedly reserved for Mr Farage.
A week later Ms Fuller withdrew her allegations, conceding that her behaviour could have been construed as flirting. Later that month she waived her right to anonymity to tell a newspaper that her life had "been destroyed" after Mr Bridgen threatened to sue her for "ludicrous and false" allegations.
She said she had gashed her head fleeing from Mr Bridgenâs apartment barefoot after taking his Westminster pass and BlackBerry phone. When a security guard asked if she wanted to call the police, she said she replied: "I just want to get the hell out of here".
Then, says
The Times, the case went quiet until Monday, when Scotland Yard officers spoke to Mr Bridgen for 50 minutes about allegations that Ms Fuller had fabricated the claims against him. Police officers are also looking at whether Ms Fuller stole Mr Bridgen's BlackBerry and pass. At the time, Ms Fuller said she had taken them "to prove where she had been" â as one does.
Of particular interest to the outside observer, though, is that this current account has been furnished by Jasna Badzak, a former UKIP press officer and parliamentary candidate. This is the
same Ms Badzak who was convicted in October, under rather dubious circumstances, of defrauding Gerard Batten out of £3,000. She received a 12-month suspended sentence but is appealing.
However, it would seem that Hell hath no fury like a UKIP press officer scorned (unless you include research directors). Ms Badzak is also accusing UKIP of "financial irregularities", claims which are under investigation by the police and, I understand, by the EU fraud office.
But why
The Times should be so keen to give putative jailbird Ms Badzak a hearing is a story in itself. There were, it appears, some "irregularities" in the way Ms Badzak was brought to court. They might reflect rather badly on some important personages close to her, the details of which are being prepared for publication by the newspaper.
This particular article, therefore, is seen simply as a warm-up, with others to come. When certain other investigations have been concluded, even those stories will be seen as just a prelude to "the big one". If that one comes off, it is expected to have certain senior UKIP figures in jail.
Those readers of mine, therefore, who complain so stridently about my less than complimentary pieces about UKIP, might soon be wondering themselves about whether they really want to be associated with the party. As details of some of the less salubrious goings-on come to light, they too might want to maintain some distance.
Certainly, as we have indicated before, there are a number of serious journalists working on bringing these details to light. Should even a fraction of them emerge, there may be little expectation of UKIP winning any elections. The more urgent issues may then be how much of the anti-EU cause can be salvaged, and whether the damage done is irrevocable.
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