16/12/2014
BBC's
Newsnight has reported that Ukip has secured a grant of £580,000 from the EU by registering to become part of a new pan-European party, the Alliance for Direct Democracy in Europe (ADDE).
This new party, currently made up mostly of Ukip MEPs, is entitled to £1m of EU funds next year but, under the rules which govern these grants, Ukip will have "to respect the principles on which the European Union is founded" - namely liberty, democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law.
The "fundamental freedoms", of course, include the free movement of people and freedom of establishment, the two principles which underpin unrestricted immigration from EU member states to the UK.
The
Guardian is citing Roger Helmer who told
Newsnight that they [Ukip] should take the money otherwise it would be available to "the German or other foundations which promote further integration".
He has a point, of course, which he ladles on with a trowel, stating: "... the question for any Ukip supporter who has a reasonable issue here is: would you rather this money, which is British taxpayersâ money, was given to one of the German or other foundations which promote further European integration, or would you rather some of the money goes to us to oppose European integration?"
"We are", he adds, "doing it precisely so we can liberate some of that money that would otherwise go to integrationist organisations".
There are two levels at which this argument falls, though. The first, based on Ukip's track record, suggests that the money will be wasted â although one might prefer it to be wasted by Ukip rather than used to effect by a Europhile organisation.
The second is the message sent to the world â the group has to make a "solemn declaration" that it will abide by the founding principles. Effectively, the declaration is a lie â a brazen lie â for which it is assumed there is no penalty.
To some, this is a difficult choice to make, but one could argue that a political party is nothing without its principles. To build it on the basis of an open, structured lie is the thin edge of a wedge.
