Publish or be damned

The web page content below has been copied today from Griffin's MEP web site. In it he discloses certain details of his income and expenditure as an MEP.

My question to Griffin is this: if you acknowledge the need for "...complete transparency..." in respect of your income and expenditure as an MEP, why do you not do the same thing in respect of the income and expenditure of the British National Party? Why not publish the BNP's annual accounts on the party web site for all the world to see?

Incidentally, you state, in respect of expense claims for car journeys within the United Kingdom, "I have claimed significantly less than the total allowable and will publish the total so far shortly." This promise of yours was made back in June 2010. Why have you failed to honour it? Do you believe that publishing something more than seven months after you have promised to do so "...shortly" is acceptable?

I hope that asking you this kind of question will not adversely affect my chances of being permitted to remain a member of the BNP. Whether it does or not, such questions need to be asked, and deserve to be answered.

I propose to continue to ask them until they are satisfactorily answered.

Accounts & Expenses
Tue, 01/06/2010 - 09:27 | Web Content

All accounts and expenses will be published on this page for complete transparency as soon as they become available.

NICK GRIFFIN: PAY AND EXPENSES



SALARY:My salary is 91,983 Euros a year.



SUBSISTENCE ALLOWANCE:
MEPs receive a Brussels/Strasbourg allowance of €298 per day towards accommodation and subsistence costs. To obtain this they must sign a register anytime between the hours of 7am and 11pm on working days to indicate that they have been in the Parliament building for all or part of each day.



TRAVEL:
Since June 2009, MEPs have been reimbursed at cost for the price of their tickets up to business travel rates and first class rail fares. In the main, I travel by car which means that staff can travel with me at no cost to either me or the taxpayer. I get paid 0.49 Euros per kilometer.



In addition, MEPs can submit claims for car journeys in their own countries up to a maximum distance of 24,000 km annually at the same rate. I have claimed significantly less than the total allowable and will publish the total so far shortly.

[Emphasis mine].

On production of proof of purpose and on production of receipts, MEPs may claim up to €4000 annually towards the cost of travel and accommodation when making journeys outside their own country in connection with the performance of their duties. I have claimed significantly less than the total allowable and will publish the total so far shortly.



STAFF COSTS:
The European Parliament pays allowances totalling £175,800 p.a. per British MEP towards the cost of employing staff. Since June 2009 it has not been permissible for MEPs to employ members of their own family. I use my allowance to employ 8 full-time and part-time staff.

My assistant in Brussels is employed directly by the Parliament. Contracts of employment for all my UK-based staff are deposited with the parliamentary authorities.

I do not use public money to employ any member of my family and have never done so. No part of this allowance goes to me by way of additional personal income, or to the BNP in any way.



STAFF: I employ 8 members of staff:

Office Manager
European Researcher
Campaigns Co-ordinator
Policy and Research Officer
European Co-ordinator
Parliamentary Affairs Assistant
European Researcher
Researcher/Press Contact

In addition to staff member costs, are the following:
Paying Agent Fees: £10,800 p.a
Consultancy Fees £18,000 p.a

Staff Salary Bands:

£5000 to £10000: 1
£10000 to £15000: 3
£15000 to £20000: 3
£20000 to £30000: 1



GENERAL OFFICE MANAGEMENT COSTS:
MEPs have an office allowance of £42,140 per year.


The Office Expenses budget is administered by my Office Manager and is used to pay for the costs of my office in West Cumbria (including rent, rates, equipment, stationery, postage, telephone and other communications), and for some supplies and equipment in my parliamentary and home office.

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENTARY OFFICE EXPENSES ACCOUNTS : 14TH JULY 2009 TO 18TH JUNE 2010
Income:
Office allowance £42,400.00




EXPENDITURE:
Office Running Costs (rent,rates, services, legal fees, insurance, etc) £4,374.21
Office Extras (partition work, floor covering, furnishings, heaters, etc) £8,906.15
Utilities (water, electricity, etc) £769.28
Information Technology/Office Equipment (inc. consulation/repair) £12,524.82
Telecoms (including landlines, fixed lines, internet, website, etc) £4,676.49
Stationery (paper, ink cartridges, paperclips, etc) £2,310.23
Postage £1,165.39
Accommodation (hotels, conference rooms, etc.) £349.00
Printing (letterheads, Cumbrian Flood brochure/posters, etc) £520.92

TOTAL EXPENDITURE: £35,596.49

ENGLISH FAIR FUND ACCOUNTS: 14TH JULY 2009 TO 18TH JUNE 2010
INCOME:
Salary title (Nick Griffin - 10% monthly salary donation) £6,242.35
General donations (Nick Griffin - personal allowance excess, ComRes survey participation, etc.) £3,780.34
MEP Commemoration Card sales £236.00

TOTAL INCOME: £10,258.69

EXPENDITURE:
Donations to community clubs, etc. £1,500.00
Equipment purchase (kayacs/lifejackets/wetsuits, Capri marquee) £7,303.56
Bank charges £0.12
Printing (MEP commemoration cards) £180.00
Loan [repayable] (to constituent: funeral expenses) £430.00

TOTAL EXPENDITURE: £9,413.68



Expenditure: July 14th 2009 to March 14th 2010:



Office (legal fees, rent rates, service charge):£3054.40
Office furnishings/floor covering/heaters, etc: £2893.65
Office partitioning/repair/maintenance/security: £4143.33
Utilities (electricity, water): £295.77
IT Equipment/consultancy/repair: £6809.63
Telecommunications (landlines/mobile telephones/dongles): £2198.84
Stationery:£1842.50
Hotel accommodation:£217.00
Postage:£720.65



TOTAL: £22175.12



ENGLISH FAIR FUND:



Accounts: July 14th 2009 to March 14th 2010



INCOME: Nick Griffin – salary tithe (July 2009 to March 2010):£5575.91
MEP Commemoration Card sales:£184.50
ComRes Euro Poll Survey Participation:£88.00



TOTAL:£4560.65



EXPEND:



Printing: MEP Commemoration Cards:£180.00
Donations Made:£1500.00

TOTAL:£1680.00