Keeping it in the Family (Griffin family motto)

It appears that Tina Wingfield, Mr Griffin's constituency office manager, has lost a part of her province. Tina is now no longer responsible for managing Griffin's European Office expenditure and accounting for it. In the interests of greater openness, transparency and accountability (as Pat Harrington might put it) that task has now been devolved upon [state name].

Well, we haven't yet been told explicitly as regards management of the expenditure (I think this means spending the money, and budgetting), though we are informed that "Jackie Griffin is now handling Nick's European Office Accounts." Perhaps then Mrs Griffin (that's Jackie, Nick Griffin's wife) will also be "...managing the MEP's European Office expenditure..."

Yet elsewhere on Mr Griffin's MEP web site (on the Staffing page) we are told that "In accordance with European Parliament best practice, none of the staff Nick employs as local assistants are family members and their contracts of employment are deposited with the parliamentary authorities."

So is Jackie Griffin employed as a "...local assistant...", does she have a written contract of employment and if so, has it been deposited with the 'parliamentary' authorities, in accordance with (OLAF if you must) "...European Parliament best practice..."?

Readers may also observe that, true to form where Mr Griffin and money are concerned, both the Parliamentary Office Expenses Accounts and the English Fair Fund Accounts show an excess of expenditure over income. A similar state of affairs, of an annual (and annually growing) deficit, has also pertained to the national accounts of the British National Party for several years, indicating in no uncertain terms a failure of financial management: a failure of the BNP to live within its means, however great those means have been.

Readers should also note that in a report enclosed with the latest BNP members' bulletin two of the party's three full-time, salaried employees are listed as being members of the Griffin family. They are Jennifer Matthys, Griffin's daughter, who is listed as the party's Membership Secretary and Office Manager and Angus Matthys, her husband and Griffin's son-in-law, who is listed as the party's Mailing Manager.

If one looks up the word nepotism in the dictionary it says "See Griffin family".

STOP PRESS

Since yesterday, when all but the last two paragraphs of the foregoing article were posted, a change has been made to Mr Griffin's MEP web site. The following statement has been inserted:-

"Jackie Griffin is now handling Nick's European Office Accounts on a voluntary basis, which will allow Tina extra time for constituency work." [Emphasis mine].

So, now we know. The word voluntary is usually, in this context, taken to mean unpaid.

We have yet to be told, however, the answer to the question whether Mrs Griffin is now also managing Mr Griffin's European Office expenditure, as well as accounting for it.

Has Mrs Griffin been brought on board in an effort to balance the European Office budget? Are chocolate Hobnobs now to be forbidden and will Mr Griffin have to make do with a single plain Digestive instead?

Cessation Accounts published due to staff changes

Wed, 01/06/2011 - 10:55

Web Content

1st June 2011: Constitency Office Manager Tina Wingfield, has prepared a set of accounts from January 1st 2011 to the 21st April 2011 which are published below.

The accounts cover office expenditure and the MEP's English Fair Fund.

Tina is no longer managing the MEP's European Office expenditure and these Cessation Accounts mark the end of her 21 months overseeing these duties.

Jackie Griffin is now handling Nick's European Office Accounts. [Emphasis mine, AE].

NW European Parliamentary Office Expenses Accounts

January 1st 2011 to April 21st 2011

Income:

General Expenditure Allowance: £14,400.00

Total Income: £14,400.00

Expenditure:

Offices (rent, rates, service charges, etc.): £2,529.48

Offices (furniture, heaters, etc.): £844.72

Utilities (electricity and water): £1,164.61

Telecommunications (inc. office landlines, mobiles, internet services, etc.): £3,570.84

IT and office equipment (computers, printers, software, cameras, repairs, etc.): £3,544.45

Office stationery and materials: £4,084.63

Promotional stands/presentations: £500.00

Bank charges: £1.00

Postage: £866.08

Total Expenditure: £17,105.81

English Fair Fund Accounts - January 2011 to April 21st 2011.

Income:

Nick Griffin MEP, salary tithe: £3358.00

Donations received: £77.00

Total Income: £3,435.00

Expenditure:

Donations made: £2000.00

Commission of articles/reports (grooming issue): £500.00

Purchase of 1000 St George’s Cross shopping trolley key-rings for free distribution on St George’s Day 2011: £1000.00

Costs of cake ingredients for St George’s Day 2011 promotional events: £100.00

Total Expenditure: 3,600.00