So much for the EU being corrupt. Ashley Mote, sometime UKIP MEP, but too nasty and dodgy even for them (hence his decision to sit in the EP with the Independence, Traditions and Sovereignty Group with people like the French Front National) has been jailed for 9 months for benefit fraud. News from the BBC about it here.
Never one to be a hypocrit, Mote has been banging on for years about how the EU is vile and corrupt and even tried to lobby the House of Lords about it. How he is supposed to represent his constituents from behind bars is anyone’s guess, but judging by how ineffective he (and indeed his former cronies in UKIP) has been in the European Parliament I don’t suppose anyone will notice the difference. Let’s hope the people of the South East have the good sense to not re-elect him in 2009.
For more amusing analysis of Mr Mote, have a read of Nosemonkey’s blog about him.
[UPDATE – 8.1.2008]
Since I wrote this post the ITS group of nasty right-wingers in the EP has split up. Does not stop Mr Mote being a thoroughly nasty individual though.
Has anybody thought he may have been set up to get rid of a eurosceptic MEP?
Look at it this way though: if Mote stays as a MEP he will have a year or so for a final hurrah (or rant or whatever you want to call it) once he’s out of jail. If he resigns he will just give that seat to UKIP and by doing so his political ‘career’ would be over.
Beyond that, reason and decency are not things that appeal to someone like Mote, so doing the decent thing and resigning is not going to happen.
The EP has rules the same as Westminster stating that a sentence of more than 1 year is needed to mean a MEP is automatically kicked out, so they are not alone with the predicament. See this from the BBC – fourth paragraph.
I agree with your point – but you didn’t mention the huge problem that he is allowed go continue as an MEP despite the fraud and the conviction.
*That* is a problem for the Parliament as well as UKIP, and will give ammunition to critics.
What will they be doing about it?
Matt
Mark, The only thing “dodgy” is Mr Mote. I know the DWP Investigator involved, and they gathered the evidence painstakingly over a long period of time, and faced many obstacles placed in her way by Mote. He left a trail of fraudulent activity which was picked up by the Department. He only has only himself to blame. I agree the sentence is too short. I know of cases with less than half the amount of overpayment Mr Mote accrued where the defendant was given 18 months.
he gets jail after bad mouthing eu.sounds dodgy to me.
Yes John, Ashley Mote is the biggest zit on the face of the earth. I had a little rant here http://vindicovindico.blogspot.com/2007/09/mep-jailed-for-fraud.html
I am a UKIP supporter so am a little biased i guess, but he has not only defrauded the taxpayer but he also defrauded UKIP members’ good will as they spent time and effort getting him elected. He actually lied to get elected and refused to do the decent thing and resign, trying to frstrate the course of justice with his EP immunity. Horrible creature.
Please do rip into him with impunity on 18 Doughty St. If only UKIP had discovered 48 hours earlier he would never have made it to the EP.
Much as I disagree with what UKIP stands for politically, I can really understand Nigel Farage’s frustrations on this one. The jail sentence is just too short to mean he has to resign, and Mote for sure will not go on his own.