Independent MEP Nikki Sinclaire has become the first British Member of the European Parliament to receive a satisfactory auditor's report in respect of her expenditure in accordance with articles 25 to 28 of the Parliament's rules.
It looks likely that politician's expenses will become an issue in the forthcoming General Election, as they did in last year's euro-elections, which saw the main parties punished at the polling booths by voters. Ms Sinclaire has highlighted the lack of transparency amongst elected members of all the parties. "Despite all the media coverage, and the fact that criminal charges have been brought against the worst offenders, politicians still have not got the message", she said. "We are still seeing vague and incomplete declarations, politicians are still employing their wives and families, and despite the economic crisis they still go off on luxurious taxpayer-funded junkets".
The issue of politicians diverting allowances to their parties is also an issue that she feels needs to be addressed, and one which parliament and OLAF are known to be investigating. Ms Sinclaire has in fact raised a formal question with the EU Council of Ministers concerning money that she has personally identified as having been diverted from staff budgets and into UK party coffers.
The auditor's report shows that she has not only acted absolutely within the rules, and that she has not benefited personally from her expenditure allowances, but that she has also personally funded her activities on behalf of her constituents to the tune of more than £10,000.
Nikki Sinclaire MEP was the Keynote Speaker at Solihull Ratepayers Members Forum on Friday 12th March 2010 in Shirley. Ms. Sinclaire flew in from Strasbourg for her first public engagement since taking her stance as an Independent MEP to address Solihull Ratepayers Members Forum at the Shirley Centre last Friday afternoon.
Nikki told members of the Solihull Ratepayers’ Association that she will still stand against Caroline Spelman in the forthcoming general election - At the SRA’s latest members’ forum at Shirley Centre last Friday she insisted she still had the support of local party activists despite her run ins with national leaders. And she pledged her immediate support to a campaign to see off a threat to the Meriden Gap from Coventry City Council’s housing building plans by promising to display a Save our Green Belt car sticker on her podium in the European Parliament next time she was called to ask a question.
UKIP candidates have fought the last two general elections in Meriden, but failed to get anywhere near winning the seat which Mrs Spelman holds with a comfortable 7,000 majority. However, the shadow communities and local government secretary was caught up in the recent expenses scandal and was ordered to repay over £2,000 wrongly claimed in cleaning, utility and phone bills. Speaking after the meeting,association secretary Trevor Eames said: “This is the first time we have had an MEP to speak to us and we were all very impressed by Nikki, particularly her attention to detail and her local knowledge.
” Ms Sinclaire, who is from Shirley, added: “I was absolutely delighted to speak to the Solihull Ratepayers’ Association who do a sterling job in looking after the interests of the people of Solihull.
“I would encourage every politician to attend their local meetings because connecting with local concerns, then addressing them either locally or on a parliamentary level is what politics is supposed to be about,I think far too many established politicians have forgotten this.”
Ms Sinclaire has also hit out at claims in last week’s Observer by UKIP leader Lord Pearson that she was a trouble maker who did not get on with party members at a regional level. “I read with disbelief Lord Pearson’s comments.
His comments about my relationship with the party in the West Midlands are simply not true.”“In my 16 years of service to UKIP I have never been summoned before a disciplinary panel nor has any complaint ever been made against me.
” She added that she received the unanimous support of the local constituency association, County Committee and on Tuesday night (March 16) a vote of confidence was passed on me by the West Midlands Regional Committee six votes to one.
“It was also said they did not recognise Lord Pearson’s description of me.” Ms Sinclaire called on Lord Pearson to apologise for his public comments, reinstate her and allow her to help UKIP succeed in the forthcoming campaign.
British MEP Nikki Sinclaire has accused parliament of "failing to properly" investigate her complaint that she was physically assaulted by the assembly's security staff. She says she is dissatisfied with the way parliament's bosses investigated the incident, which dates back to 2005.
Sinclaire made her accusation on Tuesday during a public hearing in parliament to mark international women's day.She accused the parliament of "rank hypocrisy" in pressing for action to tackle violence against women while at the same time "failing" to thoroughly investigate her complaint.
"It is all well and good to crusade against violence against women, which I abhor, but what about my case? Why hasn't that been dealt with properly?
"The security guards who assaulted me are still working in parliament. When I enter parliament I have to walk past the people who assaulted me. It is not right and smacks of double standards."
The incident happened in Strasbourg when Sinclaire, then a member of the UK Independence Party, took part in a peaceful protest against the old EU constitution.
After unfurling a banner, she said she was "dragged" to the ground by six security staff who then proceeded to "punch and kick" her.
The eurosceptic deputy says she was "covered" in bruises and needed hospital treatment as a result of what she calls a "vicious and totally unprovoked" attack.
Sinclaire, who now sits as an independent MEP after her split from Ukip, claims that one of the security staff who assaulted has since been involved in another similar incident in parliament.
Speaking during Tuesday's hearing, she said, "It is all very good for parliament to fly the flag for gender equality and suchlike but it should get its own house in order.
"It is worth remembering that this attack on me happened in parliament, in other words, in my place of work.
"How can parliament take such a position on work-placed gender violence when it failed to investigate my case?"
Watch the speech here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CuKtoUdsrY
It is with great disappointment that I have today received a letter from the Party Secretary, Michael Zuckerman that removes me as a UKIP MEP. A decision that has lost UKIP it's status as the official opposition in the European Parliament and the UK's 2nd largest party.
There has been no disciplinary procedure and no right of reply. I find this course of action incredulous after 16 years of service. This decision has been made despite expression of absolue support for the Party and intention to continue as a UKIP MEP/Candidate. There was an agreed position between myself, Lord Pearson and fellow UKIP West MIdlands MEP, Mike Nattrass
With only eight weeks before a General Election I find it absolutely amazing that the Party decided to open a sore wound rather than fight the real enemy.
I reserve the right to defend my reputation, my political career and the aims of UKIP by all available means.
Nikki today the 25th of February 2010 started The Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme with an intense day of training at RAF Base Halton in Buckinghamshire. The objective of the Armed forces Parliamentary Scheme is to provide MPs with a broad view of military life and a real knowledge of the role and functions of the armed forces.
Nikki will spend time with service men and women throughout the intensive programme. The course will cover basic training and duties for both junior officers and for other ranks, concluding with a period in Afghanistan. When so many of our servicemen and women are putting themselves in harm’s way to protect our national interests, it has never been more important that those in Parliament truly understand the vital work they do
"As a politician, it is very important to be able to relate to the lives of the military along with the lives of the many people who make this nation great" said Nikki.
Continuing "The opportunity to speak with our brave service men and women and to see them in their military surroundings will be an immense building of my character, as a politician and as an individual.""I think I am very lucky to be given this opportunity"
West Midlands MEP Nikki Sinclaire voted this week against the EU Commission, the European Peoples Party and the Conservative European Parliamentary Group, the ECR in their attempt to postpone the vote on the interim SWIFT agreement with the United States.
Nikki said “The EU’s poor agreement with the US gives a lack of data protection and legal redress in the provisional agreement on bank data transfers to the United-States via the SWIFT network. This has far reaching implications for UK citizens including their privacy. This information should be gathered only for the purposes of fighting terrorism and the right balance must be struck between security measures and the protection of civil liberties.”
Nikki reiterated that this should be a matter for the UK government to negotiate and not the EU. The vote to postpone was narrowly defeated and the subsequent vote threw out the agreement. Nikki said “This was a real slap in the face for the EU establishment and I am delighted to put my bit of force behind it!”
West Midlands UKIP MEP, Nikki Sinclaire, as an invited guest of the European Jewish Congress, took part in events to mark the 65th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz yesterday. The day also marked the annual Holocaust Memorial Day.
Prior to the visit, which took place in temperatures of - 20 degrees, a service was held in Krakow, entitled "Let my people live". This was addressed by Polish President Lech Kacznski, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Jerzy Buzek, President of the European Parliament. US President Barak Obama addressed delegates via a personal video message. Those present included Holocaust survivors, religious leaders and students. The theme of the day's was "Remembering the past - Confronting Today's Challenges".
Nikki, the only UK MEP attending the event, said "I was honoured to have been invited to this humbling occasion; to see at first hand the horrors of intolerance, hatred and violence. The lesson we must all learn is that standing by while evil is perpetrated can never be right. And if "Never Again" is to be more than a mere slogan or empty phrase, we must accept that just marking a date is not enough - The best way to honour the victims of the Holocaust is to be vigilant to new atrocities, however small, and bear witness to them".
In Brussels earlier this week, the Women's Rights Committee launched a scathing attack on the Commission over its gender policies, when it was asked to approve the discharge of the EU General Budget for 2008.
"Gender budgeting has still not been implemented" the committee stated in a report, demanding that the Commission take further steps towards ensuring that gender mainstreaming becomes a reality in budgetary planning. The committee also pointed out that in 2008 a large number of reimbursements to the Cohesion projects, (which cover gender equality), were affected by "errors".
At the Luxembourg summit of 1997, it was agreed that gender equality, and equal employment opportunities for men and women, should be the fourth pillar of EU employment guidelines. However, according to the Commission's own figures employment rates amongst women are lower than for men, with women continuing to earn an average of 17.4% less than men for each hour worked.
UKIP MEP Nikki Sinclaire told us "Throughout the world, it is women who bear the brunt of economic and social problems. I suspect that millions of women in Europe would have had higher expectations of the Commission, which has again failed to deliver on its commitments".
Nikki Sinclaire MEP and her team hosted an NFU visit to the European Parliament on Monday 11th January in Brussels.The group of Farmers from the surrounding countryside of Shropshire were due to meet at Telford on Sunday night to fly to Brussels from Birmingham Airport. We were concerned they wouldn't make it through the ice and the snow, but as the organiser Ruth said "if farmers can't drive though the treacherous conditions no one can!"
Nikki's team met the NFU group of 25 at 2.30pm the next day on Monday afternoon inside the entrance of the EU visitors centre were photos were taken in front of the national flags. Then we were all lead into the visitors room where the workings of the EU Parliament were explained by John Fordham who has many years of experience working for the EU. We then viewed the impressive circular Parliament Chamber where there was a chance to ask questions.
After David finished, Nikki spoke about her perspective of the European Parliament and the reasons why the UK would benefit from leaving the EU, this was followed by a lively informative debate. Nikki was delighted to attend the NFU dinner later that evening with her colleague Stuart Agnew MEP this was a great opportunity for a discussion with him on technical agricultural issues - Stuart was with a determined few until around 1.00am the next morning, providing ample time for quite a thorough discussion!
Nikki will be making fact finding visits to farms in the future to support our agriculture community in the West Midlands. She said “I have found this visit very informative especially about the growing amount of paperwork farmers need to comply with – Farmers need to farm, not to become bureaucrats.”
People in north Warwickshire are being forced to travel further for life saving treatment as Rugby’s St Cross Hospital’s A&E department has been downgrade to little more than a ‘bandage station’, UKIP MEP Nikki Sinclaire has warned. The life saving unit is being wind down to the status of a walk-in minor injuries unit as people with life threatening conditions and injuries are being sent directly to Walsgrave Hospital in Coventry, a journey that adds miles to the dash for life.Ms Sinclaire said recent changes at St Cross have left the unit as an A&E only in name, despite assurances from health chiefs that emergency services would remain at the Stoney Stanton site.“Back in 2006 a review of acute service in Warwickshire promised that local 24 hour A&E units would remain but a quick look at the University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS trust website describes treatment available at St Cross now as ‘Cuts and grazes, broken bones, minor burns and scalds, bites and stings, strains and sprains, minor head injuries, and minor eye or ear problems'.
“Most shockingly parents are warned that if their child is seriously ill then they should be taken to Walsgrave Hospital directly.”She added; “This move leaves St Cross’s as little more than a bandage station while critical cases are either transferred or transported directly to Coventry with the added wait for life saving treatment.”The MEP, who has special responsibility for Warwickshire, said the move was even more deplorable as residents in the affected area had been kept in the dark about the changes, while local councillors had been briefed in full.“In 2007 Labour, Conservative and Lib Dem councillors on Rugby Borough Council had it spelt out to them that emergencies cases, such as heart attack, acute stroke, acutely sick children and major trauma would no longer be treated at St Cross but choose to do nothing about it.
“I became an MEP to confront the bureaucracy, lack of accountability and democracy at the heart of the European Union but it seems that these very same traits are evident in how the NHS in Warwickshire is being run.“I will now demand to know how this situation came about.”
The devastating impact of oxygen deprivation has seen the death of hundreds of fish and aquatic insects in the local Ipsley Pool. Whilst the seagull community may be enjoying the bigger than normal food supplies – anglers aren’t catching so much. Local UKIP MEP, Nikki Sinclaire together with Anne Davis, UKIP PPC for Redditch have quickly taken action to ensure that the re-oxygenation of the pool takes place speedily, to increase the life of wildlife in the pool and decrease the huge problem of smell from rotting fish and marine life.
“This is huge problem the cause of which has not yet been identified” said Nikki Sinclaire. “Sadly time has been wasted by the Environment Agency in not proactively identifying the cause which has had a huge negative impact on the pool.” “We are thankful to local anglers and members of the public who informed the local PPC Anne Davis of the UK Independence Party of their concerns about increasing numbers of dead fish” said Nikki Sinclaire.
On Monday 9th November, Anne Davis PPC met with officers of Redditch Borough Council to discuss the issue further following more than a week passing as oxygen levels in the pool fell from the average of 70% to only 10%. Following the intervention by Nikki and Anne, the Environment Agency have now promised to pump oxygen into the lake but still a risk remains to the aquatic community as the pumping of oxygen will not have an immediate impact. “Finally, the long suffering of the fish will soon be over” Anne Davis said.
Anne Davis, a previous Chairlady on the former Amenities Department of the boroughs council stated that the pool had been overlooked. Her previous involvement back in 1990 ensured regular visits to the pool for health and safety checks. Local angler, John, stated that in ‘more than 40 years fishing, I have never seen this before and it is very sad to see’
It is with great disappointment that I learn of the ‘Yes’ result in the second Irish Referendum on the Lisbon Treaty.There can be no doubt that the true democratic process has been subverted with lies, clear deception and veiled threats. The Treaty passed today is exactly the same as the Treaty rejected by the Irish people last June. Certain guarantees have been given but hold no water legally.The Irish ‘NO’ was not respected by the EU and the staggering difference today lies in the economic scare mongering by the Irish political elite at the behest of their EU masters. The Lisbon Treaty will not help the beleaguered Irish economy yet many Irish citizens believed the veiled threats with memories of the ‘good times’ when they were heavy net benefactors of the EU. Those times will never come back to Ireland.
The Irish people clearly could see that when they rejected the Nice Treaty (that allowed the enlargement of the EU into Eastern Europe). They were given guarantees told to vote again then the guarantees were subsequently discarded, mass immigration ensued that has changed Ireland with most EU subsidy now resting in Eastern Europe.I am proud that along with all my UKIP MEP colleagues we donated approximately £10,000 each to the ‘No’ campaign out of our communication budget. This paid for a leaflet to every household in Ireland.Unlike the EU, I have respect for the Irish people and their decision. We must however concentrate on our own efforts to fight this Treaty and continued EU membership.
We cannot afford to hope that we will be saved by a foreign country or by some magical legal loophole. This country was not build on dreams.We must take the fight to the political elite at every opportunity. Each one of us must ask ‘what can I do to save my country?’ Every leaflet we deliver, every letter we write to a newspaper, every chance we have to raise the subject we must seize. Only the British people can save Britain.We cannot rely either on the Lib Lab Con who have failed to respect and represent the views of the electorate. No one under the age of 53 has ever been asked their views on the EU, those over 53 were blatantly lied to by the same political skulduggery that influenced the result today.Today we lost a battle on a foreign field but the war is far from lost.
Nikki Sinclaire’s decision to stand follows UK Independence Party leader, Nigel Farage’s announcement on Friday 4th September that he would stand down, her campaign for leader starts today. “ I am very much looking forward to leading the party and moving us forward, should the party members decide to make me their leader” said Nikki Sinclaire. “ I know the party, I have worked across the party and I know our goal, it is time to take the party forward into a General Election” said Nikki.
Farage stood down to focus his efforts on standing for parliament against Speaker John Bercow and remain an MEP in the European Union at least until the General Election. He will remain party spokesperson. Nikki was elected to represent the West Midlands in The European Parliament in the recent European elections. The UK Independence Party came second in the West Midlands and across the country. Nikki will also stand for election in the West Midlands in the next General Election. Her mandate as candidate leader remains the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union. This would be followed by the signing of a free trade agreement which the British people were told they would sign up to back in 1972.
The UK Independence Party offers various policies that include major educational reforms, healthcare reforms and vast improvements to the UK’s transport network. As a Member of the European Parliament is an active member of several committee groups that include: Women’s and Gender Equality Committee, the Committee on Human Rights, Committee on Foreign Affairs and Civil liberties. Nikki Sinclaire has served the party for more than 15 years in various roles: Party Secretary, a NEC member and the EU election campaign manager for the West Midlands in the recent EU elections, which achieved the UKIP’s highest vote increase. The UK Independence Party has secured nearly 500 prospective parliamentary candidates to run in the next election.
Speech to UKIP Party Conference by Nikki Sinclaire MEP On Friday 4th September 2009:
Speech Text
" It is a privilege to be one of the two UKIP MEPs representing the counties of the West Midlands.We achieved UKIPs highest vote increase last June, coming first in three council areas. This is a significant success, and I pay tribute to the hard working UKIP volunteers. I will do my best to repay your efforts.The West Midlands is the home to so much of Britain’s creative and scientific genius – the birthplace of the industrial revolution and of such historical giants as Elgar, Darwin, Shakespeare and Ozzy Osbourne! It has a population of 5.2 million people, and stretches from Herefordshire in the South to Staffordshire in the north, encompassing the metropolitan area of the West Midlands, Shropshire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire.
It has proud traditions and a great people. The EU has had a very negative affect on these people – manufacturing, such as the iconic HP sauce factory, lies in ruins and rubble. Jobs moved to the continent. The car industry is a pale shadow of its former glory – plants like Ryton have been transferred to Slovakia with the help of EU funding, yet our government was powerless to bail out Rover due to EU trade rules, which put thousands on the dole queue. Agriculture has also been adversely affected – tied by the bureaucratic hands of the Common Agricultural Policy. Our dairy farmers closed due to unfair and unrealistic quotas.
Three months ago a significant number of the people in the West Midlands took the opportunity to say ‘NO’ to the EU, ‘NO’ to unelected bureaucrats making 75% of our laws, and ‘NO’ to the EU taking £40 million a day, £40 million pounds better spent on our schools, hospitals and on OUR infrastructure. In the West Midlands we are ready to fight a General Election in every constituency. To build, on our first places in Stoke, Newcastle-under-Lyme and Dudley. Between now and the election we will distribute more than a half a million 8 page newspapers.We will be giving our all to send MPs to Westminster to keep Nigel Farage company.
I have been involved with UKIP for 15 years. In this time the party has grown and can take great credit for changing attitudes to the EU, by reporting the reality and exposing its lies. Not to mention the duplicity of the LibLabCon. The activists of this party can take great satisfaction from the fact that even according to the Brussels Broadcasting Company the majority in this nation want to leave the EU.My first loyalty is to our country and to its independence – this is the cause we all share. I fully appreciate that I owe my position to the ordinary members of the party who elected me to represent them. I understand that loyalty is a two way street and it is my turn to repay them and today I recommit to that promise.
In 1998, I attended the Party Conference that changed our policy in sending MEPs to Brussels. I attended that day to vote against but after listening to the arguments and the assurances - I voted in favour.I still believe we made the right decision I also recommit to those aims and assurances of that Conference. Rule from Brussels is unacceptable in any form - to the people of our party, and to an ever-growing majority of people in this country. I therefore see my role in Brussels as to make the bureaucrats’ life as difficult as possible – to rub their noses in their mess as often as possible.
To report back on their fanaticism – to utilise the resources open to me to the best of my ability for the best use of UKIP.We may have had no choice but to supp with the devil by taking seats at his table. However, at that table it must never be forgotten that our aim is unequivocal withdrawal from the EU. Compromise is not and must never be an option. These are not just words but my principles. So today I am going to put my money where my mouth is – in the next 12 months I will donate at least a third of my net salary to the campaign in the West Midlands. I also believe we need to invest in our future and Young Independence is our future. Congratulations to Lisa Duffy and all those at Young Independence for the strides they have made.
To assist them I will be donating to their campaign. Further, I will not be forgetting our friends in Scotland and the North East who continue to grow in strength.The management of our money is important. All my staff are managed and paid directly by a chartered accountant. I never see a penny of that money. Each year my office allowances will be audited and a certificate produced. We British are a trusting people, but this trust has been abused. History has shown that when we are pushed too far, we will fight back, and that when we fight back, we win. We must galvanise this fighting spirit, to lead our people to that independence that will be our victory."
Nikki Sinclaire, UKIP MEP has called for student grants to replace the current debt making student loan programme." This is about investing in our future - why don't we take a share of the £45 million a day we waste in the EU to invest in our youths. Young people have enough to worry about - they should be concentrating on their studies and future not mounting debts" said Nikki Sinclaire.British undergraduates will on average owe £5,000 for every year of study suggested a poll of 2,000 students.
Freshers should expect to complete their first year of study with more than £21,200 by the time they graduate suggested The Push Student Debt Survey.Those starting degree courses this autumn could see their debt levels pushed to around £23,500.Students across England fare worse in contrast to their students in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Average debt per year of study in England is £5,271, compared to £4,324 in Northern Ireland, £4,021 in Wales and £2,194 in Scotland.Johnny Rich, editor of Push.co.uk, said: "With the economy in recession, students are even more concerned about debt than they have been in recent years." Finding part-time work has got harder and many students are facing real financial hardship and are worrying about what lies ahead."Tuition fees from this autumn will stand at £3,225 per year.
Students can claim a loan to cover the cost of tuition fees, plus extra for living costs.There are additional grants available for poorer students; student loans are repaid when graduates earn more than £15,000.
UKIP had a close eye on Jacques Barrot the EU Justice Commissioner as he outlined his remit of the Stockholm Programme in which he called for "citizenship in the fullest sense of the word" by introducing EU birth and death certificates.He was speaking to the Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee in Brussels this week.
New UKIP MEP, Nikki Sinclaire, who is a member of the committee, said: “I was stunned when the Commissioner outlined this proposal. " They are not even pretending anymore, it is now full steam ahead to a complete Euro superstate with a single register for all EU citizens’ births and deaths."" What about the protection of and respect for national identity?”Births and deaths have been registered in the UK since 1837 and are held by the Registrar General who collects them from local registration officers. In 2007 changes were made to the system and Birth and Death Registers were no longer written by hand.
Instead, this information is now held on a central online database.Nikki also criticised Commissioner Barrot, for his blatant disregard for the voters in Ireland facing an October referendum on the Lisbon Treaty.She said: "The Commissioner talked about 'when' the Lisbon Treaty would come into effect not 'if', despite the fact that Irish voters are yet to go to the polls."
