Monday, May 18, 2009

EXCLUSIVE: UKIP Lawyers' Letters Revealed Over £10k Demand to Libertas

As the Richard Kay column in the Mail reports this morning, in 2008 UKIP rather cleverly UKIP registered the name of rival political party Libertas with the Electoral Commission. This appeared to prevent Libertas from using its own name when putting up candidates in the European elections. But perhaps they were being a bit too clever by half.

Libertas are now filing a complaint with the Metropolitan Police over UKIP's attempt to try to get them to part with £10,000 in exchange for the right to use the name.

I can exclusively reveal the correspondence from UKIP's solicitors to Libertas in which they make the offer.


In some ways it is quite astonishing it has taken Libertas until now to get this sorted.

28 comments:

VotR said...

It never rains but it pours.

Talk about sour grapes, of wrath.

Anonymous said...

If it's anything like domain names, you wait for them to make an offer to sell as this shows bad faith. Certainly, wait for them to show they're grubby money grabbing hands and it changes the dynamics of the whole name-stealing argument.

no longer anonymous said...

I'm no fan of Libertas and share the UKIP view on the EU but I think UKIP's behaviour here has been petty and childish. Like Farage in that tank, this is why I can't take them seriously.

orientalsage said...

Well the solution's obvious - Libertas should simply call themselves LibertasX

Anonymous said...

I thought this practice had been outlawed anyway. So we have a very expensive electoral commission, that is incapable of stopping electoral bullying.

Rebel Saint said...

Maybe Libertas should come up with a better name then.

Who are they anyway? Why do we need them?

gordon-bennett said...

If Libertas have to change their name my suggestion is to imply they are Number One or Ace by calling themselves LiberAce

Roger Thornhill said...

I think UKIP has been very stupid, petty and immature.

Can they be done for "passing off"?

And they want to run the country?

Badly done, UKIP, badly done.


p.s. I think Libertas are misguided, to say the least. They risk being infested with Fabian fifth-columnists and lose their way. Don't sit down with Statists to reform them - they will talk you to death, making you concede everything while they concede nothing.

Victor, NW Kent said...

A squabble by kiddies over a toy.

Anonymous said...

Sounds like the Tories are getting desperate about voters following Sir Norman Tebbit's advice and voting UKIP, if this is the sort of dirt they are trying to dig up.

It won't work though. Cameron's failure to expel just 1 MP over dodgy expenses shows where his heart really is.

Has Dave explained why he got the Taxpayer to pay for the removal of his rampant Wisteria yet?

Anonymous said...

Tut, tut! "Libertas is now filing a complaint . . "

Guthrum said...

One of our members came up with this 'wheeze' while it was still available, the NCC of the Libertarian Party vetoed the idea

Independence Home said...

Very interesting Iain. We shall have to watch how it progresses.
Have posted an article on this at Independence Home

Roger Thornhill said...

The Tories do not need to dig up this bit of dirt - UKIP went over and rolled in it themselves.

Anonymous said...

Parhaps this lapse speaks to the quality of the party.

As somebody said "why do we need them?"

The answer is "We don't", they are Declan Ganley's new toy.

Abramovich bought chelsea instead of a playstation - Declan Ganley is aiming at having a political party.

Paul said...

It's shabby behaviour on UKIP's part but it doesn't say much about Libertas that they allowed this to happen.

Alex said...

This isn't news. The story broke in the Irish press in January.

If UKIP demanded 10k, but admit that they will not be putting up any candidates, that should be enough for the EC to strike their name off the register.

Rocksteady Eddie said...

Political scandal to end all scandals

Shock, Horror where will it end, a new scandal to end all scandals.
Libertas EU have threatened to stop the troughing and sleaze in Europe.
Libertas have threatened the whole of EU's institutions, stating that they intend to bring Democracy, accountability and transparency to the EU.
Is this the end of politics as we know it?
Are their demands unreasonable?
How will Europe cope with real democracy?
Just how will the citizens of Europe react to a Europe that works for them.
find answers at www.libertas.eu

ukipwebmaster said...

Astonishing? It's all about timing as you well know Iain. Publicity is everything.

The Pub Consultancy Service said...

What can one say. I would suspect the police will just tell Libertas to go away. It is not illegal to register a name and then sell it on.

I am not suggesting I necessarily agree with what the party did, in registering the name but this announcement is clearly timed to disrupt UKIP's campaign, from frightened opponents. Ganley is spending a fortune on advertising on blogs etc. One hopes the Electoral Commission is keeping a close eye on them.

Let us not forget that Ganley has been in discussions with the Tories, about forming an alliance in the EU, if the rumours are to be believed.

This will just be one of a number of hot air stories.

Anonymous said...

you use the phrase"too clever by half"This was said years ago about my Father,Iain Macleod!!I am standing as a Libertas candidate on June 4th-having stood at the General Election for UKIP!Sadly Libertas was not around.What UKIP has done is mean spitited and goes against all principles of fairplay-even in Politics!They should look to their principles,before seeking out others.Is there such a word as whitemail?

Steven Moss said...

Speculation, but I think one of our guys may have shoved this idea to UKIP after we rejected it.

For the Libertarian Party of the UK to register Libertas UK would hardly seem strange, even if intended only as a meanie spoiler; for UKIP to register and then attempt to obtain a payout smacks of an implicit fraud/blackmail threat.

Anonymous said...

This is just sour grapes and jealousy. Libertas is run by incompetent and inexperienced amateurs.

Ganley has had months to make official complaints but failed to do so.

Libertas's application to become a registered pan-European party was turned down.

Anonymous said...

1.11 pm - Bob Feal-Martinez

Bob are you the UKIP candidate for Swindon who was recently banned from the Democracy Fourm website for lying?

The same Bob who is mocked by fellow UKIP members for talking 'Manglish' and the same UKIP members also cruelly compare you to a Sontarian from Dr Who?

Pogo said...

Personally, I thought it rather funny... Gave me a chuckle anyway.

Helen said...

Well, they are called Libertas.eu so they had better stick to that. After all, they see further European integration as the way forward. So they wouldn't want to mess around with silly things like UK in their name. Would they?

Anonymous said...

As anyone who has been burgled, or been the victim of car crime, can tell you making a complaint to the Police is a very long way indeed from them actually doing anything at all about it. I don't think that UKIP will be too worried by that one.

As for UKIP having registered Libertas' name first well in my game there's a saying; "You snooze, you lose"!

The Pub Consultancy Service said...

At May 18, 2009 2:43 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

1.11 pm - Bob Feal-Martinez

Bob are you the UKIP candidate for Swindon who was recently banned from the Democracy Fourm website for lying?

The same Bob who is mocked by fellow UKIP members for talking 'Manglish' and the same UKIP members also cruelly compare you to a Sontarian from Dr Who

I am who I am which is not a coward, who post behind anonymity. Given this is an identical comment that has been posted elsewhere, I guess the ant UKIP are struggling to find anything substantive to harm the party.

This whole incident is simply a non event and the Me Police will say so. But of course I doubt Iain will post that. His party of choice is as much in the mire as the other two main parties. SKY revealed today that if a snap election was called, UKIP would be the official opposition and that would be the end of Britain in the EU thank God.