Funny stuff at the English democrats.

The English Democrats are one of a plethora of small parties that inhabit the fringes of British politics - (No I don't see UKIP as a fringe party, its a ruddy big fringe that beats the party of government into third place in a national poll).

Given their tiny size they did pretty well at the Europeans last year,

"They came seventh in the election in England (ninth in the UK as a whole) with 279,801 votes or 1.8%, a rise from the 0.7% they received at the previous elections in 2004."

So well indeed that it poses a number of questions. How did they fund their campaign? Where does the money come from?

So from their website I went along to the Electoral Commission website. to see how they are funded. And what do we find. Very very little.

Back in 2006 the party leader Robin Tilbrook and a couple of cronies loaned the party £101,447 which hasd never been paid back.

Then nothing, not a bean it seems, Nothing in 2008, nothing announced in 2009.

So what is going on here then?

How about campaign financing in the Euros?

Well they have an expenditure return that has

Party Political Broadcast: £13,098.5o
Adverstising and publicity £ 8,763.00
Unsolicited material to electors £12,909

Then an ungainly scribbled estimate for,

Overheads and General admin. £2129,50

Which totals the suprisingly round figure of,

Total expenditure £35,000

Weirder still they ae the only party, expect the magnificently named "The Roman Party. Ave!" to have failed to deliver any invoices.

Now given that a leaflet drop costs at least £30,000 for a region and the basic running of an office - I called them today and they have at least one body with a telephone, there must be phone bills and electricity to pay, where does the money come from?

I don't know, just askinmg.