In June 2004, Ashley Mote was elected to the European Parliament as a representative of the UK Independence Party for the South East England constituency, after campaigning to clean up sleaze in Brussels.
11 Facts About Ashley Mote
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On 9 May 2009, Ashley Mote announced he would not stand as a candidate at the 2009 European Parliament election.
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On 4 October 2004, Ashley Mote sought to claim immunity from prosecution on the basis of his status as an MEP.
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On 5 April 2005, Ashley Mote appealed the Parliament's decision to the Court of First Instance.
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The court heard that Ashley Mote had claimed housing and council tax benefits between 1991 and 1993 following the collapse of his business.
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Joanna Greenberg QC, prosecuting, said that from 1996, Ashley Mote had filled out benefit claim forms stating that he was unemployed and had no financial assets, even though at the time he had business interests in an international marketing firm called Tanner Management and another company, JC Commercial Management.
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The decision of Chichester District Council finding that benefits had been overpaid to Ashley Mote had been challenged by him before the Social Security Appeal Tribunal.
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The appeals were pending at the time Ashley Mote was committed for trial at the Crown Court, and were heard on 3 September 2004, although Ashley Mote was not present.
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The Tribunal dismissed the appeals, and Ashley Mote appealed to the Social Security Commissioners who dismissed his action on 20 July 2006.
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The Court of Appeal agreed to hear a further appeal and Ashley Mote argued that the Social Security Appeal Tribunal should have adjourned the case pending the outcome of Ashley Mote's criminal proceedings.
11.
Sarah Ludford MEP called for the British Government to change the law in the wake of the Ashley Mote case, stating that the European Parliament had been powerless to intervene in the case as Ashley Mote's eligibility as an MEP was solely a question of UK law.