An activist who once led fuel protests across the country and recently secured the BNP's best byelection result in its 25-year history after standing in Tony Blair's constituency has left the party after a punch-up with a senior official.Andrew Spence polled almost 2,500 votes in last month's Sedgefield contest and beat seven other candidates to finish in fourth place behind the three mainstream parties.
Despite polling almost 9% of the vote to secure the party's best byelection result since it was formed, the County Durham farmer said he had now left the party as it was "not what he thought".
The punch-up happened at the BNP's Red White and Blue festival, in Derbyshire, last weekend and Mr Spence today confirmed he had thrown punches at the party treasurer, John Walker, and got involved with publicity head Mark Collett.
It is not known exactly what sparked the incident but speaking from his County Durham farm today, Mr Spence said: "There was a major disagreement and punches were thrown. It's really saddened me that it came to this but the BNP is not the party I thought it was."
Mr Spence, who led the September 2000 fuel protests, said he had joined the party in good faith and still supported the rank and file members.
The farmer, who was labelled a "people's champion" for his rallying calls during the protests, added: "I made some good friends and was proud to be in the party. When I first joined the party it had a common-sense approach to tackling issues that matter to people. I wish the BNP the very best of luck at grass roots level but there are some things that just cannot be forgiven."
The police were not called to the incident which was handled by the festival's own security and no further action is expected to be taken.
The two-and-a-half day event was said to have attracted about 3,000 people from across the UK and as far afield as the US, Sweden, South Africa and Germany. Party bosses hailed the event a huge success that ran smoothly.
The BNP today said the incident involving Mr Spence and Mr Walker was of "no consequence" and did not detract from the success of the event.
Party press officer Dr Phil Edwards, said today: "This issue is an internal, family matter within the party and of no consequence or interest to anyone outside the party. There's no further comment to make about it."
Guardian
39 comments:
So finally, after BNP supporter's lies here and massive censorship on Stormfront and the BNP's own party forum, we find the truth is what we said it was in the first place!
Yeah, I read that it was forbidden to mention the Spence/Walker incident on the BNP forum at all.
Was he just in the BNP for 6 months? He packed a lot into that didnt he?
Without such people the BNP is doomed.
"Without such people the BNP is doomed."
The BNP is doomed as long as Nick Griffin is in charge of it!
The red white and blue festival looked more like a poor mans car boot sale than an actual festival.
maybe the punch up happened from sheer boredom
If the party isn't what he thought it was, what the hell DID he think it was?
The red white and blue festival looked more like a poor mans car boot sale
Thats more or less what it is except theres a lot more beer
"If the party isn't what he thought it was, what the hell DID he think it was?"
Perhaps he thought it was a political party. Must have been a big surprise when he realised it was just Nicks little earner.
"So finally, after BNP supporter's lies here and massive censorship on Stormfront and the BNP's own party forum, we find the truth is what we said it was in the first place!"
Isn't that ALWAYS the case.
dont you just get a nice warm glow when you are proved right.....
You lot are deluding yourselvs if you think Andrew Spensce will be missed. He rubbed people up the wrong way and we are glad to be rid of him.
they actually gave out prizes for people who brought in the most money for the BNP .Everybody clapped. the sad part is most the money collected along with that little car boot earner will go to fat nick and his fat family
If nick was ever caught stealing party funds Would he have to jump the country and become an illegal immigrant??
Now that would be irony indeed
"He rubbed people up the wrong way and we are glad to be rid of him."
Translation:
He asked to many questions and we're screwed.
Just wait for the usual cries of 'he's a red infiltraitor, a Searchlight mole, Mi5' or whatever. It shouldn't be long now.
'"He rubbed people up the wrong way and we are glad to be rid of him."
Translation:
He asked to many questions and we're screwed.'
LOL Fuckin funny!
What a pity nobody got a film of the fight. What a laugh that would have been.
'Wouldn't it have been so much better if the BNP had put out a statement telling everybody that Andrew Spence was no longer a member when this so called altercation happened.
The BNP would have been exonerated.
This has reflected badly on the BNP because everybody thought he was still a member.'
I see the bullshit cover-up is starting over at Stormfront.
"Wouldn't it have been so much better if the BNP had put out a statement telling everybody that Andrew Spence was no longer a member when this so called altercation happened."
Oh for christs sake. How many times are they going to try this shit. Cottage suddenly wasn't a member ten minutes after they found him preparing to blow up the planet.
He's a dopey looking bastard isn't he.
We have got to have a coalition of former 'griffinites'. Tyndall might have been right at the time, but his policies will never win - people will never think it is fair to forcibly repatriate people who were invited here and have made their homes here. Let's follow the NG line and just forcibly return the Muslims, and pay everyone else. We have got to win the country back, and between the old guard and the new mob, nationalism is being destroyed. We need a national conference of all nationalists to see about forging ahead with a new party - inviting Ebanks, Bowden, Nicholas of the English Independence Party, the Edwards, Spence, perhaps some ex-UKIPers like David Noakes and other disillusioned nationalists. The country has to be saved before it is too late, and we cannot afford the bad image of the old right, irrespective of whether they were right or wrong.
"You lot are deluding yourselvs if you think Andrew Spensce will be missed. He rubbed people up the wrong way and we are glad to be rid of him."
Exactly what did he do? How do you wind people up the wrong way? And how has Mark Collett managed to not wind anyone up (he has the right connections perhaps, because he certainly doesn't have a circumspect mouth). Come on, tell me and win back a Griffinite, because I can't take anymore of the best people leaving the and the misfits staying in charge.
@EnglishLiberty
That's the last bit of recruiting you're doing here. You can post but if you're trying to set up a new 'nationalist' group, you can toddle off to Stormfront and do it there.
anon says..he rubbed people up the wrong way......why is everything about the bnp so touchy feely? i thought the rwb was supposed to be good clean family fun?????
is it right spence was escorted off site by the griffin boot boys the next day,rumour has it quite a few left as early as saturday morning over heavy handed security goons
griffin is falling fast and he knows it,just look on the website,most of the stories are coming from new groups and branches who are excited but fail to realise where their money is going.you never seem to see the stories from the old cliche branches that have been there for years, because nicky boy knows it they have rumbled him and refuse to put so much of their spare time and cash into the "griffin coffers"shame really what will the likes of,walker,darby,barnes,enbrook and the big fat ginger twat cass do when they have have to sign up for social security ?
okay, af: I thought you would be happy with another group to split the nationalist vote even further. But perhaps you, like all of us, know that as long as we are represented by the BNP, you have nothing to fear. I'll I appreciate the heads up, and I'll keep away from that one on this forum.
funny thing ... stormfront refuses to post my emails about a new natioanalist party!
"If the party isn't what he thought it was, what the hell DID he think it was?"
May be he thought it was a party of honest individuals who wanted to make a real difference and was geniunely suprised to find out that those at the top are just morons and thieves?
"Let's follow the NG line and just forcibly return the Muslims", typed English Liberty, polluting this website with racist filth.
Thanks for that sick-in-the-head racist neo-Nazi longing to ethnically cleanse the UK of its Asian citizens. You obviously think everything goes on the Lancaster UAF Blog, dear follower of Adolf Hitler.
Surely this prick knows the vast majority of citizens in this country find such fantasies of ethnic cleansing, aberrant- Muslims are law-abiding, British citizens like snyone else, just as Jews were in Nazi Germany before they were singled out and persecuted by evil nazis.
I guess this website editor thought you perhaps had a brain cell or two in that thick racist skull of yours, Mr Liberty. It's such a shame that your use of the concept of "liberty" only applies to pure-bred white people.
Whether they love or loathe Griffin, there's no such thing as an "ethical nazi", folks. All neo-nazis are thick as two short planks, which explains why nobody has the balls to confront the cowardly Griffin about his meglomania.
thread now locked on BNP forum.
Bastards obviously don't want people to speak the truth!
Free speech on there is a JOKE.
you deleted my comments!! We can't have people asked difficult questions can we? You fascist! Game, set, and match, is to me I believe. I can't believe you can still look at yourself in the mirror ... are you a man or a mouse?
'you deleted my comments!! We can't have people asked difficult questions can we? You fascist! Game, set, and match, is to me I believe. I can't believe you can still look at yourself in the mirror ... are you a man or a mouse?'
Man, as it happens.
I've already told you this is not the place to spread your kind of message. If you want to form a new group fine, go do it - just not on here. I see you've started posting on NWN - great, I'm sure they'll welcome your call. But even there, you have to conform to the rules, such as they are.
This is an anti-fascist forum. Please remember that.
All that aside, this Comment thread is about Spence's punch-up at the RWB. Please try to stick (more or less) to the point. We're pretty lenient here but even we have limits to what we deem acceptable.
Here! Here! Agreed!!!
Well said, Lancaster UAF. Posters are meant to be preaching against racism, not encouraging it.
Bloody Poodles!!!
"Well said, Lancaster UAF. Posters are meant to be preaching against racism, not encouraging it."
actually I showed why I am NOT a racist, and why you guys are, and I'm saddened that you were not permitted to hear my reasons.
"actually I showed why I am NOT a racist, and why you guys are, and I'm saddened that you were not permitted to hear my reasons."
Oh stop whining. When you post in the rules, you're fine. Just stop banging on about forming a new nationalist group and we'll all get along fine.
"Oh stop whining. When you post in the rules, you're fine. Just stop banging on about forming a new nationalist group and we'll all get along fine."
Fine, I'll drop this one too ... but it was nothing to do with forming a new party. End of conversation on this one.
Post a Comment