The far-right BNP are trying to hijack Scotland's Poppy Appeal to win public support. The racist organisation have asked activists to volunteer to sell the emblems of remembrance for our war heroes.In a secret bulletin to Scots members, the party ask them to take advantage of a shortage of volunteers. The memo states: "We should be at the front of the queue volunteering to do our bit as we understand better than most the patriotic sacrifice made by those serving and ex-service men and women."
Last night, furious Poppy Appeal organisers said they were appalled by the BNP's sick bid to win favour. Jim Panton, chief executive of Poppyscotland, said: "I had no idea the BNP have tried to get involved in the Poppy Appeal. It's outrageous for any organisation or group to try to hijack the poppy for their own benefit or gain. It is a misuse and misrepresentation of the sentiment of the appeal and we would take a strong line against that. We are apolitical and have not asked any party to back us."
Brigadier Frank Coutts, 89, who served in the Second World War with the King's Own Scottish Borderers, added: "I used to sell poppies on the streets and I wouldn't want to be associated with any sellers from the BNP. Their beliefs are outrageous and contrary to the Royal British Legion's aims. They are disloyal to this country. The Poppy Appeal is a national institution of great importance and no one should be doing anything that might damage that."
Last year in Scotland, the Poppy Appeal raised £1.5million. This month, more than 10,000 volunteers armed with 60,000 collection cans will sell poppies.
Neil Griffiths, of the Royal British Legion Scotland, said: "We abhor any association with the BNP. I worked most of my military career with Gurkhas and feel angry by any level of racism when I encounter it. The BNP seem to have forgotten that the Indian Army in the Second World War had two million members. It was the biggest volunteer army in military history and it played a huge role in the war."
This year's appeal was launched on Wednesday by First Minister Alex Salmond and Scotland football team manager Alex McLeish.
SNP defence spokesman Angus Robertson said: "Poppy Day is a day for remembrance by all for all who have made the ultimate sacrifice in conflict and a substantial source of support for our veterans. It is appalling for the far right to try to hijack it. Their repugnant views are rejected right across Scottish society and by our brave ex-service personnel. The poppy is a symbol of our unity and Scots will always wear it with pride."
Last night, Kenny Smith, the BNP's Scottish organiser, said: "We are not a Nazi or fascist party. We are not racists. We are patriots who believe that those who laid down their lives for this country in two world wars should always be remembered. There is no way we are hijacking the poppy appeal for political purposes."
The activists
These are the BNP members who could be selling you poppies this week.
Warren Bennett was one of 58 Scots banned from the Scotland v Norway match during France 98. He was paid to protect BNP leader Nick Griffin on a visit to Glasgow after the racist murder of teenager Kriss Donald.
Scott McLean, 33, of Glasgow, was photographed giving a Nazi salute at a Blood and Honour skinhead festival.
Steve Blake, an IT consultant, of Stirling, runs the BNP website. He imported hardcore Nazi material from the US in the 80s.
Kenny Smith, of Dennistoun, Glasgow, is editor of the Scottish edition of the British Nationalist magazine.
William Hamilton, a former director of Hamilton Academical FC, stood against Mohammed Sarwar in the 2005 election.
Glasgow Sunday Mail
13 comments:
"In a secret bulletin to Scots members, the party ask them to take advantage of a shortage of volunteers.
The memo states: 'We should be at the front of the queue volunteering to do our bit as we understand better than most the patriotic sacrifice made by those serving and ex-service men and women.'"
Have you ever considered that being a patriotic party, the BNP may just want to raise money for our ex-servicemen/women out of respect, rather than attention seeking?
Poppy cock
The nazi bnp have picked on the wrong group of people to upset here.
WW2 veterans are not going to stand by and watch their organisation hijacked by a bunch of nazis.
if i were the bnp in Scotland i would be afraid very afraid.
In response to realist:
If the BNP aren't seeking cheap publicity by selling poppies why did disgraced ex teacher Adam Walker have his photo in the BNP regional voices pages last Friday selling poppies?
Resigning to avoid a steward's enquiry into the precise nature of the inappropriate websites he was viewing during working hours, Walker is hardly the type of person the RBL would want representing them to the public. It just goes to show that, for the fascists, all publicity is good publicity.
Still, sitting in front of a box of poppies in a supermarket foyer for a few minutes while being photographed takes his mind off the fate of his younger brother. And it beats disrupting children's anti-racist sporting events!
Realist said:
"a patrotic party"
Dream on. This stinks of a cynical attempt by the BNP to attach itself to a good cause.
The Poppy Appeal, and the charitable work of the British Legion, are totally non-party-political. Bit like the armed services.
They include Tories, Socialists, Liberals, yes and even the further left and right. And indeed, plenty of non-political folk.
A very bad misjudgement by the BNP methinks
Just been on the BNP site and discovered an official describing volunteering for selling poppies as:
"your patriotic chore"
chore? chore? I know their grasp of English is sometimes a little weak, but really . . . .
Shame the national press does,nt get a hold of this one.
Are there no depths the BNP would,nt sink to?
Im aware they have hit rock bottom , Im horrified they keep on digging
irishtony
"Have you ever considered that being a patriotic party, the BNP may just want to raise money for our ex-servicemen/women out of respect, rather than attention seeking?"
Maybe, but this is Britain, not Germany.
This has been reported on the Stormfront forum and below is one of the responses
"What is exactly 'outrageous' about the BNP's views? Has this old man actually had a look at them instead of being told what to think by the biased media or is he just probably suffering from senile dementia? Stupid old fool and the old wonder why the government treats them with such utter contempt? The simple answer is because the government of WHATEVER party knows people like this exist and they make it easy for them. Thanks to many old fools like him in his generation, young Britons are having their country stolen away from them. I bought a poppy last year but I would make sure I didn't buy one from such an utter idiot this year."
Great respect for one of our old soldiers there.
Evil nazi killer of old said...
Poppy cock
Bloody typical comment from a 'soap dodger'!
How dare you even attempt to make a joke out of something so very very intrinsic to the hearts of each and every patriotic person in this land, at the expense of all our fallen heros who have gone before!
You should be ashamed of yourself!
Remembering them is our duty, as we wouldn't be here now, reading and writing this, if it wasn't for their brave efforts.
don't take the piss, pal!!
Mark Collett worships Adolf Hitler, the very scumbag that the alied forces defeated. It is total hypocrisy that British followers of Adolf Hitler are pretending to praise British servicemen when they would have welcomed the invading German forces with welcome hands.
The BNP came from the National Front which originated from Oswald Mosley's Union Of British Fascists......
"The BNP came from the National Front which originated from Oswald Mosley's Union Of British Fascists......"
Actually, although the former is true (formed by expelled NF Leader Tyndall) the latter isn't. The direct lineage from the BUF was the Union Movement and later the Action Society. They competed with the National Front and chose a more pro-European line and concentrated somewhat less on race and thus dwindled away.
I dont really care where the BNP came from whether they were born from the NF or a union or what, they are a bastard organization that any decent minded individual would have aborted before birth.
And just on the main point of the bnp trying to hijack poppy day collections, when are people going to wake up to the fact that the vast majority of members of this nazi party have sticky fingers where money is concerned and the only place any money collected would end up is in 'their' own pockets to be spent shoving cheap cider and extra strong lager down their dirty nazi throats.
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