Labour deputy leader Harriet Harman today joined condemnation of a BNP politician who suggested rape was not "a serious crime". She was speaking at Commons question time as it was confirmed that Nicholas Eriksen had been withdrawn from the list of his party's London Assembly candidates.Tory Charles Walker (Broxbourne) told MPs Mr Eriksen, who had suggested that it was a "myth" to think rape was a serious crime, was "not fit to run for public office".
Ms Harman said all mainstream political parties had to ensure Londoners voted to prevent BNP members being elected to the assembly. Mr Eriksen had sparked fury when he wrote on a far-right blog: "Rape is simply sex. Women enjoy sex, so rape cannot be such a terrible ordeal.
"To suggest that rape, when conducted without violence, is a serious crime is like suggesting that force-feeding a woman chocolate cake is a heinous offence. A woman would be more inconvenienced by having her handbag snatched."
Mr Walker called on Ms Harman to condemn Mr Eriksen and added: "Will you not agree with me that this man, this creature is not fit to run for public office?"
Ms Harman said: "I strongly support your comments and I thank you for bringing this matter to the House. It is for all of us, all parties in London to say that we have got to make sure that everybody votes in the London election. The best way to avoid a BNP member being elected to the London Assembly is to make sure that as many people as possible vote for all the other parties."
There has been concern among mainstream parties that the BNP, which scored 4.8% in the 2004 London elections, might this time pass the 5% level which would have given it a chance of an assembly seat under the proportional representation system. Mr Eriksen had been second on the BNP list and might have won a seat if the party's vote share had risen to about 8%.
Earlier a spokeswoman for London Elects, which is overseeing the May 1 election, disclosed: "Nicholas Eriksen has been withdrawn from the BNP's London-wide assembly list."
24dash
There was a further exchange of interest reported in Hansard yesterday:
Ian Lucas (Wrexham) (Lab): When council candidates declare next week, will my right hon. Friend join me in calling on all of them to make it clear that they will stand on a non-racist ticket? It is very important that these elections do not at any stage descend into the gutter, and that we make it clear that we need cohesive communities that can be built together.
The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Hazel Blears): Absolutely: my hon. Friend is so right! When people come to exercise their democratic vote and choose the kind of administration they want, it should be on the basis of good policy, value for money and the provision of cleaner, greener and safer environments. It should not be on any kind of platform seeking to divide people; rather, it should be on a platform that brings people together.
Hansard (April 1st 2008)
Some politicians look like they're waking up.
21 comments:
Its about time some MPs got out of their comfort zone in the house and took the more formidable line followed by MPs such as Jon Cruddas.
In fact Harriet Harmans response, considering her viewpoint on campaigning for womens rights was a little lightweight.
" It should not be on any kind of platform seeking to divide people; rather, it should be on a platform that brings people together".
Well said Hazel
Labour councillor raped a 3 year old baby ffs, tossofski your a sick cunt and one day im gonna brake your ville jaw you fucken cunt faced twat,and that ugly bitch dyke garside use ppl are sick sick sick BASTARDS
One of the most vile troll infestations is on the Times Online website. Hlaf a dozen or so nazi trolls have made almost every comment of the 200 plus remarks pro-bnp, using dozens of fake g-mail addresses, similar to those used by spammers.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/tim_hames/article3648815.ece
The most unbelievable of these fake fascist identitiies was from a supposed teacher from Leeds, the place where a couple of teachers were firebombed after serial wanker Nick Cass from the neo-nazi BNP put their names on Redwatch.
Besides, no-one in Yorkshire likes the BNP any more. Not even the fascists themselves, so the fake identities are just ridiculous.
If the Times feedback column relected reality, I calculated that 94.5% of the public would vote for them.
In truth, over 95% of people would never vote for the BNP.
Times Online editor - you have been duped big time. Delete the troll postings or accept your P45.
The Times online editor must be thick as pigshite not to realise the hundreds of fake identities are genuine.
Give this low IQ journalist a fucking brain, someone. They are all the alter-egos of Dicky Barnbrook and bum pals who have been surfing the net this afternoon, pretending they are an army of real life BNP voters.
Internet "vox-fux" are well and truly screwed thanks to the bnp.
I'll give odds of 200-1 that the Six O Clock news won't mention this story.
I'll give you 150-1 that Elvis will be discoved living in a fish and chip van on Saturn.
The BNP will never run any story that could damage their prospects in the London elections.
BNP=state
the time is 17.17 and im yet to see the six o clock news on the BBC so they have ample time to run the story.
if they prefer to run trivial "exclusives" instead the intentions of the powers that be to hype up the bnp to keep up the pressure on muslims has been well and truly proved.
nick griffin is protected from even the news.
talk about censorship.
BBC - get your fecking act together!!!
'Labour councillor raped a 3 year old baby ffs, tossofski your a sick cunt and one day im gonna brake your ville jaw you fucken cunt faced twat,and that ugly bitch dyke garside use ppl are sick sick sick BASTARDS'
I thought that post might be worth leaving on just to show the kind of freaks we have to deal with on occasion.
Bloody hell, these people are nutters. You guys be careful.
Statement on the BNP website, reported by the BBC
"It said: "It was felt that no matter how much Nick Eriksen's blog comments, written back in 2005, had been distorted and taken out of the context of a blog which reflected our tough stance on all sorts of crime, they could still be perceived as trivialising the issue in a manner that many women in particular could have found extremely offensive.""
Distorted?
'Labour councillor raped a 3 year old baby ffs, tossofski your a sick cunt and one day im gonna brake your ville jaw you fucken cunt faced twat,and that ugly bitch dyke garside use ppl are sick sick sick BASTARDS'
Absolute filth - the writer and the content.
And these lunatics wonder why decent people despise them???
I see L Barnes decided to pop in and post as anon at 4.54, this man really needs medical help.
tulip
Looks like BNP legal officer, the sane Lee Barnes, is acting as an apologist for Nick Eriksen’s rape advocacy. In his latest posting, ‘The Nick Ericksen Story’ (2nd April 2008), our favourite dope-smoking fascist says that Nick Eriksen’s comments aren’t the real issue but, that the
“..issues that need do addressing in our society are being ignored such as ; ... 3) The numbers of women making false accusations of rape against men and how this happening more and more , ....
You are wrong Barnes, soooooo wrong. Misogyny is part and parcel of the fascism, racism and extreme nationalism that you and the BNP advocate.
Dear Anon at 4.54pm,
Your contribution would be more useful if it was coherent, and didn't resort to foul and threatening language.
I thought you right-wingers were supposed to believe in old-fashioned values, civility and standards?
I long ago learnt that you don't, and you illustrate that point perfectly.
You are both vile ... and very, very sad.
Go away !!
BNP male member posing as a female on the Wimbledon Guardian website trying to justify what Nick Eriksen said and trying to blame women for rape:
I am female and have met Mr Eriksen several times. I can vouch for the fact that he is a perfect gentleman. Can his critics not see that one can write provocatively just to stimulate debate? Well he certainly has and it is a long-overdue debate which has been stifled due to political correctness.
The fact that over 90% of men accused of rape are INNOCENT is SHOCKING to an average modern woman like me. More women should face prosecution for making false allegations. The real scandal is that women who make false allegations are let off lightly.
http://www.wimbledonguardian.co.uk/news/topstories/display.var.2165359.0.bnp_assembly_candidate_quits_after_blog_row.php
BNP scum busy at work.
If this was Lee Barnes, he needs lifetime medication, possibly SSRI's, however dangerous such medication is now regarded by the profession.
Shame Google won't release the IP address of this sick poster, as this is clearly a derranged death threat. The BNP thugs revert to football violence whenever they can't handle the truth.
Going onto the issue about the BBC never reporting bad news stories about the BNP, the failure of this particular story to get a mention on the news reminds me of how the BBC failed to report the Robert Cottage chemical weapons case.
You would think they would have got around to updating their London site.
http://london.bnp.org.uk/?p=60
This "provactive" excuse is quite ridiculous.
I wonder if Lee Barnes thinks it would also be acceptable for someone to advocate paedophilia in order to provoke debate too?
Somehow I doubt that even Mr. Barnes is that evil and stupid so why does he think that it's OK for people to attack women and children in order in order to "provoke" debate?
The answer I think, is that this is simply an excuse, the BNP are trying to justify and play down this whole sordid, nasty business.
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