July 23, 2008

Implied threats and fear of failure - Nick Griffin loses his nerve over High Court action

Regular readers will know that ten days ago we reported that the December rebels (Sadie Graham, Kenny Smith and co) had received a letter from Nick Griffin suggesting that the ongoing case in the High Court should be dropped. Here's what we said:

'The December rebels who Griffin was taking through the High Court have received letters this week from the pig farmer himself, asking that the case be dropped because 'it's your homes at risk' and 'it's in the best interests of' party unity and so on, apparently forgetting that it was he himself who brought the case.'

This was immediately questioned by the near-dead Lancaster and Morecambe BNP group's idiotic former organiser Chris Hill who, via the recent leadership-challenger Colin Auty's support blog, Challenge for Leadership, said,

'I may in fact be wrong about the Grifin/Collett gang having officially dropped the case against Sadie & Co. I read a report about a retraction letter being received they the defendants elsewhere on the web (the Lancaster UAF blog), but I've not seen any reports from reliable sources as yet. UAF may well be jumping the gun in reporting the inevitable, but that's UAF for you as about as reliable as Griffin on a bad day.'

We're a good deal more reliable than Nick Griffin - even on a good day when all he does is stay at home and admire his new sauna and jacuzzi while counting his pigs - and to nobody's surprise at all, it turns out that we were telling the truth and those who denied this were telling, forgive me, porkies. Oh, and Chris, in case you hadn't noticed, we changed our name to Lancaster Unity nearly six months ago.

The letter from Griffin to the rebels is reprinted below.

'Dated 8th July 2008

Dear XXXXXXXXXX

Further to our earlier correspondence in connection with proposed disciplinary proceedings, I am writing to you and your colleagues in this matter in an attempt to bring it to an early - and as far as is possible - relatively painless conclusion for all concerned.

In response to my letter of 8th April, several of your group requested that the BNP's internal disciplinary proceedings and connected unfair dismissal hearings. should be stayed pending the outcome of the court case Griffin v Smith & Others. I accepted this as a sensible proposal for all concerned for the time being.

The delay does not, however, alter the fact that our present course will see us back in court, with both sides incurring further very considerable expense. My informed opinion is that you and your colleagues will lose the case, but that Mr. Davies does not mind this in the slightest because his avowed aim is to try and bleed the BNP financially. He knows that the looming problem of negative equity for many home-owners is sufficiently large that, while the end result is likely to be your collective bankruptcy and loss of several homes, we will be unable to recover any significant part of our costs.

I trust that you will already have learnt from the failure of the desperate "Scottish gambit" in which he encouraged you to set so much store that Mr. Davies gungo-ho tendencies do not always work out in the best interests of his clients (as Steve Edwards, Jay Lee, the Roberts Brothers and Tess Culnane have already discovered to their cost).

Especially now that time has elapsed to allow water to flow under various bridges, I ask you individually and collectively, to give very careful consideration to an agreement to end the action on the basis of each side bearing their own costs and going their separate ways. The sums involved at present are, as we all know only too well, steep without being ruinous. It is surely sensible to bring matters to an end while this is the case?

As you know, the BNP has already through the action secured its assets and the privacy of its members (although my solicitor informs me that he is still waiting for the affidavit on these matters from you in accordance with the Judge's directions). While it would have been far better had it been possible to have done so without the expense incurred so far, we have at last achieved what we needed to do, so we have little other than an expensive moral victory to gain by pursuing the matter further if you and your colleagues will agree to end this and any other possible actions. Please note that there can be no question of leaving an opening through which Mr. Davies can continue to use you people as pawns in his own longstanding personal campaign to bring down those who have achieved political success way beyond anything he has been able to manage in his various forays into either "extreme" or "moderate" nationalism.

All concerned have lives to lead and better things to do than enrich lawyers or waste court time. I hope to hear that we can agree on that at least, in which a settlement along the lines outlined above would surely be the only sensible option.'

That the BNP is in dire financial straits is indisputable. Griffin is desperately trying to raise funds to pay for the usual staggeringly-high legal costs that he has already incurred by this pointless action (suggestions of £30,000 have been made by various people who should know) before he and the other officers of the party become personally liable. The fact that he is panicking and floundering around like a landed fish is obvious from this letter.

As usual with Griffin, his preferred mode of defence is attack, though more by implication than clear statement. His criticism of the rebel's barrister Adrian Davies' 'gung-ho tendencies' is a classic ploy, hopefully undermining the rebel's relationship with their counsel, as is the appalling suggestion that Davies is more interested in destroying the BNP than he is in protecting his client's interests - a suggestion that sounds awfully like libel to me but Nick Griffin probably knows more about the law than I do, having a third-rate degree in jurisprudence, the theory and philosophy of law, [yawn, sorry] and having access to one of the sharpest legal brains in the country, Lee Barnes [sarcasm].

The phrase 'the BNP has already through the action secured its assets and the privacy of its members' is an odd one when you consider that the assets (presumably laptops and so on) were grabbed by BNP security long before the court case after illegally gaining access to Graham and co's homes, but we can safely assume that the 'privacy of its members' refers to the court ordering the rebels to stop using the out of date membership lists in their possession. Thirty thousand quid seems an awful lot of money to throw away on getting something virtually worthless from a bunch of people who have done next to nothing to harm the party and who are generally acknowledged to be politically impotent.

Even though asking for, and clearly desperate for, a truce, Griffin still feels the need to ensure that Davies is out of the battle.

'Please note that there can be no question of leaving an opening through which Mr. Davies can continue to use you people as pawns in his own longstanding personal campaign to bring down those who have achieved political success way beyond anything he has been able to manage in his various forays into either "extreme" or "moderate" nationalism.'

Do I detect some nervousness from Griffin? Just a single letter and a number of attacks on Adrian Davies intended to damage client confidence. One wonders if Griffin's legal advisors are aware of this letter and its content. I showed it to a friend of mine who is in the final stages of training to be a barrister and his response was that if one of his clients had written to the opposition in the same terms, he would have no hesitation in dumping the client and immediately beginning what he described as a 'vigorous' process to get paid before the client committed another such faux pas that led straight into the High Court for a libel action.

Of course, there is another possibility. That the rumours are true and that Griffin's legal advisors have told him he gets nothing more out of them until they are paid for the work they have already carried out. As the party is near-bankrupt, paying counsel is impossible at this stage and the thought of having to face the rebels in court with only the help of Lee Barnes must be giving Griffin nightmares. But now Nick Griffin has put himself in a position where he not only has to extract £30,000 from a party that hardly has two pennies to rub together, he has also left himself open to an attack from Adrian Davies which he will find next to impossible to defend himself against.

The former problem might be solved if the cash from the BNP's Red, White and Blue piss-up in August makes enough and is immediately diverted to pay the debt, which might explain the recent statement from the party that the RWB is to be a cash-only event with no advance ticket sales. This could well not work as we hear from a number of trusted sources that there is very little interest in the RWB this year and, naturally, a lot of people are put off from going because of the national demo that's planned, the inevitably heavy police presence and the ban on selling booze.

Adrian Davies though, might well turn out to be the most serious of Griffin's problems. Despite his disparaging comments, Davies is an able barrister with a good deal of experience. Griffin could well find him the Nemesis that he has repeatedly been avoiding for the past few years. In the past, Griffin has always chosen to attack those who cannot fight back - this time he may well have attacked someone who is not only willing, but able to fight back, and who has teeth that are a good deal sharper than his own. We look forward to it.

28 comments:

Anonymous said...

A very interesting article though I'd dispute your "Davies is an able barrister with a good deal of experience" remark. He's not that good actually. Even so, he ought to be able to beat the crap out of Nick Griffin in court.

Anonymous said...

We're a good deal more reliable than Nick Griffin - even on a good day when all he does is stay at home and admire his new sauna and jacuzzi while counting his pigs

LOL Is that what he does then?

You should point out that the idiot BNP membership paid for that sauna. Suckers.

Anonymous said...

You look forward to it? I can't bloody wait!

Anonymous said...

"The former problem might be solved if the cash from the BNP's Red, White and Blue piss-up in August makes enough and is immediately diverted to pay the debt, which might explain the recent statement from the party that the RWB is to be a cash-only event with no advance ticket sales. This could well not work as we hear from a number of trusted sources that there is very little interest in the RWB this year and, naturally, a lot of people are put off from going because of the national demo that's planned, the inevitably heavy police presence and the ban on selling booze."

I've spoken to a few people I know who are stiil in the party and they reckon the RWB is going to be a washout this year. None of them are going and all of them are pissed off that Colin Auty didn't get as far as making his challenge. There's a lot of unhappy people about. Keep working it Lancaster Unity. You're having an real effect and it wont take much more to knock that fat fucker off his perch.

Anonymous said...

Matt Single said...

You look forward to it? I can't bloody wait!

The enemy of my enemy is my friend Matt? Dear me you must be desparate for friends taking sides witrh this lot, traitor.

Very ex-BNP

And you.

Anonymous said...

You're right. Everyone in the party who knows Nick Griffin knows he's lost his bottle over the court case and is losing his grip on everything else. He's in a mad bloody panic about everything and is seeing reds and moles everywhere. It's not going to be long before the ordinary membership starts to notice. If you lot ever go to our meetings just watch him, he sweats too much, his shaky and he jerks his arms around a lot. He's not Mr Cool like he used to be because he knows there's a lot of talk going on behind his back. When we have him out, Collett, Darby, Reynolds, Hannam, Kemp and all the rest will go with him. Fuck knows who will lead the party but someone will step up. Colin Auty maybe because he'd be welcomed back.

Anonymous said...

"it turns out that we were telling the truth and those who denied this were telling, forgive me, porkies"

Bad, BAD joke! LOL

Anonymous said...

God, this letter is so typically Griffin. Backing down while looking like he's doing the rebels a favor. They should tell him to fuck off AND encourage Davies to take action against him seperately.

Anonymous said...

Griffin's a coward. Always has been.

Anonymous said...

The great thing is that once Griffin goes down, that's the end of all the other thieving shits in the party as they'll all be kicked out without a penny. They say scum always rises to the top. It certainly does with Nick Griffin and his gang.

Anonymous said...

"counting his pigs"

Hasn't he only got two? Unless you count all the pigs who have their noses in the BNP trough provided by the members.

John P said...

The great thing is that once Griffin goes down, that's the end of all the other thieving shits in the party as they'll all be kicked out without a penny. They say scum always rises to the top. It certainly does with Nick Griffin and his gang

If and when Griffin goes he will be replaced by somebody else and our fight doesn't stop.

Anonymous said...

News I hear is that the rebels are determined to fight him no matter what it costs. He might be anxious to back down but they are not.

Anonymous said...

"having access to one of the sharpest legal brains in the country, Lee Barnes"

Fook me. Lee will quote you on his business cards infuture. Thats if he ever gets off his fat arse to get some made up.

Anonymous said...

Subtle but looks very much like intimidation (implied threats etc.) they should send it to the Judge...naughty!

Anonymous said...

Now is the time for all anti-fascists to make sure that they join Unity and turn up at the RWB in August to make their voices heard.

A big enough and vocal enough anti-BNP protest at the RWB may be just enough to stop some people from attending and to make the RWB far less efefcrive than it has been in recent years.

Anonymous said...

Nick Griffins a cowerd and has lost his bottle

Anonymous said...

There's a very interesting point made in one of thew comments on the NWN blog

"I note with interest that the suggested costs faced by Griffin (£30,000) are so similar to the fundraising target for the "truth truck appeal".

Where will the appeal money end up I wonder?

I forecast a BNP press release :

"Many thanks to all who supported our tremendous Truth Truck Appeal. We are sure you will understand why we had to divert these funds to unforseen legal costs incurred as the result of the actions of the so-called rebels"

And hard-earned funds given by honest nationalists end up funding Griffin's court case . . . ."

Anonymous said...

Spot on article.

What's happened to Denise? Is she off on her summer holidays?

Anonymous said...

"As you know, the BNP has already through the action secured its assets"

There's a double edged phrase if ever I've heard one. Using Martin Reynolds to steal stuff is securing its assets?

Anonymous said...

The RWB this year is a con, everyone knows it.Shapcotts mistake over that "4000 tickets sold already" when it had been announced that NO tickets were going to be sold and that it was cash only really put the mockers on it. The BNP is turning into a joke at least as far as money is concerned and people are talking about Griffin as a theiving bastard even inside branch meetings. What a fucking laugh.

Anonymous said...

"The BNP is turning into a joke at least as far as money is concerned and people are talking about Griffin as a theiving bastard even inside branch meetings."

Yes but what are these moaners going to do to get rid of him? Sod all as usual. Well they deserve one another.

Marion said...

"What's happened to Denise? Is she off on her summer holidays?"

DG is working all the hours God sends at the moment :-(

Thanks for asking after her.

Anonymous said...

Has anybody actually donated cash to the "Truth Fuck Appeal?"

Anonymous said...

"The former problem might be solved if the cash from the BNP's Red, White and Blue piss-up in August makes enough and is immediately diverted to pay the debt, which might explain the recent statement from the party that the RWB is to be a cash-only event with no advance ticket sales. This could well not work as we hear from a number of trusted sources that there is very little interest in the RWB this year and, naturally, a lot of people are put off from going because of the national demo that's planned, the inevitably heavy police presence and the ban on selling booze."


The BNP have got around the booze thing. They will be selling beer mats for £2, and giving a free can of larger with every one sold.

The money on the gate might be a problem though, I hear Sharon Ebanks has demanded the EC send in an independent body to count heads and cash after accusing the party of gross financial mismanagement and the disapeasrace of more than £30,000 last year.

Anonymous said...

I know for a fact that the rebals are looking forward to facing Griffin. They have lots of ammo and information that will destroy Griffin and open the eyes of every foolish member who has supported. The only problem may be that they get someone useful to take over.

So should we not be supporting Griffin in the hope that the one eyed thieving bastard stays.

Rumour has it that Collet stands to get a good doing over this year, more of a get to fuck kicking that he will remember for the rest of his days. Chaps away above the security team have it in for him as they are pissed at the split in the BNP, the Collet kicking will be a warning to Griffin to clean his act up. Apparently.

So let this years fun begin.

Anonymous said...

Do my eyes deceive me or has the Green Sparrow finally turned on his hero and master? Take a look at the "Close Griffin Advisor Defeats the BNP" thread on Scumfront.

Interesting!

Anonymous said...

Well - Yes an effective replacement for Cyclops might be a problem.

So lets just cripple the bar steward, not kill !

Old Sailor