September 04, 2008

Searchlight uncovers BNP hate factory

After a six-month investigation in conjunction with Lancaster Unity and Wales Friends of Searchlight, we can now reveal the secret location of the BNP’s new premises. Gerry Gable takes us there.

On 23 January the British National Party triumphantly announced that Excalibur, its merchandising operation, had re-opened for business in a “brand new ground floor warehouse”.

Not only did it house the dispatch operation for Excalibur’s range of tatty, cringe-making and overpriced goods, there was also a “vast array of new equipment” including a folding machine, plastic-bagging machine and “two heavy duty commercial printers”.

The BNP also claimed there was “office space, meeting rooms and a BNPtv studio” and space for the distribution of the party’s regular publications and members’ bulletins. It was the first fruit of the BNP’s huge “Building to Grow” fundraising effort and the first time the party could centralise key operations in a modern operation.

Arthur Kemp, head of the BNP’s education and training department, was placed in charge as the temporary managing director of Excalibur, assisted by Dave Joines as dispatch manager and administrator. Kemp was a logical choice because he could exercise control over Excalibur’s book list, containing a range of classic Nazi and racial eugenics books and of course Kemp’s own white supremacist tome March of the Titans – A History of the White Race.

Dave Joines, now in charge of Excalibur, Arthur Kemp and John Walker
The BNP was keeping very tight-lipped about the location of the building. Even most members did not know precisely where it was. But the involvement of Kemp, who lives in Deeside, and Joines, who lives in Ellesmere Port, meant it had to be in North Wales or the Wirral. That Excalibur had started using the BNP’s Deeside post office box address was another indication.

We were quickly on the case. Months of putting together every clue and chasing up every lead eventually led us to the Evans Business Centre, a recently built development of workshops and offices on Deeside Industrial Estate.

There the BNP occupies unit B2, an office/workshop of 115 sq m (1240 sq ft) off the A550 and 5km away from the M56, for which Evans Easyspace Ltd charges rent of £850 a month plus VAT. With rates it is setting the party back by nearly £15,000 a year plus electricity and staffing costs.

The BNP has ensured its name does not appear on the door, or on the sign at the entrance to the business park, but neighbouring tenants were aware of Excalibur’s presence and recognised the name of John Walker, who worked there in his role as the BNP’s lacklustre treasurer. The only indication that the unit is occupied is a note on the door giving three mobile phone numbers for deliveries: 07761 492616, 07815 146712 and 07855 323589. We have traced these numbers to Joines, Walker and Kemp respectively.

The vehicle in which the BNP carries out its monthly “literature run” to its units all over the country can often be seen parked outside. The second-hand light blue long wheel base van formerly belonged to Omega Security, whose livery remains visible under the respray.

Whether the claimed TV studio is much use to Rod Gordon, who heads BNPtv, is doubtful. Deeside is a long way from his Westminster home.

Racist books and merchandise inside the Deeside warehouse
More recently the administration and distribution for the BNP’s music business, Great White Records, has merged with Excalibur, although its recording studio remains at the Market Weighton home of Dave Hannam, the BNP’s useless regional treasurer and owner of GWR. Dealing with GWR’s sales cannot have added much to Joines’s workload, as it still only offers four albums plus a few tatty t-shirts and other bits and pieces.

In June, Walker, who lives just around the corner from Kemp in Mancot, was relieved of his treasurer role and became the full-time national dispatch and logistics manager at the warehouse. Joines was promoted to the managing director’s position, freeing Kemp to attend to his other party duties, which include touring BNP branch meetings as the party’s best public speaker.

The BNP claims the move to Deeside enabled Excalibur to generate sales of £20,893.89 in the first six months of the new operation, while spending £7,273 on acquiring stock. Although Excalibur is responsible for 25% of the warehouse rent and rates, the BNP estimates it will make a net profit of £20,000 a year before staffing and other overhead costs, according to an internal report to the BNP’s Advisory Council.

Searchlight gives a leg-up to a BNP reluctant to advertise its presence
That Excalibur sells so much is hard to believe. Most of its books are available more cheaply from main-stream online businesses. No doubt a white mug sporting the words “Another white mug” is a popular line with party members but each one brings in only £4.50. Its “household goods” range is centred on Union Jack bedspreads, there are Enoch Powell t-shirts with a long extract from his “Rivers of Blood” speech, and of course the replica Victoria Crosses that recently caused so much furore.

Joines may have ideas for adding to the range. Active in the BNP for several years, he first came to public attention in 2003 when he stood in a council by-election in Ellesmere Port and has stood for the council several times since then, generally polling abysmally. He was in fifth position on the BNP list for the 2004 European election in the North West.

Within the BNP he has been the North West regional organiser and secretary and last year stood down as the Wirral group organiser.

Although Kemp is no longer running Excalibur, he remains in charge of marketing and unsurprisingly of its book selections. He will also oversee the planned introduction of Excalibur’s book publishing arm. No doubt his own works will be high on its list.

Searchlight

38 comments:

Anonymous said...

Nazis R Us

LOL

Anonymous said...

What a shithole.

Anonymous said...

"After a six-month investigation in conjunction with Lancaster Unity and Wales Friends of Searchlight"

What did LU do?

Anonymous said...

"tatty, cringe-making and overpriced goods"

They got that right. Fans of lancaster Unity should take a look at the rubbish they sell on the Excalibur site. It'd make you cringe alright.

Anonymous said...

What a shithole.



Actually it really does look like the entrance to a public toilet.

Anonymous said...

"Dealing with GWR’s sales cannot have added much to Joines’s workload, as it still only offers four albums plus a few tatty t-shirts and other bits and pieces."

And this is after what, two years or so in operation? I could have done better than that using my spare bedroom.

Anonymous said...

"The BNP also claimed there was office space, meeting rooms...."

I thought the AC met in the barn Nick Griffin had done out at the member's expense on his farm?

Antifascist said...

'What did LU do?'

Never you mind.

Anonymous said...

"There the BNP occupies unit B2, an office/workshop of 115 sq m (1240 sq ft) off the A550 and 5km away from the M56, for which Evans Easyspace Ltd charges rent of £850 a month plus VAT. With rates it is setting the party back by nearly £15,000 a year plus electricity and staffing costs."

Thats mad. In most towns you can hire largeish start-up units for less than £50 a week all in. My local ones have even got parking, loos, showers and kitchen facilities thrown in free. The only reason the BNP is so extravagent with its money is that there's a constant flow of it from their stupid membership, the bunch of suckers. Its no wonder Nick Griffin wants to stay in charge.

Anonymous said...

Yay, kudos for LU. A mention in Searchlight AND in the Top 100. Nice one guys. I'm proud of you! :)

Anonymous said...

I'm led to believe that GWR is still operating from the unit in Morley, Leeds that it once shared with Excalibur

Anonymous said...

"That Excalibur sells so much is hard to believe. Most of its books are available more cheaply from main-stream online businesses."

ALL of its books are cheaper elsewhere. Just look on Amazon. Anyone wanting any of the crap that the BNP sells could get it for less than half-price online.

"Thats mad. In most towns you can hire largeish start-up units for less than £50 a week all in. My local ones have even got parking, loos, showers and kitchen facilities thrown in free. The only reason the BNP is so extravagent with its money is that there's a constant flow of it from their stupid membership, the bunch of suckers. Its no wonder Nick Griffin wants to stay in charge."

Not sure about the showers but the rest of that is spot on.

Anonymous said...

Odd how the BNP's little Hitlerites over at Stormfront are ignoring this.

Anonymous said...

The vast majority of members and ex-members in the North WEst detest Joines as it is believed that he was a leak.

BTW is Joines still receiving social security benefits?

Anonymous said...

Why on earth wouldn't they tell the members where it was? They are, after all, the members, and they're paying for it and the wages of those idiots who work in it.

Anonymous said...

Iliacus writes :

Ah, the usual BNP mishmash of accounting half-information, weird terminology, and make-it-up-as-we-go-along financial reporting.

So, some observations:

1. If Excalibur is debited with 25% of the costs where is the rest going (an extra £9k on "management and administration") ? Looking at the photographs it seems Excalibur is taking a fair chunk of the space, so is this a(nother) bit of creative accountancy to fabricate an Excalibur "profit"?

2. In 2006 net surplus from "commercial activities" (RWB, publications, merchandise and gaming) was broadly £20,000. In 2007 it was just £6,000. Just the time to start renting expensive modern warehousing !!

3. Excalibur sales are not separately identified in the Accounts (surprise, surprise) but are presumably covered by "merchandise" and "publications" which totalled around £68,000 in 2007 - down by 26% on 2006. So 6 month sales of £20,893.89 [love the precision] are hardly electrifying!

4. So, they're expecting a £20,000 "net profit" before staffing and other overhead costs are they? Presumably they mean "gross profit", and God knows what the "net profit" will be by the time they've recharged God knows what through the books (services provided by GWR, Collett's 'expertise', renovations at farmhouses, pig feed .....).

5. And what the hell is sales during 6 months £20,000 ; purchases £7,000 supposed to tell us? If the value of stock held has fallen by £13,000 during the period then you've made absolutely zilch [and once you've accounted for those pesky overheads you will have made a loss] !!

If this is typical of financial reporting to the AC then the whole thing is a shambles.

Oh but we knew that anyway didn't we ........

Anonymous said...

There is a worrying side to this, which you all seemed to have missed. It is this: how can the BNP afford all of this? Does it mean that they really are getting mainstream? If so, we antifas need to reassess our response to them, because it clearly is not working.

Anonymous said...

Making the members pay for a mug bearing the slogan "Another white mug" is is probably the ultimate piss take by Griffin!

They should at least get a free one with every membership payment! Mugs!

Anonymous said...

"Does it mean that they really are getting mainstream?"

Does it fuck. It just means they've got plenty of dosh ripped off from their dumbass supporters.

Anonymous said...

Total Politics Top 100. Well done LU. Shame they assume al anti-fascists are automatically lefties.

Anonymous said...

"2. In 2006 net surplus from "commercial activities" (RWB, publications, merchandise and gaming) was broadly £20,000. In 2007 it was just £6,000. Just the time to start renting expensive modern warehousing !!"

That's because the useless Nicholla Smith was supposed to be running it in 2007. She was so crap at the job Gri££in booted her out in December. Hundreds of buyers never got the stuff they ordered from her and it took Walker and Joines nearly 5 months to clear the backlog of orders that had gone astray.

Anonymous said...

"I'm led to believe that GWR is still operating from the unit in Morley, Leeds that it once shared with Excalibur"

Yes that's true but it is not GWR's anymore. The studio was sold to private buyer and GWR pay to use it now. A kind of Griffin-style privatization.

Anonymous said...

"If this is typical of financial reporting to the AC then the whole thing is a shambles.

Oh but we knew that anyway didn't we ........"

We certainly did.

"That's because the useless Nicholla Smith was supposed to be running it in 2007. She was so crap at the job Gri££in booted her out in December."

Christ, you'll still be blaming the rebels for the shit your crappy little party gets into in ten years time. Give us a break. 5 months to catch up? Bollocks. If you sent the official receivers in, they'd have the whole place and all its accounts sorted over a weekend. Why don't you just admit it - you're all fucking useless, Griffin's buddies are promoted beyond their capabilities and the organisation is just shite.

Anonymous said...

"The studio was sold to private buyer and GWR pay to use it now."

It'd be interesting to know how much they pay.

Anonymous said...

"I'm led to believe that GWR is still operating from the unit in Morley, Leeds
1:17 PM, September 04, 2008"

Given that the BNP charged the membership close to £50,000 to kit it out(video available on youtube)you would certainly think so.

Antifascist said...

'Given that the BNP charged the membership close to £50,000 to kit it out(video available on youtube)you would certainly think so.'

A number of reasonable questions arise from this.

1. If the BNP paid £50,000 to kit the studio out, is Hannam (the owner of GWR) paying back the money to the membership? If so, how, given that GWR only sells a handful of CDs each week?
2. How much was made from the sale of the studio - if that is a fact - and where does that income appear in the accounts?
3. Is the studio used for any company OTHER than GWR and, if so, do they pay for the use of it?
4. Was the membership consulted over the original expenditure of £50,000 for what is, at best, a risky business venture?
5. Was the membership consulted about the alleged sale and lease-back arrangement?
6. Is Dopey Dave Hannam paid by GWR or from BNP funds and how much?
7. How much is paid to hire the studio that was bought and paid for by the membership?
8. How much does this remind you of the Lying Lorry? The money was raised to purchase it in the full knowledge that an arrangement had already been made to hire it from James Dowson's vile anti-abortion outfit - how do the members feel about that?

I'm sure people can think of more and better questions but they'll do to be going on with. Not that we expect any answers from those frauds and thieves at the top of the BNP.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...

"I'm led to believe that GWR is still operating from the unit in Morley, Leeds
1:17 PM, September 04, 2008"

Given that the BNP charged the membership close to £50,000 to kit it out(video available on youtube)you would certainly think so.


Best of it is the studio equipment was never bought by the BNP as it all belonged to a supporter who let the Party have use of it. Griffin scams again!

Anonymous said...

The article says only GWR's distribution went to the Deeside warehouse. The recording studio remains in Market Weighton.

The alleged £50,000 the BNP paid to equip the recording studio appears neither in the BNP accounts nor in the GWR accounts. If it is a loan by the BNP, it would have to be in the BNP accounts. There could have been a personal loan from an individual BNP member to Dave Hannam. If that is what happened, it should not concern the membership. Alternatively the £50,000 is an urban myth.

Regarding one point made by Iliacus, if 25% of the rent is debited to Excalibur, the rest is the responsibility of the BNP centrally. As far as I understand, Excalibur is part of the BNP and its income and expenditure are included in the BNP accounts, so in accounting terms it is simply a cost centre.

Anonymous said...

Interesting - I doubt if there is any milage in checking planning permission.

BUT is the Fire Brigade Happy ?

We now have addresses as to where assets are kept.

I have little doubt that LUF/Searchlight has this asset dump recorded, and I have no doubt that bank account details are on record with the local council (Payment by standing order or direct debit)

So if Cyclops or any other BNP official has a judgement against them we can tell the plaintiffs/courts where the assets are !

Secondly, if any members are aware DErby etc. are "signing on" its worth an anon letter to DWP pointing out that they are being paid to do this work.

The DWP will investigate, cos I had it done to me some years ago by the Nationalists, what the scum had forgotten is that it is in order to act as an election agent whilst signing on as unemployed. And it had been declared !

Old Sailor

Anonymous said...

I doubt whether Simon Darby is signing on as he is employed by the Greater London Authority as Richard Barnbrook's PA, and paid after deduction of tax and national insurance under PAYE.

Anonymous said...

marianne wrote :-

"Excalibur is part of the BNP and its income and expenditure are included in the BNP accounts, so in accounting terms it is simply a cost centre"

Yes, in any normal organisation that would be true. But the BNP doesn't seem to follow normal practices (and we may all speculate on the reasons it doesn't follow normal practices).

Budget lines appear and disappear; overheads are recharged, or not recharged, seemingly on a whim etc. etc.

So for anybody reading the accounts (including BNP members/ donors who pay for it all !!) it is impossible to actually assess the performance of any 'cost centre'. Did Excalibur make a surplus in 2007? I don't know, because the Accounts don't tell me. And they should!

The end result of all this is that it is impossible to answer the following question :

Is somebody taking more out of the BNP's finances than they should be?

Now I don't really care, because I detest the BNP, its policies, and most of its supporters {I accept that some are decent(ish) people who are deluded/ misled} but there are two reasons why all this matters:

1. If somebody is on the take then somebody else is being ripped off.

2. These clowns expect to be granted political power and influence - if they cannot run a £600k turnover political party how the **** could they run a multi-million pound local authority ????

Iliacus

Anonymous said...

Joines and Shapcott are known to be receiving benefits.
These scum get disability when the can be seen manually grafting at the RWB and for Excalibur.
If I knew thier addresses I would certainly report them.

Anonymous said...

"Was the membership consulted about the alleged sale and lease-back arrangement?"

Dont be silly Ketlan, not even the AC was involved in that decision. The membership is never consulted on ANYTHING. We get to vote on a few well crafted motions in November which have already been stage managed to succeed or fail depending on the Chairman's wishes. Most BNP members who really care about whats going on in the Party have to visit sites like this to find out! In truth most of the membership couldnt care less, as long as they see the BNP demonised in the press and see another Muslim arrested on "terror" charges they can say "we were right all along" and send Gri££in another cheque when asked to dig deep. Hannam gets paid about £1200 a month after NI and Tax from the BNP account. If he tried to live off the income of GWR he'd have to move into a cardboard box. The studio was never sold itself, the Morley unit was being rented by the Party. GWR couldnt afford the rent after Excalibur moved out. The studio equipment was sold to a private buyer (not BNP or political)for about £15,000 who lets it out to any musician or band who wants to use it. Same again, if he relied on GWR income he'd be broke in next to no time. GWR only use the facilities which were moved from the Morley site to another base in Leeds, about once every month as most of the rehearsals take place at the doggy rescue home in Market Weighton, home of Dopey Dave and his long suffering missus. As Dipstick Dave struggles to tie his shoelaces everyone (who cares) knows that he couldnt turn GWR into a multi-million pound operation. The big question which is routinely asked is that given the huge potential that a properly run music business could have why does Gri££in tolerate the presence of this incompetent clown? This is answered by another fact which brings us full circle to identfying the malaise that the Party is suffering from. Hannam is best buddy of the universally despised Mark Collett, any move to get rid of Hannam from his post of deputy treasurer and boot him out of GWR which he cannot handle either is met with fierce resistance from Collett who seems to have a hold on the Chairman. The nature of that hold and how that hold can be loosened intrigues us all in the BNP, was the underlying cause for the recent Graham/Smithspilt, the hemorhage of over 1000 members who didnt renew in January and a matter whispered in hushed tones at meetings all over the country. Answers to that question might trouble the BNP supporters and its opponents.

Anonymous said...

I've just read in a national rag and the Blackpool Gazette, that the BNP’s New Kimberley hotel owner has been busted for 11 health and hygiene offences!

Hilarious! I always knew that shithole of a place would get done eventually. As for the toilets, well take it from me, you would be shocked at the vile smell.

That hotel sums up Gri££in’s BNP perfectly - A crumbling structure shored up with lies full of scum.

ex-bnp

Anonymous said...

Gri££in’s health inspector said...
Hilarious! I always knew that shithole of a place would get done eventually. As for the toilets, well take it from me, you would be shocked at the vile smell.

The smell is probably still lingering from when Adam and Mark Walker shagged Phylis Carter in there!

Anonymous said...

"These scum get disability when the can be seen manually grafting at the RWB and for Excalibur.
If I knew thier addresses I would certainly report them."

Dont worry about that, its been done - and the other scrounging scum like Lee John Barnes.

Anonymous said...

"Most BNP members who really care about whats going on in the Party have to visit sites like this to find out!"

yeah, i'll back that up. What's REALLY going on, as opposed to the lies and spin from Griffin is never told to us mugs. My organiser hasnt a clue either. I know you dislike my views but I joined the BNP because I really thought they were different from the other parties and that we might actually get somewhere. I laugh when I read about "the reds" stopping the BNP. Believe me the organisation is so crap there isnt much to stop, the buffoons in charge just cant cope with political activity but its bloody good at sending out begging letters.

Anonymous said...

Arthur Kemp's home address - 1 Crossways, Mancot, Deeside