March 03, 2009

BNP MEPs would not serve full term

A British National Party Member of the European Parliament would have to stand down after four years of the five-year term and hand the seat to the second person on the BNP candidates’ list, the BNP has said. The requirement, revealed at a meeting of the party’s Advisory Council on 25 January as its candidate selection process was getting under way, shows that the BNP does not take the role of an MEP seriously.

It is unclear whether Nick Griffin, the party leader, would also have to comply with this rule in the event of his election in the North West, where he heads the BNP candidates’ list.

MEPs play an important role in the European legislative process, and thereby in the creation of national legislation in the 27 member states of the European Union. They have an important say on European Commission directives and regulations, international treaties and legislation on many issues, such as the free movement of workers, the internal market and consumer protection.

The European Parliament also shares equal responsibility with the Council of Ministers for the EU budget and exercises supervision over the Commission and management of EU policies.

BNP members elected to a local council commonly take months if not years to understand their function. Learning the ropes in Strasbourg and Brussels would be far harder. The party’s insistence that its MEPs should stand down just at the point they have a chance of actually doing something is bizarre.

The idea that this allows the second person on the list “to gain experience” before the next European election is nonsense. Would the originally elected MEP then not stand again or does the BNP realistically think it will get two MEPs elected in any region in five years’ time?

The truth is that the BNP has no interest in taking part in EU government. All it really wants is the salary and expenses that come with an MEP’s job and the opportunity to further its alliances with extreme-right parties in other EU states. MEPs will have to give 10% of their salary to their party region and “submit their expense claims for full Party audit” – presumably to make sure they claim enough for the party’s benefit.

The Advisory Council, which meets only every three or four months, also decided to appoint an “inner cabinet” to oversee the election campaign. Its members are most of the party’s main national officers together with “Midas Consultant” Jim Dowson, the man responsible for the party’s fundraising over the past year and providing management training for party officers in sunny Valencia.

Dowson’s contribution to the election campaign seems to consist largely of copying Searchlight’s HOPE not hate campaign, though not very well. Several recent BNP campaign initiatives, such as sending out regular campaign emails and encouraging supporters to sign up as activists, are poorly executed copies of HOPE not hate tactics.

But it would be wrong to underestimate Dowson. His fundraising campaign has brought in more money than the BNP has ever enjoyed and it expects to have a turnover of £1 million this year, according to the AC minutes.

Another member of the “inner cabinet” is Mark Collett, the head of publicity. Collett should have received a severe dressing down for wasting a large chunk of Dowson’s money when he printed 700,000 “Euro warm up leaflets” without an official imprint, which meant they could not be distributed. But “golden boy” Collett can do no wrong in the eyes of the party leadership. He apologised and offered his resignation, which naturally was refused. “You stupid boy!” as Captain Mainwaring might have said.

BNP units were offered new leaflets with the imprint or a 33% discount on the illegal one plus free “overlay stickers” containing the imprint. BNP groups around the country are no doubt busy organising “sticker parties”, probably in pubs, at which activists will take time out from campaigning and peel off thousands of small stickers to place on the leaflets. Voters will be able to spot the leaflets done later in the evening by the wonky stickers and beer stains.

Although the party leadership acted quickly when the imprint’s absence was spotted and told units not to distribute the leaflets, some may have got out. York BNP held a day of action in Ryedale in January and distributed an anti-EU leaflet, which it reproduced on its blog. Strangely the part of the leaflet where the imprint should be was cut away, making it impossible to see whether it was there or not.

HOPE not hate

28 comments:

Anonymous said...

The truth is that the BNP has no interest in taking part in EU government. All it really wants is the salary and expenses that come with an MEP’s job.

I think that applies to all parties.

The sooner we are out of the eu the better.

Anonymous said...

Bizarre that Dowson should be part of the Advisory Council when he's not even a member.

Anonymous said...

"A British National Party Member of the European Parliament would have to stand down after four years of the five-year term and hand the seat to the second person on the BNP candidates’ list"

Are they actually allowed to do that?

Anonymous said...

If the BNP were really clever they wouldnt field Griffin in their main target seat. Apart from Oldham, everywhere Griffin has stood the BNP vote has been dissappointing as the 'leader' tends to attract the heaviest anti bnp campaigning. They shopuld have fielded Griffin in the 2nd seat and then they probably would have won a seat, as it is they'll win nothing and Griffin will prove once again that unlike any other party leader he is not an electable asset.

More a hindrance.

As for Collett missing of the p and p imprint - how dumb can you get. And how many chances does this twat get given?

Anonymous said...

It doesn't really make sense unless there are internal struggles to get a share of the cash while they can. Other parties just allow interested members to ghost them in parliament from the start of their term.

What would the BNP learn from doing this at the end of the term? Like I said, it smacks of internal greed.

Anonymous said...

they proberly need to get the finances for the next general election where they would hope two get one or two mp,s elected i.e stoke,barking or dagenham

Anonymous said...

"Bizarre that Dowson should be part of the Advisory Council when he's not even a member."

Wasn't Lee Barnes a member of the AC when he wasn't a party member either? Arthur Kemp too, though both of them are members now. I'm pretty sure there have been a few. Amazing how easily the rules are bent when Griffin needs them to be.

Anonymous said...

"If the BNP were really clever they wouldnt field Griffin in their main target seat. Apart from Oldham, everywhere Griffin has stood the BNP vote has been dissappointing as the 'leader' tends to attract the heaviest anti bnp campaigning. They shopuld have fielded Griffin in the 2nd seat and then they probably would have won a seat, as it is they'll win nothing and Griffin will prove once again that unlike any other party leader he is not an electable asset."

But isn't that exactly what they are doing, same as five years ago? Yorkshire & Humberside is where the BNP vote will be highest, and nearest to winning.

Is this a clever tactic from an altruistic party leader with no interest in mere money, or is it the best he can do as 90% of the Yorkshire members hate his guts, several have threatened him with violence, and branches there stand up to his more blatant insanity, whereas most of the NW is entirely subservient to his every whim, since he decimated Burnley, Blackburn, Oldham and Clitheroe branches for being too independant and successful without his slug-like mugshot appearing on all their publicity?

Answers on a postcard.

Barbara Suzuki said...

But the BNP hate the EU and all it stands for.
Given such heartfelt opposition, ouldn't the honourable thing be to boycott the European Parliament elections altogether?

Anonymous said...

"golden boy Collette"

Unfortunate phrase when everything he is involved with turns to a much darker shade, not so much golden but brown.

Unless its a reference to his personal preferences.

Anonymous said...

Gordon Brown taking over from Tony Blair springs to mind here.

Anonymous said...

"But isn't that exactly what they are doing, same as five years ago? Yorkshire & Humberside is where the BNP vote will be highest, and nearest to winning."

If Yorks & Humber IS the bnps best hope then maybe they have learned something as I am willing to bet Griffin will never, ever, ever win elected office for the bnp - he just has far too much baggage. It really is as simple as that.

However I just did a quick web search and most sites seem to agree NW is the bnps best chance of winning an MEP.

But with Griffin being their number one candidate they dont stand a chance.

If someone else headed their list maybe.... but not Nick who is not so much a Griffin more an albatross when it comes to elections.

He has been parachuted in to several places now for the bnp and each time it ends in bnp tears, this time wont be any different.

And Im willing to make a wager on that so confident am I that he is the kiss of death electorally for the party. How about £25 to LU if the Albatross fails

- Im not very wealthy sorry most I can afford.

Anonymous said...

Now i don't ant to get a reputation of a bit of a stat head (Is there such a person?) But can we look at a few facts and figures here.

In the UK 2001 General election Nick griffin stood in Oldham
Michael Meecher 20,441 votes (elected)
Nick Griffin 6552 votes

In the UK 2005 general election the BNP tried their luck in Keighley Yorkshire trying to cash in on anti Muslim sentiment, 9/11 etc etc Now Nick who probably knows nothing about Keighley stood for election
Ann Cryer 20.270 votes (elected)
Nick Griffin 4240 votes
A dramatic decrease in his vote.
Not only a catastrophic failure for the BNP but a disaster for Nick Griffin.

Now in 20 years of his leadership the BNP have managed 46 councillors out of a possible 22.300 and 50 Parish councillors out of a possible 110,000 parish councillors. They have managed to get a bumbling alcoholic elected on the GLA but he has achieved nothing and is a non entity in everyone's eyes except a handful of die hard BNP supporters who achieve orgasm every time the BNP are in the media.

Now I am not for complacency and I try and contribute to searchlight etc but we need to stop bigging up these perennial losers and ridicule them a lot more.

In the recession of the late 70,& early 80,s the national Front had more members than the BNP could even contemplate.

Yes lets try and crush this vile party but seriously folks they are nobodies, always were, always will be

Green Gordon said...

@Sibley
Yes

@Peter
Like it or not Gordon Brown was elected by his peers. Just because they couldn't muster an opposition candidate doesn't make it the same as resigning an EU list-seat which would then go to the next list member.

p.s. is no one reporting on the possibilities of the RMT running an anti-EU ticket?

Anonymous said...

AAAAAAAggggggggghhhhhhhhhh. Nick griffin is making the SAME mistake plane jane made. On the BNP site he is stating the BNP deliberately chose Spitfire fighter pilots from the Polish 303 RAF squadron as their Battle of Britain backdrop but 303 squadron DID NOT FLY SPITFIRES during the BofB they flew Hurricanes. 303 was only issued Spitfires later.

Can no one get this right

Obviously not

Anonymous said...

If he fails will he resign?

Anonymous said...

"As for Collett missing of the p and p imprint - how dumb can you get. And how many chances does this twat get given?"

What do you mean by "chances"?

The loathsome obnoxious piece of organic material that passes for a human-being namely Mark Collett has the total blessing of Gri££in and is incapable of any wrongdoing. He is the heir-apparent and more to the point knows much more about where the bodies are buried than the dipstick Walker who bragged on many occasions "he cant get rid of me". Well unlucky for Walker "he" did get rid of him. Unlike the hapless pisshead Walker, Collett has the evil streak which would force him to reveal all if he felt his livelihood and his position was threatened.

As a ex-AC member I can recall days when half those attending werent card carrying members - Barnes who looked as if he had spent the previous night sleeping in a shop doorway; the slimey Kemp who looked as he was the ba5tard who had rifled the meagre possessions of the unfortunate Barnes as he slept in the doorway. Don't forget the webmeister of David Duke, Emmanuel D'Abignosc (?) who sat in on many AC meetings. Er, who else was there? How about Mrs. Griffin - both of them..............

Anonymous said...

"we need to stop bigging up these perennial losers and ridicule them a lot more."

Doesnt help when an MEP says they could win 7 seats. Seven?

They'll be lucky to win one.

Anonymous said...

At last, a spokesperson for the RAF on the Daily Mail site confirms that plane jane failed to make clear that those Polish pilots never flew Spits in the battle of Britain, see below:-

"'303 Squadron operated Spitfires from Northolt, Kirton-in-Lindsey, Coltishall and other RAF stations in the UK between 1941 and 1945 after flying Hurricanes in the Battle of Britain.'"

AFTER FLYING HURRICANES in the BATTLE OF BRITAIN

Anonymous said...

"Now in 20 years of his leadership the BNP have managed 46 councillors out of a possible 22.300"

Isn't it 56?

Anonymous said...

ex-ac member you are a fucking traitor of the worse kind the reds i can understand giving us stick but for you to turn your coat ,i hope you and your whole family die slow deaths from cancer you scum bag

Anonymous said...

"ex-ac member you are a fucking traitor of the worse kind the reds i can understand giving us stick but for you to turn your coat ,i hope you and your whole family die slow deaths from cancer you scum bag"

Dear Mod - any chance of I D ing this moron from IPS or similar, or E-Mail address so that we can compare with the NUTZIE list.

Preparing for a nasty campaign here in South Wales !

Old Sailor - You know my E-Mail.

Anonymous said...

was mark collett the guy in the 'BNP wives' documentary? I guess they edit those shows, but he didnt exactly seem all that bad. unless its a different bloke of course.

Anonymous said...

dont know if people here already know it, but 'bbcbiased' is a pretty right wing site, recently experimenting with hateful language, anti-Muslim sentiment, and the odd BNP/stormfront member to boot. I've been arguing with these lunatics for a while now, but its not getting far...

http://www.biased-bbc.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

Nick griffin is making the SAME mistake plane jane made. On the BNP site he is stating the BNP deliberately chose Spitfire fighter pilots from the Polish 303 RAF squadron as their Battle of Britain backdrop.

No you have it wrong its Battle FOR Britain, nothing to do with Battle of Britain

Barbara Suzuki said...

To poster at 11.04 pm:

Karma means that what you wish for others is really what you attract to yourself.

Take care, and try to argue your case as if you were an adult, with a brain, who cared.

Anonymous said...

"No you have it wrong, its Battle FOR Britain nothing to do with Battle of Britain"

Really, someone better tell BNP deputy dog Simon Darby then.........


"BNP spokesman Simon Darby said: ‘The 2009 election campaign poster features a spitfire plane and represents the Battle of Britain. "

But you are right in a sense as this plane has NOTHING to do with the Battle of Britain,

* it is a very late Mk of Spitfire - not used in the BofB

* The squadron code shows it to be from 303 squadron and they actually flew HURRICANES during the BofB.

Neither Plane Jane, the Daily Mail or Nick Griffin have picked these erros up, so they are all wrong

Anonymous said...

"it's nothing to do with the Battle of Britain.... Better tell Simon Dary then"

And Nick Griffin for currently written on the BNP main site is this quote:-


“We have deliberately used a Spitfire from the RAF No. 303 Polish Fighter Squadron as our backdrop in the ‘Battle of Britain’ road show,” Mr Griffin said.