October 11, 2009

BBC storm as two of BNP's most notorious activists are invited on Radio 1 to insult Ashley Cole

The BBC is facing demands for an investigation after allowing two leading BNP activists to make unchallenged 'racist' statements on a flagship news broadcast.

Radio 1's Newsbeat programme introduced the interviewees as 'two young guys who are members of the BNP' - but a Mail on Sunday investigation has discovered that they were, in fact, key members of the far-Right party's leadership.

The activists claimed black England footballer Ashley Cole [pictured, left] was not 'ethnically British' and spoke of him 'coming to this country' - even though he was born in East London. More than 100 people have complained that the extremists were given an easy ride on the BBC's most listened-to news broadcast, and now leading politicians are calling for an investigation into whether it breached broadcasting rules.

But the programme's editor defended the item, claiming he had been inundated by messages from supportive listeners, some of whom said the BNP 'says what most of us are thinking'.

The row comes after the BBC's controversial decision to allow BNP leader Nick Griffin to appear on Question Time for the first time. One listener described the Newsbeat interview as so 'staggeringly soft, woefully weak and uncritically unchallenging that I feel sick to my stomach', while another said they were 'shocked and disappointed' to see the BBC giving 'substantial and uncritical publicity' to the BNP.

The Mail on Sunday has discovered the full background of the two 'young BNP supporters' identified by the BBC only as Joey, 24, and 28-year-old Mark. Both men are senior officials in the BNP party hierarchy, and one has a notorious history of racist, homophobic and anti-semitic views and is a self-confessed admirer of Adolf Hitler.

Joey is Joseph Barber, also known as Joey Smith, who runs the BNP's record label Great White Records and is one of its leading artists, recording tracks including Pondlife and Christmas Is A British Thing.

The other guest was Mark Collett, the former leader of the Youth BNP and now the party's head of publicity. He was exposed in a Channel 4 documentary Young, Nazi And Proud in 2002, when he was filmed saying 'Hitler will live forever' and said of British black people: 'Just because a dog is brought up in a stable, doesn't make it a horse.' He also said: 'AIDS is a friendly disease because blacks, drug users and gays have it.'

Collett was tried on race-hate charges after another documentary, BBC1's The Secret Agent, broadcast secret footage of alleged racist activities - but was cleared after two trials .

Radio 1, which has 11million listeners a week, featured the two-minute interview with the pair ten days ago, as well as another with party leader Nick Griffin. A transcript is on the BBC website, with a direct link to the BNP website. Radio 1's young audience, including many from working-class backgrounds, is also the key target for the BNP. Their campaigning helped them poll more than six per cent of the vote in June's European elections, winning two seats. That success has forced the BBC to give more airtime to the party, including Griffin's controversial invitation to appear on BBC1's Question Time on October 22.

BBC guidelines, which govern all the Corporation's output, set strict criteria on the use of anonymous sources.

Unmasked: Mark Collett, a senior BNP activist, seen in a Channel 4 documentary
The rules say: 'With an anonymous source... we must give the audience as much information about them as is compatible with protecting their identity, and in a way that does not mislead the audience about their status. We should normally identify on-air and online sources of information and significant contributors, as well as providing their credentials, so that our audiences can judge their status.'

The interview was also an apparent breach of National Union of Journalists guidelines which say that when interviewing representatives of racist organisations, 'journalists should carefully check all reports for accuracy and seek rebutting or opposing comments. The antisocial nature of such views should be exposed'. But Newsbeat did not disclose any details about its BNP interviewees' backgrounds other than their first names and ages - and now refuses to discuss the reason behind the decision.

Reporter Debbie Randle, who interviewed the men, did not question them about their roles in the party or ask them about any previous controversy. Unprompted by either of the activists, she invited them to give their views on Chelsea football star Cole. Born in Stepney, East London, he has now gained his 72nd England cap in the World Cup qualifier against Ukraine, which England lost 1-0.

'So when you see someone like Ashley Cole play for England, are you happy to watch him?' she asked.

'Joey' replied: 'If he wants to come to this country and he wants to live by our laws, pay into society, that's fine.'

'But,' Ms Randle asked, 'if he wanted to call himself British that would be a problem?'

Joey replied: 'He cannot say that he's ethnically British.'

Asked whether it was 'OK for people who are not white to call themselves British', he said: 'You cannot say they are ethnically British. It's denying our heritage. It's taking that away from us.'

Newsbeat did not reveal anything about Collett's background - including the TV exposés and subsequent court cases - but featured his views on whether 'the idea of races mixing was a bad thing'.

Collett said: 'I would be upset if there were no more giant pandas, I'd be upset if there were no more lions, if there were no more tigers, so equally I'd be upset if white people weren't here any more.'

Asked why the views of people who had lived here for a generation should not count, Collett added: 'Are you trying to compare somebody, or a group of people, who've lived here for maybe 30 years, to people who've lived here for 40,000 years? There's a vast, vast difference in timescale there, my dear.'

Party officials Joey Barber and Mark Collett pose as 'BNP supporters' for Radio 1 Newsbeat
The BBC said the editors of Newsbeat would make no comment on the decision not to reveal who Collett and Barber were.

But Newsbeat editor Rod McKenzie had previously published a blog on the BBC website responding to criticism. He wrote: 'We're impartial - that means we should examine all political parties and put their representatives on the spot with fair and firm questioning. Impartial journalism and censorship do not sit happily together. We believe in getting the facts and the arguments out there for people to decide - not in judging what is "right" or "wrong" in a political context - that's for you to do. The BNP are not an illegal party. They enjoy electoral support and have elected representatives.

'It is the BBC's job to properly examine all legitimate political parties that operate within the law and for which people clearly vote. A great many texts we received [after the broadcast] were broadly supportive of the BNP. Over time, it's evident from following our listeners that the party touches a nerve of support or interest.

'The large pile of texts on my desk raise issues around immigration, political correctness and an apparent frustration with mainstream politics that means the BNP, or at least some of their policies, appeals to some people. It's also clear that not much is known about the party's policies beyond immigration and race which is something we were keen to explore - and did. By the way, we also received messages of support from those who believed we had exposed the weakness of the BNP on a range of issues.'

Mr McKenzie appeared to be unaware that it is common BNP practice to mobilise members to post supportive messages on websites whenever their party is in the news. The broadcaster has also responded to the 100-plus complaints it received about the interviews from listeners.

The BBC's complaints unit said: 'Newsbeat interviewed Nick Griffin and two young BNP activists in the light of huge audience response to recent stories about BNP electoral success and what they stand for. Both interviews were rigorous and the bulk of the tough questions asked were inspired by, or directly quoted, listeners. Our audience have diverse views on these subjects and many believe we should examine the BNP's policies more closely. This was a way to shine a light on the views of the BNP, allowing people to make up their own minds.'

But Shadow Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt called on the BBC to launch an investigation as to whether the interview breached its guidelines. He said: 'The point of interviewing the BNP is to make sure that they are held to account for their totally noxious views. It would appear that did not happen here and that is a matter of great concern.'

Under fire: Radio 1 Newsbeat editor Rod McKenzie, left, with BBC radio presenters Simon Mayo and Chris Moyles, himself no stranger to controversy
MP John Whittingdale, chairman of the Commons Culture and Media Committee, said: 'If the person being interviewed has a track record in the public eye and holds a position in a political party, then to pass him off as a young person just expressing his own view is not an accurate portrayal and I would expect the BBC to make clear who they are. This should be looked at by the BBC management and possibly the BBC Trust [the Corporation's governing body]. Potentially there may have been a breach of the BBC guidelines. This needs to be properly looked at.'

A BNP spokesman said the BBC had merely asked the party to provide two young supporters from Northern England. He said: 'They just said they wanted young members. We were surprised not to have faced more difficult questioning but Radio 1 is not a heavy-duty political organ like Radio 4. It is an informative thing for young people. It is not too serious. It set out to find out what we think. The platform of Radio 1 is very informal, it is all first names, that is how younger people are. People's surnames are not as important as they are to another generation.'

The controversy comes after Radio 1 breakfast-show host Chris Moyles sparked outrage over 'misjudged' comments about filming for the family history show Who Do You Think You Are? Moyles said: 'I went off to Ireland and other places to film and, unlike a lot of the Who Do You Think You Are? shows, I didn't go to Auschwitz. Pretty much everyone goes there whether or not they're Jewish.'

In full...the Newsbeat interview that caused a storm

This is the BBC's own full transcript of the Newsbeat interview:

Randle: Do you think it's OK for people who aren't white in this country to call themselves British?

Joey: Civicly British they are. You cannot say they are ethnically British. It's denying our heritage. It's taking that away from us.

Randle: At what point do they become ethnically British? How long do they have to be here?

Asking the questions: Debbie Randle in the BBC studios
Joey: Well, I think it would be an awfully long time before someone would become ethnically British.

Randle: So when you see someone like Ashley Cole play for England, are you happy to watch him?

Joey: If he wants to come to this country and he wants to live by our laws, pay into society, that's fine.

Randle: But if he wanted to call himself British that would be a problem?

Joey: He cannot say that he's ethnically British.

Randle: Why is the idea of races mixing such a bad thing?

Joey: If everybody integrated it would take away everybody's identity.

Mark: I would be upset if there were no more giant pandas, I'd be upset if there were no more lions, if there were no more tigers, so equally I'd be upset if white people weren't here any more.

Randle: But we're the same species, which makes it a bit different, doesn't it?

Mark: You could say that but if all of a sudden there weren't any sparrows and there were only crows, I'd still be sad there weren't any sparrows.

Randle: Can you understand that some people are happy to mix?

Mark: No, I think people have been brainwashed. I think the media, the Government, have forced it down people's throats and they've indoctrinated people.

Randle: You don't think people are bright enough to decide themselves?

Mark: I think when people are bombarded 24 hours a day to force multiculturalism upon them, people are going to succumb to that. We shouldn't have to bend our ways to people who've been here five minutes.

Randle: You're talking like people here are on holiday. They've lived here, some of them, for a generation, some of them for longer. Doesn't that count?

Mark: Are you trying to compare somebody, or a group of people, who've lived here for maybe 30 years, to people who've lived here for 40,000 years? There's a vast, vast difference in timescale there, my dear.

Randle: My point isn't the difference in times between one group of people and another, it's saying they're not visitors, they are not holidaymakers, they are people living here.

Mark: If I went to live and work in another country then I would still adhere by their culture and they should adhere by ours.

Mail Online

28 comments:

Anonymous said...

Does the BBC have an exemption from the public duty to promote equality?

http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/advice-and-guidance/public-sector-duties/introduction-to-the-public-sector-duties/race-equality-duty/

LennyL said...

Mark "Peedoboy" Collett should have been shunned by the media after admitting he was an Adolf Hitler fan, was anti-Semitic, homophobic and loathed black people, for there is no redeeming features about this evil arrogant small-penised cretin.

He's got an inferiority complex brought about by his lack of inches down below, which was why (believing in racial endowment myths) he first started hating black people, and then went on to hate humanity.

So in the case of this sick-pup, jealousy turned to hate, and when he couldn't satisfy hus girlffiend at uni, and she walked out on him, he expressed feelings of anger against womankind, and a wish "to break all women" as he eloquently put it.

Afterwards, the story goes, he became unsure of his sexuality and started to become fervently homophobic, culminating in his love of AIDS and his hatred of gay and lesbian people.

To convince himself he was not homosexual he started lusting after underage girls, thus the alleged blackpool hotel incident.

Fuckemall said...

Joey "Blow-Job Barber" Smith is hardly one of the "BNP's most notorious activists". He's barely a little piss-stain on Dicky Bumcrack's trousers after a liquid lunch.

Brummie said...

Nobody but NOBODY bashes the BNPBC like our friends at the Daily Mail!!!

Anonymous said...

The thing about Collett, and the BNP in general, is they've been parroting this same old simplistic garbage for too long now and it's wearing thin. The idea that if two people from different ethnic backgrounds find each other attractive it's because they saw something similar on TV is utter nonsense. People are attracted to who they fancy. It's as simple as that. I'm an ex-BNP member and I often see black and Asian girls who I find very sexually attractive. That's my chemistry - not MTV!

The BNP's simplistic rubbish should be welcomed by groups like UAF. Why? Because such rubbish only attracts the less intelligent members of society which ensures the party stays nothing more than an anti-immigration pressure group, rather than a credible alternative to government.

There is simply no political talent in the BNP. No Vince Cables, no Gordon Browns, no William Hagues.

OK, some politicians (like Brown) have a lot to answer for, but they are still highly intelligent and talented politicians. Forget immigration, imagine if the BNP were in charge during the recession. How they hell would they deal with it? They wouldn't have a clue.

The BNP are simply a group of people who want to be heard, and most of what they shout is nonsense.

It's a bit like the old adage 'if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys'. Well, if you spout nonsense, you will only attract idiots. The BNP in a nutshell.

And that's why I left.

West Midlands Unity said...

Why has the BBC suddenly become a hub for far-right dickheads?

Anonymous said...

I can confirm that Mark Collett has a very small penis and also cannot get a donker on. Anyway gotta go, I need to get on with my homework.

Anonymous said...

Collett is unbelievable.

The fascists seem to be getting an easier and easier ride in mainstream life and the media. A couple of months ago Collett's offices were revealed on North West Nationalists. Since then I have found out the details so we can protest and let the capitalist organisation Regus know that we won't tolerate them entertaining the fascists, racists and holocaust deniers.

Regus
1200 Century Way
Thorpe Park Business Park
Colton
Leeds
LS15 8ZA

Manager: Sharon Bradley
Phone: 0113 251 5000
Mob: 07957 836646

Email: sharon.bradley@regus.com

Quit messing about and let's up the ante!

I am positively disgusted that Regus would happily take money from the bnp regardless of what they represent. I'm sure if all the other businesses within Regus knew they were working alongside the bnp, they would not be too happy!

eric the fish said...

'A Daily Mail investigation'. Utter crap. Hardly up to date are they?

Daily Mail = Der Sturmer.

Samantha said...

I have just come across the Sun newspaper website where an outspoken typical racist EDL member from Manchester called "Aberkanackerhas" posted this: -

10/10/2009 18:10:20
Re:EDL v. UAF in Manchester
Where do you get 1.6 mill edge ? there are more than 3 million and they are breeding like rabbits . You need to get into your head the majority of the British people are sick of the moslems and their demands for sharia law etc this is our country and our laws if they dont like it they should go to pakistan with their p@ki brothers".

http://www.thesun.co.uk/discussions/posts/list/30/EDL_v~46~_UAF_in_Manchester-224677.page

I don't know who this sick neo-Nazi is, but this sickeningly hardcore racist is typical of the EDL and has posted over 300 racist posts on the Sun website about Muslims and Islams, using the most crude racism since Adolf Hitler himself.

The EDL are full of people like this.

AndyMinion said...

Well. I for one am incredibly indebted to the Mail's crack team of investigative reporters for uncovering the shocking news that Collett and Smith hold some deeply unpleasant views, and aren't actually the charming young rapscallions we'd had them down as all these years.

Where would we be without the dear old Daily "Hurrah For The Blackshirts" (1934 Headline) Mail?

James Gee said...

That Sun Online website is pretty sick. On the highlighted link about online EDL racists, UK-based racists are calling for all Muslim people to be "wiped out". I just cannot believe why the Sun allow such hardcore criminal racism to be posted online by neo-Nazi EDL supporters.

Take a look if you don't believe me, but beware! You will need a stiff tot of whisky or brandy to cope with the explicit racism posted on here. It's worse than what you get on YouTube:

http://www.thesun.co.uk/discussions/posts/list/90/EDL_v~46~_UAF_in_Manchester-224677.page

There's pages of comments to read and most if not all are from active EDL members living in the UK.

The police take a soft line for online racism thus anything now goes on the Sun website.

Says a lot for Rupert Murdoch.

I thought Murdoch wanted to support the Conservative Party not the EDL.

Anonymous said...

A genocidal Hitler-worshipping EDL supporter on the Sun Online website posted in a disgussion about the EDL in Manchester, called Poshpuss.


---------------
Re:EDL v. UAF in Manchester
"Islam is like cancer, the sooner its wiped out the better in my book!"

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

http://www.thesun.co.uk/discussions/posts/list/45/EDL_v~46~_UAF_in_Manchester-224677.page

----------------------------------
Does anybody know who Poshpuss might be?

She's from London, and possibly something to do with Barking and Dagenham BNP, but I'm not too sure!

Raymond said...

"
Randle: Why is the idea of races mixing such a bad thing?

....
....


Randle: Can you understand that some people are happy to mix?

Mark: No, I think people have been brainwashed. I think the media, the Government, have forced it down people's throats and they've indoctrinated people.

"

If like he suggests that people only mix if they've been indoctrinated then draconian intermarriage laws like in Apartheid South Africa, pre civil rights USA or Nazi Germany wouldn't be needed as people according to him wouldn't be brainwashed into doing something "unnatural". If anything people like him and the type of intermarriage laws I've mentioned are the unnatural ones

Raymond said...

Also I wonder why the comments in the daily mail article are mainly devoid of the mixed marriage part of the interview. Is this censorship by the Daily Mail or purposely omitted by the BNP spammers in case normal people (who don't give two hoots who dates who)are put off by this.

black willys 4 white fillys said...

bnp scum

Anonymous said...

Lennyl where do you get all this information? It could be used but you don't give us evidence or sources?

Anonymous said...

I'm interested in how anonymous comments are. I saw a few on the LU blog about this weekend in Manchester that clearly threaten violence against individuals. Do IP addresses get logged? Perhaps help track back to commenters hiding behind anonimity...

Anonymous said...

Collette and Hannam/Walker love little girls and DONKEYS/Horses.

XFilesMan said...

P@edoBoy is most clearly now working for MI5 along with Gri££in, which is why he did this interview, as the BBC is part of the state conspiracy.

Size Matters said...

I've heard that rumour also about the wanky bisexual Hitler festishist from Leicestershire, which would explain why the Ballet Nazi didn't stay more than a week or so with him.

Brooky said...

You always get the death threats against Ketlan on here, as the BNP/EDL think they are hard, but when faced with AFA?635 group and the riot police, they poo their nappies and lose their maniacle bravado.

School Nurse said...

I think the evidence about the 28 yo paedophile lies in his pants, but the BBC radio interviewer failed to ask Mark to do a "cough and drop"! LOL

June said...

That Sun Online newspaper site dos have a lot of extreme racism on it, which the newspaper hasn't bothered to filter out. particuarly on the BNP/EDL neo-nazi threads.

Anonymous said...

You already reported on this at the end of September.
http://lancasteruaf.blogspot.com/2009/09/bbc-on-bnp.html

Anonymous said...

If collet's not a jew, i'll eat my skull cap.

Brummie said...

I really hate newspaper websites (the Guardian are just as bad) who leave their comments facility on at the bottom of the page, thus encouraging racists trolls and spin doctors. Why can't they just REPORT the bloody news, like they used to do and let individuals make their own minds up instead of encouraging people to push their bilious extremism down other people's throats.


Call me old fashioned but if the Sun allows racist comments on ITS website with ITS red masthead at the top of the page then absolutely no amount of petty disclaimering will hide that publication's racism.

Anonymous said...

"...Regus
1200 Century Way
Thorpe Park Business Park
Colton
Leeds
LS15 8ZA

Manager: Sharon Bradley
Phone: 0113 251 5000
Mob: 07957 836646

Email: sharon.bradley@regus.com

Quit messing about and let's up the ante!

I am positively disgusted that Regus would happily take money from the bnp regardless of what they represent. I'm sure if all the other businesses within Regus knew they were working alongside the bnp, they would not be too happy"

Actually most of them know and aren't too happy at all, but what can be done? There's a small coffee bar in the Regus building and Collett can regularly be heard in there spouting his hatred of the rest of humanity.