October 26, 2009

Decline of a BNP Great White Hope

Since Richard Barnbrook was elected as a BNP member of the London Assembly last year, his impact has been almost nil

Those worried about the raised platform now being given to Nick Griffin would do well to take a look at the case of his colleague on the London Assembly, Richard Barnbrook.

When he was elected amid much hand-wringing last year, we were repeatedly warned of the threat that he would bring to the democratic process in London. Hundreds of protesters gathered outside City Hall to mark his arrival and politicians and members of staff all warned of a boycott of the BNP man. Boris Johnson said that he would not speak to him directly, and even reportedly drew up a "coping strategy" to deal with the Barnbrook threat. So overblown did it become, that for his first meeting in the assembly, a one-chair gap was placed between him and the other members.

Yet for all the media fuss kicked up in those first few weeks, Barnbrook's political impact since then has been remarkably close to nil. He entered City Hall with big promises to sweep the "nonsense of political correctness" from London politics. Yet apart from being told off for eating a banana, taking photographs of himself in silly outfits, and being suspended for inventing murders, Barnbrook's year has been a complete non-event.

At Mayor's Question Time he is reliably useless. His questions are so long-winded, and his wit so slow, that he will often use up all of his allotted time before the mayor is even able to answer him. His press releases (all three of them) have been completely ignored by London's media, and his one attempt to organise a rally of the city's youth resulted in not a single young person turning up. Like Griffin, he has appeared on BBC discussion shows but, unlike Griffin, his appearances have all gone completely unremarked. And after all that hard work, the BNP's vote in London actually went down at this year's European elections, from the level needed to elect him to City Hall.

And as the hopelessness of their Great White Hope has dawned on BNP supporters, they too have gradually drifted away from their one-time star. His assistant and cameraman Simon Darby has now left him for Brussels, and his band of supporters are now rarely to be seen within City Hall. His once-regular YouTube videos appear to have finished, and his campaign to become MP seems highly unlikely to take off.

So, as the nation rises in indignation after Griffin's appearance on Question Time, we should all think again of the sad case of Richard Barnbrook. Because, ultimately, there is a reason why the BNP still only gets 6% of the vote nationally, and it has very little to do with the lack of publicity for the party and its views.

Adam Bienkov
Comment is free

15 comments:

NewsHound said...

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/10/440623.html

THE EDL PAUL RAY'S NEO-NAZI CONNECTIONS

(might be worth reposting on this blog:)

Anonymous said...

What's happening with the neo-nazi EDL? Are they still meeting in Leeds this Saturday, or not?

Anonymous said...

Dicky Bumbrook's had his day

NewsHound said...

THE BNP'S ECCENTRIC FUNDERS EXPOSED : -

http://www.hopenothate.org.uk/news/article/1407/Oddballs-who-bankroll-BNP#

One of the funders is fruit farmer Adam Champneys, who according to people at the RWB left the BNP members inebriated.

Has anyone got any idea what his "viciously strong" Kentish cider is called, so real ale and cider fans can give it a short shrift, as this toxic tipple is helping fund something far more toxic, fascism?

speaks said...

Yes, there was a surge (or blip to be more honest) of membership applications for the BNP after Gri££in's broadcast, but how many of these mugs will want to part with their cash to keep Griffo in champagne?

Answers on a postcard.

Anonymous said...

Decline of a BNP Great White Dope surely?

Brummie said...

Yes, there was a surge (or blip to be more honest) of membership applications for the BNP after Gri££in's broadcast, but how many of these mugs will want to part with their cash to keep Griffo in champagne?


Most of the BNP's membership is the product of confidence trickery (or 'conning') on the part of Griffin and his junta, so people join, realise the BNP's not doing anything for them, the begging letters come from Griffin, membership is not renewed, and so the wheel turns full circle.

In twelve months time, we'll surely see just how many of the swarms of people the BNP say they've had asking about membership will not be renewing once the reality of being a BNP member dawns upon them.

Anonymous said...

Yes they'll keep conning the public until the've trawled the population. Hey they will even now suck the BMEs dry from next year!

Anonymous said...

It's always the same with the BNP. Scrape through and then do nothing useful.

Anonymous said...

Wot a dickhead, lol!

Anonymous said...

I'm stunned that no-one has picked up on yesterdays 'News of the World' EXCLUSIVE yet...

http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/news/565763/Queen-fury-at-BNP-Outrage-at-Nick-Griffin-Churchill-hijacking.html

Anonymous said...

Rumour has it that the BNP were kicking themselves making him the number one candidate anyway, over Robert Bailey and Julian Leppert, but he had thrown his toys out of the pram and twisted their arm into it.

Does not stop him from fancying himself as the next MP for Barking though.

Anonymous said...

"One of the funders is fruit farmer Adam Champneys"

There seems to be a lot of fruitiness where the nazzers are concerned.

Anonymous said...

I've just checked the EDL website and they're advertising their demos in Leeds at 1pm and London at noon this Saturday. They attach the following warning to their supporters; "Also do not carry banners or make arm gestures that could be mistaken as articulating a racist message." Mistaken arm gestures, eh? How could anyone mistake a Nazi salute as a racist message?

As for Richard The Lying Fart, is it pantomime season already? Carry On Crusading?

Anonymous said...

"Hey they will even now suck the BMEs dry from next year!"

Sounds like a webster/griffin/barnbrrok
fantasy