November 16, 2009

British National Party launches general election campaign with a lie

Nick Griffin, the British National Party leader, revealed [yesterday] that he would be contesting the Barking constituency, east London, in the next general election. He made his announcement in front of television cameras on the last day of his party’s annual conference in Wigan, Greater Manchester, over the weekend of 14-15 November.

Yet a few days ago, in an appeal for donations to launch the party’s “run-up campaign to the general election”, he wrote: “In this next General Election I will be standing in Thurrock where the split vote between the old parties means we could win a Parliamentary seat with just 27% of the vote”.

No candidate may stand in more than one constituency at a general election. So Griffin must have been lying, either in the begging letter or at the party’s conference.

Potential donors to the fascist party should note that this would not be the first time the BNP has lied in a fundraising appeal. The party claimed to have bought its “truth truck”, an advertising lorry, last year after a successful appeal to supporters to raise the £26,550 needed. Yet when bailiffs tried to enforce a county court judgment against the BNP, the party claimed it did not own the vehicle.

It was in Thurrock that Griffin held his first press conference after his disastrous performance in Question Time on 22 October. Claiming that the programme should not have been filmed in London, because the city was “no longer British”, he said: “Why not come down and do it in Thurrock …?”

Griffin linked his new choice of Barking for the general election with the party’s attempt to take over Barking and Dagenham council in the May 2010 elections. The party currently has 12 councillors there, the largest BNP council group in the country. The party has largely been ineffective against the huge Labour majority and many of its representatives rarely attend meetings.

According to Griffin, the council campaign will be spearheaded by Richard Barnbrook, the BNP’s sole London Assembly member, who is currently appealing against his suspension from the council for bringing his office into disrepute by inventing a series of murders in the borough. Robert Bailey, the BNP’s leader on Barking and Dagenham council and the party’s London organiser, appears to have been sidelined.

Barnbrook’s wider ambitions have also been swept aside. At the end of September he rented a huge billboard by the side of the A406 in Barking, at great expense, to announce that it was “Barnbrook for Barking”. On his blog he explained in no uncertain terms: “I, Richard Barnbrook am going to be Barking’s next MP! I’m the candidate for the British National Party …”. Lying that he had lived in the constituency for six years, he proclaimed: “Back me, Richard Barnbrook, Barking’s next MP”.

Griffin and Barnbook campaigned side by side apparently without animosity in the recent Glasgow North East parliamentary by-election. How Griffin bought Barnbrook out is not known.

Nick Lowles, editor of Searchlight, said Griffin’s decision to stand, coupled with the BNP’s prior local success in the area, made Barking “the front line” of efforts to combat the party’s rise. “It’s going to be difficult for him to win, but they have got a lot of councillors so we can’t be complacent,” he said.

“There have been some demographic changes since the last election which could limit the BNP’s success in Barking. But a lot depends on getting people out to vote, so it’s vital we let the people of Barking know exactly who Nick Griffin is.”

Hope not hate

13 comments:

Mr Smith said...

It was not only a lie it was a blatant act of fraud.

Gri££in knew at the time of sending out the letter that he was standing in Barking and if you check back on some of your readers comments on the subject you will see that this man is a complete fake.

Anonymous said...

"No candidate may stand in more than one constituency at a general election."


Are you sure?

Those of us who are old enough to remember the old eccentric Bill Boakes will recall that he frequently contested multiple constituencies. Have the rules changed?

Anonymous said...

I really hope that all the negative, disparaging comments Griffin has made in the past about London and Londoners is brought into the public domain. Back in the 1980s he said that white people who live in cities are stupid and mad. This despicable country bumpkin must be exposed? He has absolutely nothing to offer the electorate of Barking!

Anonymous said...

Very interesting comment by Andrew Gilligan on Telegraph's website.

Nick Griffin for Barking: Has the BNP made a mistake?

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/andrewgilligan/100016933/nick-griffin-for-barking-has-the-bnp-made-a-mistake/

AndyMinion said...

Griffin? Lie?

Heaven forfend...

Anonymous said...

The party has largely been ineffective against the huge Labour majority and many of its representatives rarely attend meetings.

Then why are you so worried?

Brian Candeland said...

It is possible to stand in more than 1 constituency I'm sure; someone from UKIP stood in about 8 seats in the North West last election. Makes the candidate look stupid though...

Anonymous said...

Barnbrook wasn't bought out, they've just had enough of his antics. He is a walking liability.

Anonymous said...

Had a wee look at the Telegraph article linked in the comment about Griffin in Barking.

The BNP trolls are arguing that if Griffin loses it's because there are too many immigrants in Barking.

Which is peculiar because on the Guardian site last week the BNP trolls were arguing that the BNP failed to come third in Glasgow North East because there weren't enough immigrants in the biggest Asylum dispersal zone outside London.

Could someone from the BNP advise us what the optimum number of immigrants required in an area for them to win?

I'm dying to know.

Anonymous said...

"Very interesting comment by Andrew Gilligan on Telegraph's website. Nick Griffin for Barking: Has the BNP made a mistake? "

Mmm!! Not sure Id call it a amistake more a worry, it seems to be saying that Dagenham will be a good area for them.

Maybe thats why gri££in is standing in next door Barking to take the heat off the dagenham seat and let the BNPs Barnpot slip in unnoticed.

Something gri££ins probably obliged him with in the past come to think of it

Anonymous said...

"Barnbrook wasn't bought out, they've just had enough of his antics. He is a walking liability."


And seldom in a straight line either.

Sonia Gable said...

"No candidate may stand in more than one constituency at a general election."

This is according to the Electoral Commission's fact sheet dated June 2007, see http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/__data/assets/electoral_commission_pdf_file/0016/13282/Candidates-UK-Parl-Election-2007-06_26787-11604__E__N__S__W__.pdf.

This rule was introduced in 2006 and appears in the (amended) Representation of the People Act 1983, Sch 1, Rule 8(3)(c).

Anonymous said...

I stand corrected, thanks for the information Sonia.