June 19, 2010

BNP official sacked by Nick Griffin challenges him for leadership

Nick Griffin is facing a leadership challenge after the British National Party’s disastrous general election performance.

Eddy Butler, who until recently was a senior official in the far-right BNP, announced his candidacy yesterday and began to seek nominations from members. He accused Mr Griffin of an “authoritarian leadership style” that “inhibits new ideas and stifles debate”.

Mr Butler wrote on his blog: “Funding has dried up. Our financial liabilities are mounting. Inquiries to the party from the public have plummeted. Our electoral progress has all but halted. Our activist base has lost its enthusiasm.

“After 11 long years Nick has accumulated a massive amount of baggage which makes him less popular with the public than the party.”

Mr Griffin announced last month that he would step down in 2013 to concentrate on his European Parliament re-election campaign. The decision was widely seen as an attempt to avoid an immediate challenge, amid growing internal criticism about the party’s performance in the election.

The BNP failed to win any parliamentary seats, notably the key target seat of Barking, East London, where Mr Griffin was relegated to third place and trailed Margaret Hodge, the Labour MP, by 18,000 votes. The party also lost all but two of its council seats across the country.

Mr Butler said: “We do not have the luxury of waiting for several years before the current chairman feels it is time to leave. In bringing the party forward Nick has become more of a public liability than an asset.”

Mr Butler, prominent in nationalist politics since the 1980s, was the BNP’s campaign co-ordinator until March, when he was dismissed by Mr Griffin. For a leadership election to take place he must be nominated by 20 per cent of those who have been members of the party for two years. If he succeeds, the campaign will take place over the summer and a postal ballot held in October.

Mr Griffin will try to persuade members that he is the best person for the leadership because of his national recognition. This week The Times reported that he had been invited to a garden party at Buckingham Palace, owing to his position as an MEP.

A contest would be a bitter one. A website purporting to “expose” Mr Butler has already been formed by Mr Griffin’s supporters. Mr Griffin saw off a challenge in 2007 and also faced a plot by dissidents to overthrow him during the recent election campaign.

The BNP has been plagued by internal turmoil. Members have questioned why Mr Griffin performed so badly given the party’s increased media exposure after the European Parliament breakthrough last year and an appearance on the BBC’s Question Time.

The party did not respond to inquiries from The Times.

The Times

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

If Butler gets the 20% of signatures required, he already has 20% of the vote.

Taking, that 100% of the membership will not vote, this gives Butler a very good chance of winning.

Anonymous said...

Whoever leads this party is bound to become unpopular with the public, Butler you dumbass! Its a party of violent, racist, loosers and fascist wingnuts, FFS!

Anonymous said...

Griffin got baggage but so too has Butler.

Read Tim Hepple's "At War with Society" (still available 2nd hand on Amazon) and he describes Butler (BNP chief steward at the time) leading a violent assault on anti-Fascists leafleters in Tower Hamlets in 1991.

Anonymous said...

yes there is a leadership battle about to commence.
The choices are griffin,dowson,jefferson,deacon,darbygolding
or butler,collett,johnathan bowden,richard barnbrook

haha what a choice

Anonymous said...

None of the people who support that party will vote for anyone connected to Griffin or his ilk and that includes Eddy Butler. There are others coming forward with no baggage or history with the National Front. Should be interesting.

Anonymous said...

butler,collett,johnathan bowden,richard barnbrook -- there are far more big players than that supporting Butler.

Skaface said...

This gig is being run by Will Browning's C18 mob.
Iceni promotions is front for them.

http://www.bridgehouse2.com/page25.html

Skaface said...

If you look on the friends part of this its like a nazi whose who, Robin Grey, Jason Wilcock, Karen Henderson etc. Nazi fucking scum.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/group.php?gid=17848957371&ref=search

Anonymous said...

where's brons and his employees the walkers?

Anonymous said...

Whichever way we look at it its going to be an enjoyable summer for us, just reading through Butlers blog, and then the blog exposing Butler is great entertainment.

Note this morning on the main BNP website they are putting forward that Trevor Phillips is now aimed at putting Griffin in jail, obvious then that Griffin and his supporters are going for the sympathy vote.

tulip

Anonymous said...

let the libconlabzionelitistunwashedleftyscumpolicepoliticiansareouttogetus conspiracy begin! Prepare for a whole loada griffo victim cards (with begging letters attached) to come through the doors of the poor misled bnp sheeple.

Anonymous said...

"obvious then that Griffin and his supporters are going for the sympathy vote."

Tulip,

Get with the programme - it ain't votes Griffin is going for - it's the fund raising opportunity!

"Griffin faces Jail - Only your cash can save him... Donate Here..."

Getting it yet?

Anonymous said...

""Griffin faces Jail - Only your cash can save him... Donate Here..."


If only !!!! Mind you if cyclops did face jail I wonder if it would raise any money ??

Old Sailor

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