Griffin accused of subverting BNP constitution

The national organiser of the British National Party is trying to stop any leadership election from taking place by rewriting the party’s constitution, according to Eddy Butler, the leadership challenger.

In the latest BNP “e-organisers’ bulletin”, Clive Jefferson, who acts as the BNP leader’s tame poodle, states that signatures in support of a leadership contender must be submitted on an “official form”, which he will not make available until 13 July. Challengers have until 10 August to gather the support of 20% of the 4,200 party members with two years’ continuous membership and 20% of the elite “voting members”, of whom there are only 278 nationally.

Butler says (correctly) there is no provision in the constitution for an “official” form or for a nomination period in which signatures have to be collected, only a set period (20 July to 10 August) in which they can be delivered. He believes Jefferson’s “totally unconstitutional move” is intended to prevent any potential candidate from having time to obtain all the required signatures.

Jefferson has also ordered people to send their nominations individually to the party. “The collection of these nomination papers by a third party acting on behalf of a potential nominee is not allowed and will invalidate that nomination paper,” he declares.

Butler says he will ignore Jefferson’s instructions. He and his supporters are already gathering signatures on a form that he has devised himself and intend to hand the nominations in together.

Jefferson goes on to “caution any member from making unsubstantiated defamatory allegations, just because a member attempts to gain the nominations to start a leadership challenge”. Butler asks: “Is he having attacks of remorse for the fake brothel film [a film that Jefferson shot that purports to show Butler in a Belgian brothel]? Is he going to expel himself?”

Butler has no doubt who is responsible for all the dirty tricks, the so-called attack blogs and “the little acts of petty spite, snide digs or other acts of outright political gangsterism”. Nick Griffin gave himself dictatorial power in the constitution he foisted on the party, so “when ‘things’ happen in support of his failing regime the buck stops with him, Butler asserts.

Griffin is also responsible for the letter distributed to neighbours of Simon Bennett, the BNP’s former webmaster, accusing him of theft, drug abuse, forgery, blackmail, etc, says Butler, describing it as “an indescribably filthy and scummy act”.

The attempts by Griffin and Jefferson to do whatever it takes to stop Butler are likely to end up in court, with the beneficial result that party members’ donations will be wasted on yet more huge legal bills.

Sonia Gable at HOPE not hate