This year was a far cry from 2008 when 300BNP members, including Nick Griffin, held a rally in Stoke
The low-key launch of the BNP's English manifesto in a deserted Stoke-on-Trent shopping street yesterday was in marked contrast to previous events held by the group in the area. In 2008 the city played host to a 300-strong BNP rally; only around 30 members turned up yesterday.
With three volunteers holding up modest Union flag backdrops to ensure they did not blow over during the speech by the deputy leader Simon Darby, and press interviews held in the corner of a giant retail centre car park, the event was notably different from last year's general election campaign launch. Then, a man dressed as St George appeared with the leader Nick Griffin in Stoke to begin the party's ill-fated push for a Westminster seat. Mr Griffin was unable to attend this time due to poor health, leaving the floor – or rather pavement – for Mr Darby to address his small gaggle of followers.
He called the Labour Party leader Ed Miliband an "alien", a "reptile" and a thoroughly "odd-looking bloke", and accused Labour of gerrymandering the council ward boundaries to reduce the BNP's presence.
Michael Coleman, one of five BNP councillors in Stoke, said its nine-page policy document was intended to stop an "invasion and occupation by a foreign body of people", lauding it as "exciting, positive and uplifting".
All members present denied they were racist, but anti-Islamic rhetoric dominated the short affair, with Mr Coleman claiming white folk will flee the area because they are intimidated by the building of a mosque. "They've got no right to be in this country and everybody knows it," he said.
Mr Darby portrayed the BNP as the underdogs and claimed some of its supporters faced prison for their beliefs. He professed his delight to be out campaigning on a "sunny English day", but it appeared yesterday that the BNP's moment in the sun could be coming to an end.
It is expected to field about 200 candidates in next month's elections, compared with more than 700 in the comparable campaign in 2007, and faces losing all the seats that it is defending. Following its relatively poor general election showing, the BNP has been riven by internal strife, including a failed challenge to Mr Griffin's leadership. Some disaffected former BNP members have defected to the English Democrats, while others have set up a breakaway party, British Freedom.
Matthew Goodwin, of Nottingham University, an analyst of far-right politics said "Their situation is very grave. Even in their core areas, the BNP are struggling to find candidates."
Independent
17 comments:
Nothing on BBC Stoke about this, and (perhaps more encouraging) I looked at the Radio Times 2-weekly advanced TV schedules and the BNP don't even appear to have a PEB in England this year.
So the BNP don't even make the fucking news now (except for the wrong reasons, of course)
I'm a little confused by the BNP's little stage show, and indeed their party. Are they supposed to be defending England (with their St.George most probably played by Adam Walker stunt) or Britain (with their Union Jacks and brand new party logo which has been 'half-inched' from the Conservatives' tree logo?
England and Britain are NOT the same thing. But one can only trust the BNP to confuse the issue, like everything else.
I've just read this article on the Independent website. The article is dated today, Monday, and says the BNP "rally" was yesterday, Sunday. Now yesterday, Sunday, Stoke City were playing at Wembley and therefore you'd expect the city to be deserted. So could someone confirm that the rally was indeed held on Sunday because if it was then that would take the BNP's levels of incompetence to new heights.
Is that Ian Kitchen dressed up in his Mum's curtains and with one of her saucepans on his head at the back there? After all the problems caused by him and his missus? It's almost like Nick Griffin WANTS the BNP to have the piss taken out of it, isn't it.
'Is that Ian Kitchen dressed up in his Mum's curtains and with one of her saucepans on his head at the back there? After all the problems caused by him and his missus? It's almost like Nick Griffin WANTS the BNP to have the piss taken out of it, isn't it.'
The picture is from the General Election last year, I think. Even Griffin wouldn't be THAT stupid. Well, perhaps he would...
The picture is indeed 'Class 3c does the Roman Invasion of Britain' sort of thing
The picture is indeed 'Class 3c does the Roman Invasion of Britain' sort of thing
They turned up on Sunday and had a "press conference" in a car park. They then went outside a deserted shopping centre. About 20 or so (this includes the media). 3 anti fascists disrupted the nazis and they immediatly packed up and left. The video will be here soon.
He (Darby) called the Labour Party leader Ed Miliband an "alien", a "reptile" and a thoroughly "odd-looking bloke"
Coded language for "Jewish"
Un Gallois - Pointless wars and bombing campaigns of Muslim nations of the present are being fought under the Union Jack. Exploitative colonialisation of Australia, New Zealand, India and the Caribbean has been done under the Union Jack. Nick Griffin is a BRITISH national party fuhrer.
For me its England and the St George Cross all the way, as they say Small is Beautiful!! So, as Billy Bragg says take down that Union Jack!!!
He called the Labour Party leader Ed Miliband an "alien", a "reptile" and a thoroughly "odd-looking bloke".
David Icke style anti-Semitism.
Probably explains why there is a "Griffinman" on the loony conspiratory theorist and racist David Icke forums.
When did Darby rejoin the BNP?
I thought he'd resigned (in order to escape responsibility/ liability).
'He called the Labour Party leader Ed Miliband an "alien", a "reptile" and a thoroughly "odd-looking bloke",'
Have the BNP now become followers of David Icke? Maybe their next campaign will be repatriation of alien reptiles to their own planet.
Have the BNP now become followers of David Icke?
Icke's stuff always had a strong anti-Semitic tinge to it so I wouldn't be surprised.
David Icke style anti-Semitism.
I was always a bit taken in by Simon Darby's dull insurance salesman image and assumed he wasn't a closet fascist like the rest of them. Guess I was wrong.
He (Darby) called the Labour Party leader Ed Miliband an "alien", a "reptile" and a thoroughly "odd-looking bloke"
Yes indeed, Anon 3.21pm. The BNP said exactly the same to (right wing) former Conservative leader Michael Howard, another British Jew. And how on earth could we forget Griffin on Alex Carlile...'a bloody Jew whose only claim to fame is that one of his relatives died in the Holocaust'
Thank you BNP for giving us 'reds' all these little bullets which to fight youse with!
English Not EDL. Don't forget (also)
1. The trade in human beings for slavery was propped up by the British and not the English.
2. Many poor Scots' peasants were 'purged' from their communities by capitalist lairds in the name of the British establishment.
and (while we're in Scotland)
3. Glasgow Sectariangers Football Club.
Post a Comment