May 20, 2011

BNP leader Nick Griffin isolated after election disasters

Key figures threaten to form breakaway group as party chairman faces second leadership challenge in less than 12 months

The British National party's dominance of far-right politics in the UK is under threat for the first time in a decade after a string of poor election results and a growing rebellion against its leader, Nick Griffin.

The BNP chairman, who has led the party since 1999, is facing a second leadership challenge in less than 12 months, a mass defection of key organisers and the prospect of a new "popular front" made up of other far-right groups and former BNP activists.

Nick Lowles from the antifacist organisation Searchlight, said: "There is a serious split within the leadership of the BNP. After another humiliation at the polls and massive debts, Griffin is isolated and his position is weak. We are likely to see a rival party formed, a BNP mark two, and Griffin will be left with little more than a rump of a party."

This week Richard Barnbrook, who was the BNP's sole representative on the London assembly until he was expelled from the party last year, said it was time for a realignment in "nationalist politics" in the UK..

"The chairman, Nick Griffin, who has been a long-standing friend in the past, has to go," Barnbrook said. "There is no question about it. He is creating more harm than anything else."

Barnbrook, who now sits as an independent on the London assembly, has written to leaders of four other far-right or nationalist organisations – including the English Defence League and the English Democrats – calling for the creation of "one strong, united, cohesive force".

Griffin is also facing an increasingly emboldened rebellion inside the party. Richard Edmonds, seen as a "BNP hardliner", has launched a formal leadership challenge and although it is unlikely he will win, his defeat is expected to trigger another wave of defections.

Andrew Brons, the BNP's second MEP and an increasingly significant figure, has distanced himself from Griffin and this week appeared to back the leadership challenge, prompting speculation that he is preparing to lead a breakaway group.

Griffin has been under growing pressure since the BNP's poor showing in last year's general and council elections, when it lost all but two of the 28 councillors up for re-election and was wiped out in its east London stronghold of Barking and Dagenham. And the rebellion has gathered pace since this month's local elections, when it again performed poorly, losing all but two of the seats it was contesting.

The growing rebellion has seen a growing number of BNP organisers either leave the party or defect to join other rightwing groups. Searchlight says dozens of BNP members – including several key figures – have left and joined the English Democrats recently. Lowles said there appeared to be a "concerted and orchestrated attempt by many of the BNP's most effective and competent former organisers" to establish a foothold in the English Democrats.

Matthew Goodwin, from Nottingham University, who has written a book on the BNP, said: "There are two key questions here. First, can the rebels depose Griffin, which in my view is unlikely given the BNP constitution.

Second, can they then form a credible alliance with other groups which appeals to the large number of voters who are anxious over immigration, insecure about their economic position and dissatisfied with the main parties. Whatever the outcome, it is clear that Griffin's leadership is under sustained fire."

The Guardian

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

WHOEVER TAKES UP THE FAR RIGHT WING POLITICAL ROLE IS IN FOR A RUDE AWAKENING.their racist pasts will come back to haunt them because there's an old saying SHIT STICKS.9xzulug

NewsHound said...

SWINDON TOWN SIGN FASCIST AS MANAGER: -

http://www.socialistunity.com/?p=8146

DICANIO NAZI SCUM said...

UAF should hold a peaceful Holocaust-themed protest at Swindon Town's first match of next season to show the board and fans fascism and Nazism is not acceptable in sport in this country. Possibly get the Players' Union on board too.

We must act now, or Swindon will become a magnet for siegheiling EDL thugs, Hitler worship, Holocaust denial and white supremacy through the manager of its football team. NO PASARAN!

Anonymous said...

SWINDON TOWN HAVE SEVEN BME PLAYERS IN ITS FIRST TEAM, THREE OF WHICH ARE ENGLISH - AND IS NOW MANAGED BY AN UNASHAMED ADMIRER OF ADOLF HITLER AND BENITO MUSSOLINI. HE ALSO HAS IN THE PAST SHOWN ABSOLUTELY NO REMORSE WHEN HE MET VICTIMS OF THESE TWO FASCIST TYRANTS. AND NOW HE HOLDS A POSITION OF RESPONSIBILITY IN A MULTIRACIAL ENGLISH FOOTBALL TEAM???

FOR THE SAKE OF EVERY ONE OF THE SIX MILLION WHO PERISHED AT THE HANDS OF THESE TWO MEN, AND FOR EVERY BRITISH AND ALLIED SERVICEMAN WHO DIED FIGHTING THEIR SAVAGE WAR MACHINE TO RID OUR WORLD OF FASCISM, IT IS OUR DUTY AS ANTIFASCISTS TO STOP DICANIO NOW.

Anonymous said...

DEREK ADAMS RESIGNS

Derek Adams, BNP NW regional press officer has resigned from the party in disgust at the constant stream of embarrassing gaffs that have eminated from Nick Griffin's low grade support base. Derek Adams was until very recently the most loyal Griffinite around.

http://eddybutler.blogspot.com/2011/05/stop-press.html

Anonymous said...

"the prospect of a new "popular front" made up of other far-right groups and former BNP activists"

The problem is when one group goes down, the same people believing in the same ideas just start another one. Taking down the BNP won't solve the problem; what we need to do is take down are the racist ideas themselves. When the idea is thoroughly destroyed, it won't matter what group the old racists try to start because it won't attract any new people. That's what a blog like this should be concentrating on.

Anonymous said...

So no doubt soon we will see the BNP wholeheartedly adopt the principle of "one member, one vote" - because Griffin will be the only member left. Imagine all the motions he could pass, unanimously, glorifying himself as the saviour of the British people. Mind you, old habits die hard so maybe he would just end up plotting against himself, caught in the grip of paranoia that he would seek to depose himself. If he were to expel himself, the BNP would end up with no members at all...

Anonymous said...

EDL THUGS JAILED: -

http://www.expressandstar.com/news/2011/05/21/four-locked-up-over-affray-at-edl-march/

ex-fascist said...

@ Anonymous 12:35

Absolutely spot on. Anti-fascists should feel proud of their role in bringing about the demise of the BNP, but those who believed in it will still hold the same beliefs and some kind of regrouping is sadly inevitable.

We need to keep a close watch on the situation and always be one step ahead of the game.

Anonymous said...

Will you lot of idiots calm down about Swindon.You embarrass me sometimes.

afa 90

Anonymous said...

"what we need to do is take down are the racist ideas themselves. When the idea is thoroughly destroyed..."

How do you destroy an idea? You can discredit it but you can't destroy it. There are still people who think the holocaust is a good thing despite its manifest evil. If some people think something as obscene as the holocaust is a good thing then you'll always have fascists.

Instead of trying to destroy an idea, which is impossible and sounds totalitarian itself, fascist organisations should be opposed wherever, however and whenever necessary. They will always exist because some people are that sick. And the material conditions which allow fascism to grow should be fought too, especially political parties that fail to represent the interests of those most easily seduced by fascist propaganda.

Kev Scott loves The Jam said...

The problem is when one group goes down, the same people believing in the same ideas just start another one.

They are like dandelions, you just keep chopping them down, next timethey grow back they are weaker... chop them down again.... its tedious but effective, and unlike strong weedkiller no other plants are harmed in int demise :-)

Anonymous said...

Will you lot of idiots calm down about Swindon.You embarrass me sometimes.

GO FUCK YOURSELF, EDL-SUPPORTING NEO-NAZI TROLL!

Anonymous said...

"How do you destroy an idea? You can discredit it but you can't destroy it."

Nobody today believes the earth is flat. We don't need to discredit the idea because nobody tries to propose it ie. the idea is dead. That's the stage we need to reach with racism.

Let's learn from how the atheists approach theism; they aren't trying to take down individual churches, they go straight for the idea itself. That's what we are not doing enough of. In Britain we are doing a decent job against the BNP, but in Europe as a whole the far-right is gaining. This is a problem. This is because we haven't spent enough time on WINNING THE ARGUMENT.

If you go on the atheist blogs, they spend almost all their time deconstructing theist arguments one by one from every possible angle. They take articles written by theists and point out - line by line - exactly what fallacies are employed by the article. Why aren't we doing the same with racist arguments and articles? They spend only a tiny part of their time ridiculing individual theists. Why do we spend so much time ridiculing individual BNP members when we could use that time to WIN THE ARGUMENT?

Wolfie said...

The good thing about the constant BNP splits is that they are predicated on a dislike of others (obviously) and the constant splitting creates suspicion and mistrust in right - wing ranks. this means that the idea of barnbrook's "unpopular front" is never likely to take off as the ED's reject the BNp as too racist, whilst the NF see them as too soft and everyone thinks everyone else is a "state asset" or searchlight spy. In fact, in griffinworld if those people elft the BNp and ED's, he and eddy butler would be the only two left. Or maybe it'd just be arthur kemp. In any event, they are riven by mistrust so they will return weaker and more divided - which, given the idea of racism is almost uneradicable, can only be good.

Anonymous said...

What the hell happened here?

Comments posters used to be full of information and shared relevant opinions. Now it's like the Daily Mail comments page in a paallel universe with "FUCK OFF NEO NAZI TROLL" aimed at someone who's pleading to you lot to just keep calm and stop sensationalising.

I love the work of those behind the articles here, hat tip to you all, but the comments pages have become a joke. Belt up!