The British Constitution Group in Birkenhead

Karen Otty, another BNP member moving around the far-right

According to an anti-fascist comrade over the water, the gathering was “a strange collection.” On Monday afternoon, several hundred people assembled outside a court in Birkenhead and attempted to arrest a judge. The protest occurred under the banner of the “British Constitution Group.” But who are they?

My comrade told me that “most of the Liverpool BNP contingent” were there, along with “plenty of suits, plenty of hippy types with tie dye and dreadlocks, some urban commandos with camouflaged faces, and some eccentric David Icke types, one holding a banner saying ‘judges are lizards!’” In terms of fascists, I can recognise Liverpool BNP’s current branch fundholder Karen Otty from the videos on the Wirral Globe website.

It seems Liverpool Organiser and unhinged fruitbat Mike Whitby was there too, at one point being bundled away by police when attempting to enter the court.

The event itself was for Roger Hayes, an ex-member of UKIP, and his refusal to pay council tax. This is as part of the BCG’s campaign of “lawful rebellion,” whereby “a variety of actions may be taken that will eventually lead to the unequivocal recognition of our constitution and the acknowledgement of the reassertion of our national sovereignty.”

Hayes’ sophistry in court has made him a cult hero to the lunatic fringes of the libertarian right, particularly the “freeman on the land” movement. But their absurd idea – that you only have to declare yourself unbound by common law and the state (albeit begrudgingly) accepts this – has also seeped into the far-right. Hence the circular argument over the concept on VNN when Mike Whitby claimed to have used the tactic after being dragged away for throthing at the mouth and calling everyone “communist paedophiles.”

What remains to be seen is whether more will come of this than one rather oddball protest. We know from the rantings on the Liverpool BNP blog, not least Peter Tierney’s, that the rainbow of conspiracy theories that are attached to such movements have support on the far-right. It is thus safe to assume that if another event occurs fascists will be found somewhere amongst the crowd.

The BCG itself cannot be identified as a fascist grouping. It is certainly reactionary, and plays into nationalist sentiments with talk of “national sovereignty” and “acts of treason” by those “conspir[ing] to transfer our national sovereignty into the hands of foreign governance.” But it’s use of terms such as “the shadowy elite of the supranational and criminal banking cartel” play to the conspiracists in much the same way. It thus comes across as a bizarre cross between the Tea Party and the 9/11 Truth Movement.

Ultimately, there are two things we know for certain about the British Constitution Group. One, that it attracts the attention of fascists. And two, that it is a movement of reaction, diverting people’s anger and energy away from the realities of class struggle. Both points make it worth keeping an eye on.

Liverpool Antifascists

Thanks to NewsHound for the heads-up

The BNP and the neo-Nazis

The BNP claims it isn’t racist – this is a lie. The BNP claims it has no links with violent neo-Nazis – this is a lie. The BNP claims to be a ‘normal’ political party – this is a lie.

What ‘normal’ political party would associate itself with Nazi sympathisers and violent right-wing paramilitary groups?

In Liverpool, the BNP works openly with people who promote Hitler’s ideology and groups which spout racism and anti-Semitism in their crudest forms. Its candidates attend demonstrations organised by violent racists and are happy to be associated with neo-Nazis.

On Friday April 23rd, Liverpool BNP hosted an event at Aigburth People’s Hall. But it was not just BNP activists who were present. Also attending were members of the Racial Volunteer Force (RVF) and the British Freedom Fighters (BFF). These pictures were not intended for the public – they show BNP candidates and activists with neo-Nazis. When you read Liverpool BNP’s election material, you are not being told the truth about the party.

Picture 1 looks innocent enough – three patriotic men in front of Liverpool BNP’s banner:

Yet the two on the left are members of the Racial Volunteer Force. This is a neo-Nazi paramilitary group whose leading members have been jailed for inciting racial hatred and publishing information on how to make bombs. Their publications included praise for David Copeland, the former BNP member jailed for life for his London bombing campaign in 1999, which killed three people and injured over 100 others.

Go to 6.11 on the following video and you can see the men pictured at the Liverpool BNP event attending a Racial Volunteer Force gathering in Glasgow in March 2009:


Picture 2 shows the RVF men (here seen left and right) with Liverpool BNP’s Steve Harwood (in the Union flag t-shirt) and Steve Davis (with flag):

Picture 3 shows Karen Otty, Liverpool BNP’s secretary and candidate for Anfield in Thursday’s election. With her is one of the as yet un-named members of the Racial Volunteer Force:

Otty is not just a member of the BNP herself. She joined a Facebook group affiliated to the violent English Defence League and attended the EDL’s demonstration at the House of Lords in March this year. She is highlighted in Picture 4 below:

Coverage of Otty’s EDL links can be found here and here.

Otty’s friend from Picture 3 is not only in the Nazi terror group, the RVF, he is also a member of the British Freedom Fighters, another neo-Nazi paramilitary group (which says itself that its main aim is the promotion of Hitler’s National Socialist ideas). Picture 5 shows Otty’s companion with the BFF’s leader ‘Wigan’ Mike Heaton (currently facing terror charges for soliciting the murder of Jewish people):

Picture 6 (below) shows him at leaving a BFF meeting in 2009, sieg-heiling with other Nazi thugs:

The RVF/BFF men are also friends of Gary Aronsson. He is the large gentleman seated in the centre of Picture 7 (below), seen talking to Andrew Leary, BNP candidate for Church ward in Sefton.

Aronsson was for a long time the BNP’s declared candidate for Knowsley in the general election. However, personal rivalries and the fact that Aronnson had been told to remove neo-Nazi imagery from his website by Nick Griffin, AND the fact that he disagreed with the new membership rules forced on the BNP by the courts, led to him being withdrawn from Knowsley shortly before the election. (Picture 8 (below) shows the SS Death’s Head Aronsson used on his Facebook page).

Picture 9 shows Aronsson (centre) with the RVF man (right) and Liverpool BNP’s Gary Lucas (who posts on Facebook as ‘Gary James’):

Picture 10 (below) shows ‘Gary James’ with BNP leader Nick Griffin, Christmas 2009:

The links between the BNP and neo-Nazis are plain for all to see. They socialise together; they campaign together; they attend each other’s events. Liverpool BNP tries to hide what they really believe in and who they really work with.

Thinking of voting BNP on May 6th? Think again.

Liverpool Antifascists

Fascists in profile: Karen Otty

As we approach the council and parliamentary elections on 6th May, a fair few up-and-coming fascists will receive exposure by standing in elections. Who are they and what, if anything, distinguishes them from the far-right’s old guard? Liverpool Antifascists takes a look. First up is Anfield candidate Karen Otty.

Full name: Karen Gillian Otty
DOB: 12th January 1974
Role: Secretary, Merseyside BNP
Standing: Anfield, prospective city councillor

Karen Otty [pictured, left, outside her delightful Anfield des res, with Jamie Luby and Peter Tierney] has been described by Merseyside BNP organiser Peter Squire, on the laughably illiterate Merseyside BNP blog, as a “female activist warrior Queen.” As far as we can tell, this is the “feminine” equivalent of the self-aggrandising title of “super activist” given to Peter Tierney and Tony Ward, essentially for seeking out confrontation and trying to intimidate the public.

However, on her Facebook profile, she describes herself thus;

'I have read an extensive amount of imaginative literature (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Horror) and I have also been avid fan of many Sci-fi programs. I found that such material stimulated my mind and allowed for new and creative ways of thinking. However, more recently I have developed a great appriciation for my own British History and am reading extensivly in this area. I completed my undergrad degree at Liverpool Hope in 1999 (Theology and Religious Studies 2:1). I also took courses in psycology and sociology. I then took up a place at Lancaster University to follow a Masters in Religious Studies. At Lancaster I was involved in extra-curricula Politics and Religion group. This presented an opportunity for staff and students to discuss related material of interest. I also participated in a post-graduate seminar group. This was designed as an informal arena for students to practise writing and presenting a lecture and chair the post-lecture discussion. I graduated from Lancaster in 2000 with a view to proceed to PhD. However after 3 years of trying for funding this did not happen! I decided to teach instead and in 2004 left Edge Hill with a PGCE in RE and Citizenship. Of course this never worked out either and I spent 2 miserable years on supply. I now have a ‘proper’ job that I could have got 10 years ago with 5 GCSE’s.'

Riveting stuff.With the BNP being her sole social outlet for the past 18 months, Otty has risen through the ranks quickly. As well as attending events such as the BNP’s Red, White & Blue scumfest, she has written articles for the BNP’s Identity magazine, and her day-to-day work for the party involves admin, paperwork, and sending out letters to members.But, it seems, the life of an activist warrior Queen and dedicated party apparatchik is not all paper-packing and envelope-licking.Here she is in London, during the recent public announcement of their membership rules changes;

Merseyside BNP at party election headquarters, London, 13/2/10.
Left to right: Karen Otty, Gary Lucas, Peter Squire, London Assembly
Member Richard Barnbrook, Terence Oakes, two unknowns, Andy Leary

Here she is at a protest outside Liverpool Crown Court, where BNP demonstrators made a holy show of themselves;

Left to right: Veronika Martel (face half-cut off picture),
Hazel Hesketh, unknown, Karen Otty, two unknowns, Peter Stafford Snr

And here she is at an English Defence League demonstration outside the House of Lords in support of Geert Wilders;

The BNP’s stance on the EDL is extremely clear. According to Nick Griffin, “the English Defence League is a dangerous and obvious “honey trap” fake organisation and is completely proscribed for any members of the British National Party.” But it is well known that this “proscription” isn’t enforced to any noteworthy degree and their marches remain well attended by members of the BNP and other assorted fascists.

Obviously, we cannot take this as concrete proof that Otty is in the EDL. Attending a demonstration they have held does not prove that she holds any kind of membership. It does prove that she is refusing to follow the proscription order and keep her distance from them.

The likelihood is that the combination of visceral racism and the desire for confrontation is to much for a half-hearted ban of one fascist organisation is not going to stop those from another fascist organisation coming along for kicks. For example here is what BNP member, and friend of Otty, Jamie Luby posted on his brother Eddie’s Facebook wall on the day of the EDL demo in Bolton;

Even if it turns out that Otty is not a member of the EDL, this is neither here nor there. What we do know is that she has attended at least one of their demonstrations and that she (not to mention our old friend, “super activist” Peter Tierney) maintain a close comradeship with Jamie Luby, who has openly professed his willingness to fight with “Pakis”.

Clearly, she is not of the new school of BNP activists, who would at least make pretensions to dissasociate themselves from such people. More than that, she remains a committed activist for the BNP, whose racist and anti-working class credentials are well established.

She wants your vote on 6th May, claiming to stand up for the local people of Anfield. It is worth remembering not only that she is a member of the party which stands opposed to organised labour and the idea of workers standing up for their rights, but she is the friend and colleague of seasoned fascists who are only too happy to use violence and intimidation against antifascists and trade unionists.

There are many ways to respond to the elections on May 6th. You may want to vote for a workers’ alternative, such as the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition, for the Greens as an antidote to the pro-business politics of the big three, or you may view voting as an unneccesary distraction from organising within our own communities.

Whatever the case, that is up to you and Liverpool Antifascists will not patronise you by telling you what to do with your vote.What we will say is that Karen Otty and her fellow fascist goons do not deserve it.

A vote for the BNP is not a protest vote – it is a vote for FASCISM.

Liverpool Antifascists