BNP chairman may face high court over bills from Newton Aycliffe firm

Invoices from a North-East firm that are said to be unpaid could see British National Party chairman Nick Griffin brought before the High Court.

A judge has ordered papers be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions after hearing of an alleged breach in election expense rules following last May’s General Election. The case centres on two alleged unpaid invoices, totalling almost £10,000, for the BNP’s Voice of Freedom newspaper printed by Newton Press, based at Aycliffe Business Park, in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham.

Mr Griffin used the material during his failed campaign to be an MP in Barking, London. The invoices were declared as paid on the electoral expenses return. The alleged inaccuracy amounts to an offence under the Represention of the People Act, which contains draconian penalties for breaches of election rules.

The court heard that the invoices were made out by the Newton Press and they cannot now be paid without the court’s permission. The issue came to light after Mr Griffin’s then election agent, Richard Barnbrook, applied for protection against prosecution.

Mr Justice Tugendhat heard that Newton Press contacted Mr Barnbrook in February but the Greater London Authority councillor – who has since quit the BNP – knew nothing of the bills.

Mr Barnbrook said the printers had “asked the police to investigate why they haven’t been paid” and when he contacted Mr Griffin, the BNP chairman promised to arrange payments if Mr Barnbrook returned to the BNP. When the judge asked Mr Barnbrook if his relationship with Mr Griffin was “not particularly good”, he replied: “I think that’s putting it mildly my Lord”.

Mr Justice Tugendhat said he had “no reason to doubt” Mr Barnbrook’s plea that the mistake was “inadvertent” and that there was “no want of good faith” on his part. However, he adjourned the case, saying Mr Griffin, as election candidate, may also have to come to court to seek relief against potential prosecution.

Speaking after Monday’s hearing, a spokesman for Newton Press said last night: “It has got nothing to do with us and it wasn’t our action.”

The Northern Echo

BNP Barking election expenses examined by High Court judge

Two unpaid stationery invoices from last year’s Barking election could mean British National Party chairman, Nick Griffin, has to explain himself before the High Court.

A top judge has ordered papers to be sent to the director of public prosecutions after hearing of an infraction of strict rules relating to election expenses, where Mr Griffin suffered a crushing defeat in the general election last May.

Mr Justice Tugendhat acted after hearing of a bitter falling out between Mr Griffin and former BNP stalwart and Greater London Authority (GLA) member, Richard Barnbrook, who acted as his boss’s election agent in Barking but has since been expelled from the BNP. However, he adjourned the case, saying that Mr Griffin, as the election candidate, may also have to come to court to seek relief against potential prosecution.

The case centres around two printing firm invoices - totalling almost £10,000 - for leaflet publishing before the poll. They were declared as having been paid in full on the election expenses return, but the court heard they have in fact still not been settled. That inaccuracy amounts to an offence under the Representation of the People Act - which contains Draconian penalties for breaches of election rules - and Mr Barnbrook is now asking the High Court to lift the threat of prosecution from over his head.

Under the rules, election expenses must be paid within 28 days of the poll result, and the judge added that the printing bills cannot now be paid without permission from the court.

Barking and Dagenham Post

‘Third party’ campaign is another BNP lie

A glossy anti-Labour pamphlet distributed in Barking was produced by a BNP front company not by “a loose coalition of non-BNP people” as Nick Griffin, the BNP leader, claims.

The 12-page Barking and Dagenham Sentinel is devoted to personal attacks on Margaret Hodge and Jon Cruddas, who are defending their parliamentary seats in Barking and in Dagenham and Rainham respectively. Griffin is opposing Hodge but has little chance of winning. The bigger prize for his party would be control of Barking and Dagenham council and the BNP has shown repeatedly that it will lie and cheat with impunity to achieve success.

The publication bears the imprint of Sentinel Publications Ltd. A Searchlight investigation has revealed that the company was formed on 1 April 2010 by Adam Walker, its sole officer, using a service address in Edinburgh.

Walker is one of the notorious Walker brothers, BNP officers in the North East. A former teacher, Adam Walker was suspended in 2007 following the discovery that he had used school computers to engage in far-right activity online. He is awaiting a hearing of his appeal by the General Teaching Council.

He has past form in the use of front organisations as president of Solidarity, the BNP’s pretend trade union. His brother Mark, who recently lost his case for unfair dismissal as a teacher, is also on Solidarity’s executive committee.

Since last June both Walkers have been among several BNP officers on the staff of the party’s two MEPs, paid out of European Union funds while acting as BNP activists rather than carrying out the constituency duties on which MEPs’ expenses are supposed to be spent. Both are also contesting tomorrow’s general election.

If Sentinel Publications Ltd continues to maintain it is independent of the BNP, it will be in breach of the Representation of the People Act, which imposes a limit of £500 on campaigning by third parties against a candidate in the general election.

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