In a move clearly designed to smother any chance of a successful leadership challenge for at least three years, Nick Griffin has told a meeting of the BNP's Advisory Council that he intends to step down at the end 0f 2013.
The carefully crafted plan is designed to undermine support for any potential leadership challengers among the voting membership, large numbers of which will be satisfied that Griffin has apparently set a date for his departure and given promises that he intends to modernise the BNP's election fighting capability.
“By then I would have been leader of the BNP for 15 years and that is long enough,” said Griffin. “It will be time to make way for a younger person who does not have any baggage which can be used against the party.”
Griffin claims he needs the time to put into place the last “building blocks” of the BNP’s administrative and political machine, according to the BNP website.
“This is going to take at least 18 months to implement and after that I intend to hand the party over to someone who will be able to drive support up to where it can be a serious contender for power,” said Griffin.
Griffin's utter political ineptness has been amply demonstrated over the past few weeks of the general election, though somehow the political greenhorns and Griffin cultists among the BNP membership have been fooled (or have fooled themselves) into believing that the party's obliteration was in fact an advance, and that their millstone of a leader remains the man to take them forward.
It would certainly be difficult for Griffin to take the BNP any further backward.
In the meantime, sheltering behind the cover of his putative resignation date and the claims of needing time to put the BNP's electoral machine in order, Griffin will be free to pick off potential challengers and root out dissent within the party. Anybody even thinking about a leadership challenge can and will, on all past form, be labelled a "wrecker" unwilling to give Griffin time to complete his modernisation.
Griffin will also be banking on the virtual certainty of improved voting percentages in local elections, especially by-elections, in which low turnouts favour the party - something denied them in the high turnout general election.
Griffin had already secured his continuance at the helm of the BNP with the introduction of a Byzantine nomination system, which no challenger has any realistic chance of surmounting, and so is perfectly safe, but another danger was the prospect of a breakaway led by some of the party's better known figures. The shuffle announced to the Advisory Council is also designed to short-circuit that possibility.
We have to admit that there is a touch of genius about this manoeuvre. It will almost certainly buy Griffin the time he needs in the short term to consolidate his position, since Griffin knows better than anybody the limited reasoning power of his membership and its submissive reluctance to query his motives.
The question is, what will the internal opposition do to counter Griffin's moves, and will enough of those calling for Griffin's head over the past fortnight or so remain onside to make continued opposition worthwhile?
Showing posts with label bottom-feeding racists. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bottom-feeding racists. Show all posts
May 24, 2010
April 28, 2010
June 15, 2007
BNP spreading myths to sow division — Graham Stringer MP
Stories that asylum-seekers are being given money to buy cars are all part of a BNP bid to create division, an MP is claiming.
Graham Stringer, who represents Blackley, said it was time to dispel some of the myths that have been spread by the party and other far-right bodies. He told fellow members that race relations had improved but on occasions, when there had been waves of immigrants, the nasty bottom-feeding racists had exploited the situation to spread myths.
Mr Stringer said: “One is that Oldham Council provides asylum-seekers with cheques for second-hand cars. If I have heard that once, I have heard it 10 times. It is unusual and ridiculous, but it creates resentment if people are gullible enough to believe it.”
Oldham Council said there was absolutely no truth in the myth.
Mr Stringer said people also believed that asylum seekers were being given free bus travel across Greater Manchester. He said the matter was constantly brought up at meetings he attended, adding: “A number of councillors in the area have heard the same myths and, with me, have investigated the cause of the misconception.”
The Labour MP said he had spoken to the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive which had assured him that no such scheme operated although it was aware of the stories that were circulating.
It is believed some of the myths started after people saw an asylum-seeker with special bus tickets which are not available to the public. These were issued for travel on days when the asylum-seekers had to report to one of the government centres. Transport Minister Tom Harris said payment of travel expenses was a fundamental part of the Government’s policy to encourage asylum-seekers to comply with requirements and keep in touch with the immigration and nationality directorate. It is part of national policy that people living three miles away from a centre are given help.
Mr Harris said: “Asylum-seekers are not being provided with bus passes as some people are claiming. However, it is sadly typical of the extremists of the British National Party to try to exploit the fears of ordinary people and to whip up resentment and hatred against a vulnerable group of people purely for political gain. Frankly, that is a disgraceful attitude. Given the record of the British National Party on fact and truth, I am not optimistic that the myths will stop being circulated.”
Oldham Evening Chronicle
Graham Stringer, who represents Blackley, said it was time to dispel some of the myths that have been spread by the party and other far-right bodies. He told fellow members that race relations had improved but on occasions, when there had been waves of immigrants, the nasty bottom-feeding racists had exploited the situation to spread myths.
Mr Stringer said: “One is that Oldham Council provides asylum-seekers with cheques for second-hand cars. If I have heard that once, I have heard it 10 times. It is unusual and ridiculous, but it creates resentment if people are gullible enough to believe it.”
Oldham Council said there was absolutely no truth in the myth.
Mr Stringer said people also believed that asylum seekers were being given free bus travel across Greater Manchester. He said the matter was constantly brought up at meetings he attended, adding: “A number of councillors in the area have heard the same myths and, with me, have investigated the cause of the misconception.”
The Labour MP said he had spoken to the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive which had assured him that no such scheme operated although it was aware of the stories that were circulating.
It is believed some of the myths started after people saw an asylum-seeker with special bus tickets which are not available to the public. These were issued for travel on days when the asylum-seekers had to report to one of the government centres. Transport Minister Tom Harris said payment of travel expenses was a fundamental part of the Government’s policy to encourage asylum-seekers to comply with requirements and keep in touch with the immigration and nationality directorate. It is part of national policy that people living three miles away from a centre are given help.
Mr Harris said: “Asylum-seekers are not being provided with bus passes as some people are claiming. However, it is sadly typical of the extremists of the British National Party to try to exploit the fears of ordinary people and to whip up resentment and hatred against a vulnerable group of people purely for political gain. Frankly, that is a disgraceful attitude. Given the record of the British National Party on fact and truth, I am not optimistic that the myths will stop being circulated.”
Oldham Evening Chronicle
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