BNP man’s poll form had forgeries

A man has been cautioned after signatures on the nomination forms of a defeated BNP candidate in the General Election were found to have been forged.

South Wales Police received a number of complaints from members of the public concerned that their details had been used on Richard Barnes’ nomination form. Mr Barnes stood for Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney in the recent election, but received only 1,173 votes.

Before a prospective candidate is allowed to stand, he or she must obtain 10 signatures: a proposer, a seconder and those who signed the nomination papers. Police investigated the claims and as a result a 30-year-old man was arrested and later cautioned for tampering with ballot nomination papers after he was found to be responsible for forging signatures.

A South Wales Police spokesman said: “Mr Barnes was unaware of the actions and the man was cautioned on May 16.”

Ronald Fealey, of Penydarren, was one of those who had his name used to forge a signature. He said: “Someone told me my name was on the nomination form and I thought they were taking the Mick about it. My son downloaded the nomination form and there my name was. I reported it to the returning officer and they informed the police. I don’t know why my name was chosen, it possibly could have been out of a hat for all I know.”

Katy Meredith, of Church Street, Penydarren, was also a victim of the deception. She did not sign the nomination papers and said she did not vote BNP.

The Echo contacted the BNP but received no response.

Merthyr Tydfil Council was unable to help the Echo contact Richard Barnes, but did say: “Fraudulently signing election nomination papers is a criminal offence. Therefore, when Merthyr council was officially made aware that there was a potential issue with one of the candidates’ nomination papers the week after the election, the matter was referred directly to South Wales Police for investigation. Merthyr council has no further role.”

Wales Online

Party suspends BNP row councillor

A Liberal Democrat councillor has been suspended after nominating a BNP candidate for May's local elections. The party's leadership has withdrawn all support for Darlington councillor Stephen Jones, who has quit as leader of the three-strong Lib Dem group.

Daniel Brown, the candidate whose nomination he signed, is one of his rivals in the North Road ward.

The local party said Mr Jones made a mistake but the Tories have called on Sir Menzies Campbell to sack him. Edward Davey, chief of staff to leader Sir Menzies, said: "The Liberal Democrat Party in no way endorses and indeed repudiates the policy platform of the British National Party, whose views we find repugnant in every aspect. At all levels of the party our aim is to defeat the invidious philosophy of the BNP and to campaign actively against them. We will investigate the circumstances of this case immediately and thoroughly."

Mr Jones' local party said the councillor had assured them he had no sympathies with the far-right BNP. He quit as the leader of the group following an emergency meeting last night to discuss the issue.

In a statement, the local party said: "Councillor Jones made an error of judgment in signing the nomination papers of an opposition candidate.

'No excuse'

"In view of his unfortunate mistake, Councillor Jones has resigned as Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group but will continue to seek re-election as a Liberal Democrat based on his record of service to North Road Ward."

The Tories said there was no need for any investigation and demanded Sir Menzies sack Mr Jones immediately. Party chairman Francis Maude said there could be no excuse for a mainstream political party promoting extremism and racism.

He said: "The evidence is there for all to see; Menzies Campbell must get off the fence and sack Steve Jones. He must send a clear message to the rest of his Party that racism will not be tolerated by expelling this councillor from the Liberal Democrats."

BBC

Sandwell man says "The BNP forged my signature"

(With thanks to The Stirrer.)

Nominations for BNP candidates in Birmingham are already being scrutinised by the police following revelations on The Stirrer last week; now we’ve heard from a Sandwell man who says his signature has been forged by the party.

The names of Andrew Smith from Wednesbury and his partner Lynn Marshall both appear on the nomination paper for the party's candidate in the Friar Park ward Scott Dale - but Smith is adamant that he never signed it.

“I never signed for the BNP, and neither did Lynn” he said.

“I’m not a BNP supporter, I’m a staunch Labour man.”

The Stirrer isn’t suggesting for a moment that Scott Dale or his agent have done anything illegal or improper; the truth is that we simply don’t know what has gone on.

It is curious, however, that we have also heard from a woman in Birmingham who claims her name was forged on a nomination paper (see the story here); and from a man in the city who admitted that his father had signed, but says that he didn’t realise what he was doing (see the story here).

Simon Darby, the West Midlands Regional Organiser of the BNP scoffed at the suggestions that his party is cheating, blaming “dirty tricks on an industrial scale” for the stream of allegations.He said: “The idea that we would struggle to get signatures in Friar Park is laughable. People in the area know the Dale family, and they really wouldn’t have done this.”

Darby blamed the stigma attached to supporting the BNP for some of the stories, and he suggested there should be a law banning the questioning of nominees, claiming that this amounts to harassment.

He also pointed to the Welsh Assembly elections where he said candidates can’t stand without needing anyone to nomination; he described the current situation in England as “archaic”.

http://www.thestirrer.co.uk/