Updated: Tricky Dicky throws a sickie

BNP's Richard Barnbrook fails to appear at misconduct hearing

Meeting to consider whether Richard Barnbrook brought his office into disrepute is cancelled after he phones panel to tell them he has been signed off work for stress

A meeting to consider whether Richard Barnbrook, one of the most senior elected members of the British National party, had brought his office into disrepute was cut short today after he failed to turn up on stress grounds.

Barnbrook, who is both a London assembly member and sits on Barking and Dagenham council, could be suspended amid charges that he brought his office into disrepute by falsely claiming three murders had taken place over a three-week period in the Barking and Dagenham area.

But the meeting was cut short after Barnbrook telephoned just before his hearing was due to begin to say that he had been signed off for stress for two weeks by his GP. Barnbrook's failure to submit written evidence to the hearing resulted in the panel ruling it would be unfair to continue in his absence.

Today's meeting will be reconvened on either 12 August or 4 September...

Guardian

Barnbrook off for two weeks because of "stress"

Here is an interesting insight into the modus operandi of the BNP. For those of you who are aware of the BNP’s politics and their use of rumours and falsifications, this story should be of use to you.

Richard Barnbrook, the BNP’s London Assembly member, is off work for two weeks due to stress. Barnbrook was due to face a joint Barking and Dagenham Council and Greater London Authority disciplinary panel and risked a possible suspension because he stands accused of bringing his office into disrepute.

The Guardian reported this morning: “A joint investigation for the Greater London authority and Barking and Dagenham council concluded in May that Barnbrook brought his office and the respective authorities into disrepute after falsely claiming in an interview that three murders had taken place over a three week period in the Barking and Dagenham area.”

The panel was going to announce its decision today.

However, it is said that after consulting with his legal advisor, Lee Barnes, who is also legal director for the BNP, Barnbrook decided not to attend this morning’s hearing, which was due to start at 10.30am. Barnes, according to sources from Barking and Dagenham Council, told Barnbrook that the “make-up” of the panel would not guarantee him a fair hearing.

But before the panel could decide as to whether they should go ahead and make a decision on the case, news came in that Barnbrook was given sick leave due to “stress”. The panel believed that they did not want to add to his medical state and have set aside two dates, August 14th and September 4th 2009, and will announce when they will hold the next panel meeting in due course.

It is not the first time that the BNP have been accused of making up stories to fit their political agenda. In 2001, the BNP came under fire in the BBC documentary “Under the Skin”for Panorama. As a part of the documentary, the BBC investigated an “important part of the British National Party's "community politics" strategy … FAIR - Families Against Immigrant Racism.” (Now disbanded)

The group advertised itself as assisting “white victims of racist violence and harassment and offered legal and counselling advice.”

Dave Hill, the BNP's former East London organiser, was FAIR’s co-ordinator for the capital. To the BBC he said, "There is no mystery, there is no controversy to FAIR, it's just a white rights organisation. We're targeting race hate that is not targeted by other victim support groups."

However, after an undercover investigation it became clear that Hill was encouraging “victims” to exaggerate and lie to the police about “attacks” and “racism”. He also encouraged people to lie to doctors. Hill is caught saying: "This is very important, ...go to your doctor and tell your doctor that you're suffering extreme stress... What he'll do, he'll put you on anti-depressants. You don't have to take them, you can wash them down the toilet. But once you're on medication and you're also suffering racial abuse at your address then you're a priority case..."

Barnbrook’s fabricated tale only proves how despite the cosmetic enhancements to the BNP’s image, what lies beneath is a very ugly and discredited rabble of amateurs dressed up as politicians.

There is nothing British about the BNP