EDL members at a Dutch Freedom Party rallyTommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, said last night: “We’re having a meeting this week with politically minded people and we’re discussing the options. We know the support we’ve got from one end of the country to the other because we talk sense. So we’re having more discussions this week. It’s something we’re seriously looking at. We’ve been meeting with top political people for a year about this and now we’re getting close. We’ve been sitting down with a couple of lads who are posh-speaking, public school boys, who have been in politics before, and we’re discussing with them where it can go.”
Supporters of the group, which formed in 2009, have often been involved in violent scuffles with anti-fascist demonstrators in areas with large Muslim populations including Luton, Birmingham, Stoke-on-Trent and Bradford. Several journalists have received anonymous threats in the past when covering EDL demonstrations.
In a bizarre twist, the move towards legitimisation for the far-right group is said have come after the Daily Star newspaper last month published what Richard Peppiatt, a former reporter on the paper, believed at the time to be a false story. The article stated that the EDL planned to field candidates at a general election.
Last week Peppiatt quit the tabloid, admitting he produced made-stories for the Star and saying he believed it gave sympathetic coverage to the EDL.
The Independent on Sunday understands one reporter, from a different news organisation, who recently interviewed Mr Robinson, claims that the EDL had the idea to become a political party after seeing the Star’s fabricated article. But Mr Robinson distanced himself from that suggestion, saying starting a political party was something the EDL had intended to do for at least a year.
Mr Peppiatt said of his decision to quit: “Going public has been at once the easiest and most difficult decision I’ve ever had to make. The messages of support from all quarters of the media and beyond, has confirmed to me I’m fighting the good fight, if belatedly. Obviously it was shocking when the attempts to intimidate me began, but it only served to harden my resolve.”
The Daily Star rejected the suggestion it supports far-right organisations. “For the record, the Daily Star editorial policy does not hold any negativity towards Islam and the paper never, and does not endorse the EDL.”
Since making his resignation letter public, Mr Peppiatt has received numerous emails, phone calls and text messages from unknown sources. One such message says: ‘We r (sic) doing a KISS AND TELL on u.’ Whilst an email reads, ‘I’m one of your FB [Facebook] friends and it’s about time you were honest with people. Stop the bullshit Pepps. We all know everything about you. Meet me at 8pm outside GH.’
Independent
20 comments:
Can you imagine the EDL canvasing? They'd be pissed, throwing fireworks & shouting E, E, E, D, L to people answering the door. People want their politicians to be able to string a sentence together. Being able to drink several cans of special brew and chant 'burn a mosque' isn't one of the things people look for in an MP.
Welcome to the beginning of the end!
It's all going to go a bit BNP, but quicker and more violently...still, should be a laugh to watch though ;)
I'm furious!!!
I'm absolutely sickened that the fucking Daily Star put them up to this.
Richard Desmond must be held accountable, the racist scumbag, especially if they manage to appeal to younger voters who don't yet vote.
I wonder if the Star will donate money to the party?
"They'd be pissed....isn't one of the things people look for in an MP."
You obviously haven't met any Labour MPs!!
We'd better be on our metal to fight the fascist scum at the ballot boxes.
Just at a time when the BNP are dying, and there are no-longer any neo-Nazi parties to vote for.
You can bet your bibby that several experienced BNP candidates will switch to the EDL to help them with campaigning. The thuggish football hooligans will be stage-managed using defecting local BNP organisers who have fallen out with Griffin.
And I don't just mean lame ducks like Rotherham minger Marlene Guest.
http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/index.php/news/content/view/full/101900
ROCHDALE UNITES TO DEFEAT THE EDL
"People want their politicians to be able to string a sentence together".
The BNP weren't coherent yet still managed to win local council seats, so we must NOT be complacent.
Tragically, people do vote for nutzi fuckwits.
Brons sold nazi memorabilia and yet people elected him in South Yorkshire.
Ridicule of the EDL is fine but we must not be complacent. They might be popular in places such as South Yorks, London and the Midlands where anti-immigrant fervour is at its highest thanks to tabloid media lies and eggerations, building upon BNP campaigns such as the Africans For Essesx debacle.
Be on your metal.
Join Hope Not Hate, ready to visit the very same doorsteps that the fascist scumbags will target.
And we must ask TV companies don't give them free election broadcasts.
All those people who funded the BNP will now fund the EDL including the likes of the Rebels and Dowson.
Yes, Truth Truck Dowson.
The truth truck will drive the streets with VOTE EDL BANNERS.
"Since making his resignation letter public, Mr Peppiatt has received numerous emails, phone calls and text messages from unknown sources. One such message says: ‘We r (sic) doing a KISS AND TELL on u.’ Whilst an email reads, ‘I’m one of your FB [Facebook] friends and it’s about time you were honest with people. Stop the bullshit Pepps. We all know everything about you. Meet me at 8pm outside GH."
The sinister Death Threat Division of the bloody cowardly EDL.
"We’ve been meeting with top political people for a year about this and now we’re getting close".
The Decembrist Rebels - read NNW blog for more info...
The Independent on Sunday understands one reporter, from a different news organisation, who recently interviewed Mr Robinson, claims that the EDL had the idea to become a political party after seeing the Star’s fabricated article.
Fascist-lovin Star gave them the idea, the c*nts!
"We’ve been sitting down with a couple of lads who are posh-speaking, public school boys, who have been in politics before, and we’re discussing with them where it can go.”
BNP Norfolk?
Lennon: We’ve been sitting down with a couple of lads who are posh-speaking, public school boys, who have been in politics before, and we’re discussing with them where it can go.”
How naive can you get?!
Can you imagine the EDL canvasing
"Vote for us or we'll put a brick through yer window!"
Seriously, I wonder if they will come to a pact with the BNP on whether they will stand against each other? I will cause friction if they don't.
I can't see them getting anywhere with this and they will probably abandon it after a year of crap results and go back soley to demonstrating.
They have been 'persuaded' into standing in elections by powerful men who have a great deal of influence, we should ask ourselves why
"Brons sold nazi memorabilia and yet people elected him in South Yorkshire. Ridicule of the EDL is fine but we must not be complacent. They might be popular in places such as South Yorks...".
Brons is MEP for Yorkshire and Humberside. South Yorkshire has only elected two BNP councillors, both in Rotherham. One of these has switched parties several times since. THE BNP has been active in South Yorkshire and has got some good votes in Rotherham and Barnsley but here they have been up against a massive Labour establishment and fallen short most times. In Sheffield they have got nowhere and barely stand in Doncaster. And their vote fell in Barnsley last week when they were beaten by UKIP.
The EDL will not go down well with the conservative working class in South Yorkshire who won't look kindly on pissheads. With Labour out of government Labour will clear up again at council level. The BNP had their chance last year and blew it.
History is repeating itself
NF in the 1970s?? And we all know what happened afterwards!!
I was looking through the EDL facebook page when i noticed they sell items via ebay!
Ebay has policies agasint selling items from intolerant groups etc - can UAF start a campaign to get their stuff off ebay?
I was seriously hoping we'd seen the back of fascists at the ballot box.
This is a serious disappointment, and indeed, we as anti-racists must not fall victim to complacency, especially if the more able minds of the BNP leave to join the EDL ending them their expertise!
The yorkshire threat has moved to the East Riding and Humberside. Its where the nutzis all go on holiday and move to when they have had enough of the "islamification" of the west riding. Bridlington is a very popular neo nazi hotspot.
I was seriously hoping we'd seen the back of fascists at the ballot box.
I'm sure that was a hope that many shared, although in reality it would be naive in the extreme to expect it.
I think the only threat the EDL pose is that they're the puppets of Alan [I wish I was Hitler] Lake, bu I don't see any of the ex-BNP lot providing them with any significant help whatsoever!
If they were any use as political organisers we'd have seen some significant progress from the BNP over the years, but instead there will just be the usual schisms and splits that we've watched from the far right before...except this time it'll be more like the 1970s NF than the 2000s BNP.
What would the EDL's policies be?
They will obviously be against Islam and Muslims but will they start opposing all immigration?
I can see them adopting the BNP's slate of policies wholsale but that would cause frictions internally. They are a bizarre hybrid movement and the transition to political party won't be easy for them.
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