The BNP's little hidey-hole

Watch it full-screen - it's better

A few weeks ago, one of our readers asked if anyone had ever actually seen the BNP's Wigton office - the centre of its activities. My reply was that yes, we had taken a very brief look a few months ago, and were not overly impressed. Much to our surprise, a number of readers wanted to see the (very) short piece of film we took at the time.

Fair enough. The film though, doesn't er, show the whole picture, so to speak. The industrial estate which houses both the BNP's storage unit/office and Nick Griffin's official NW office as MEP, is tucked away at the edge of Wigton, a tiny and attractive little market town deep in the heart of Cumbria. It is believed that Griffin only managed to get the two units on the estate because one of the people who works in management happens to be one of his entourage - or at least used to be. In common with most of Griffin's chums, she seems to have fallen out with him recently.

We made two visits to the industrial estate; one at about 10.30am, when both units were closed, and the other sometime after lunch, when almost everyone in the BNP seemed to have woken up or sobered up and arrived to do something. As we drove into the gated estate, we were very aware that we were closely watched by at least four people: two outside Griffin's office, one directly ahead of us and another opposite the office. The latter two are not shown on the film.

We drove around the corner into a stretch of empty units. To be honest, more units were empty than were occupied and frankly the industrial estate looked like it was on its last legs (which is probably why it allowed Griffin and his ever-dwindling party to establish a base there).

As you can see from the film, we were treated to a glimpse of Clive Jefferson's crappy old Jaguar (still using the illegal number plate, are you, Clive?) and even spotted Porky himself getting something out of his car. As you watch the film, the BNP's centre of operations is on the left, and Griffin's NW MEP base is on the right - the building with the two bodyguards outside. Quite why Porky needs bodyguards, we've never fathomed. Apart from a pint of beer and an egg being thrown at him (separately), he's never been at risk of attack, despite his constant claims of violent anti-fascists always being on the lookout for him.

Because his mob ARE a bunch of violent freaks and psycho's, we didn't hang around, particularly when we realised that the camera had obviously been spotted.

So there you have it. The centre of the BNP's operations happens to be a couple of small industrial units on a run-down industrial estate in the middle of, well, not nowhere, because Wigton's actually a pretty nice place, but certainly nowhere significant. The main question I'd like to ask is why doesn't the MEP for the North West have an office in a place where he can be easily visited by the public whom he was elected to serve? Is he afraid to meet the voters? I think you know the answer to that one.

Anyone remember Charlotte Lewis?

Click on image for full-size

Does anyone remember the ghastly Charlotte Lewis, former BNP and now doyen of the even smaller British Freedom mob? As you can see, she's still as bad as ever.

Coventry BNP charity leaflet campaign 'absurd'

The British National Party has defended its decision to leaflet residents in Coventry, asking them to donate scrap metal to help "British" charities.

A BNP spokesman said they were merely addressing the issue of scrap merchants operating in the Coundon area.

Coventry North-West MP Geoffrey Robinson, who was contacted by one of his constituents about the leaflets, called it "an absurd proposition". Help For Heroes, named on the leaflet, said it was "strictly non-political".

Mark Baddrick, a BNP organiser in the city, said: "This is a local issue that concerns a lot of people... that they are really fed up with this trail of scrap vans trawling the streets."

Mr Baddrick admitted the party had not approached Help for Heroes but said they had done benefits for the charity before.

"We will approach them when we have raised some funds and if they decline the offer of a donation, that's entirely up to them."

Responding to the criticism, he added: "If they're really that concerned, why don't they address the issue we're trying to address instead of criticising our efforts."

Labour MP Mr Robinson, said he could "understand people being very upset" about the leaflet.

"What is the BNP trying to do? It's a political party. They should concentrate on those affairs. The idea they can can become conduit to charities is absurd."

Bryn Parry from Help for Heroes said: "We have no affiliation with any political party and do not endorse the use of our name for the promotion of any political viewpoint. The money we raise supports wounded servicemen and women of every colour and creed. We strongly oppose any individual or political party who believes we should act otherwise, and those who seek to use the charity's name for their own political gain."

Councillor Ed Ruane from the Labour-led Coventry City Council, said the authority had joined forces with the police to "see if this is legal and whether the BNP are licensed to trade in this manner".

BBC

EU hands out holidays paid for by taxpayer

Tens of thousands of political activists, including hundreds from the BNP, have been given free or subsidised holidays by British and European taxpayers.

Even as it grapples with the financial crisis, the European Union is paying almost £25 million this year to subsidise the trips, arranged through MEPs.

The BNP, which has two Euro-MPs, has made heavy use of the scheme to thank some of its most prominent members at taxpayers’ expense. One BNP official boasted that it was “a good way of rewarding our activists” that “didn’t cost the party a penny”. The trips are ostensibly “study visits” to the European Parliament buildings in Brussels or Strasbourg, but the holidaymakers need spend only a fraction of their time at the parliament to claim the full subsidy, which can be collected in cash without the need for receipts.

One subsidised trip to Strasbourg last week, promoted by the Labour MEP Peter Skinner, lasted six days, with only a few hours spent at the parliament. The rest of the visit, according to a programme seen by The Sunday Telegraph, included a river cruise, a tour of the cathedral, a visit to the city’s Christmas market, champagne tasting, a battlefield tour in Ypres and sightseeing in Reims. Like most MEPs, Mr Skinner did not join the party, but hosted a free dinner for the participants.

Just under 30 people went on the tour, according to Mr Skinner’s office, staying in £100-a-night hotels in Ypres, Reims and the German spa town of Baden-Baden, near Strasbourg.

“After a buffet breakfast in the sunny Great Room, take your coffee on to the terrace to enjoy views of the picturesque Black Forest,” the Baden-Baden hotel’s website says. "Stroll beside the meandering River Oos and admire the Belle-Epoque mansions on Lichtentaler Allee. Play for high stakes at the glamorous Spielbank casino, and unwind in the soothing waters of Caracalla Spa.”

The cost of the six-day trip, including some meals, all accommodation, tours, coach and ferry, was £272. If booked directly, the hotels alone would have cost about £500 at this time of year.

One of those who went on the trip, Juan Leahy, who works for Mr Skinner, declined to comment when asked if it was mostly a “holiday”.

A spokesman for the European Parliamentary Labour Party said: “We believe the public should have the opportunity to see their elected officials at work, and we do not want this opportunity restricted to the rich who can afford travel.”

Stephen Booth, of the reform group Open Europe, said: “Spending taxpayers’ money on what are effectively subsidised holidays can only further erode public trust in the EU institutions. The European Parliament seems to exist in a parallel universe, completely ignorant of economic realities.”

Politicians of all parties help to arrange the trips. Hornchurch and Upminster Conservative Association advertised a break to Brussels, including return travel by Eurostar and a night in a city centre hotel, for £80.

“We have almost a whole day to sight-see, wander around the Christmas market and pick up inspiration for gifts,” said the association’s website.

Bill Newton-Dunn, the Liberal Democrat MEP, promoted a three-day weekend break in Brussels this month for £205, advertising it on his website as a “Christmas shopping” trip. The visit to the European Parliament lasted two hours on the Monday morning, just before the guests left for home.

The BNP has made extensive use of the subsidies to reward donors to its Trafalgar Club, who last year were hosted on a three-day visit to Bruges at EU expense by Nick Griffin, the party’s leader and an MEP. Ninety-two Trafalgar Club and life members took part.

Mr Griffin said: “Everyone really enjoyed the opportunity to meet and socialise with like-minded people who care about our country.”

Other BNP outings include trips to the First World War battlefields and Waterloo. Pictures on the website of Eddy Butler, a BNP staff member, show the party enjoying their “second breakfast of the day” at a Brussels café. In the evening, the group enjoyed a taxpayer-subsidised dinner, at what another participant, Chris Beverley, called “the wonderfully atmospheric Bivouac de l’Empereur restaurant”.

“Everyone knew they could let their hair down and relax, safe in the knowledge that they were among good nationalists, men and women of honour,” he added.

One BNP trip, in March last year, cost taxpayers €10,791 (£9,775) for 44 participants, an average of £220 a head. It was free for those who took part, according to the organiser, Mr Butler, and even made the BNP a profit.

“The subsidy is for a set amount,” said Mr Butler. “There is no provision to pay back what you don’t use. The organiser of the trip can use any residue for whatever he sees fit: this is quite legitimate.”

Mr Butler said he had donated the profits to the BNP.

In a report last month, the Court of Auditors, Europe’s spending watchdog, criticised this aspect of the scheme, warning that “the procedures in place do not require groups to provide evidence of travel costs, resulting in a risk of overpayment as most groups use cheaper collective transport”.

The subsidy for the journey from London to Brussels amounts to £85 a head, but Eurostar offers a return ticket for £69, and travelling in a privately hired coach can cost as little as £25. From Edinburgh to Brussels the travel subsidy would be £225, but a return flight with Ryanair costs as little as £49. The meal subsidy is set at £30 a person, but since no receipts are required visitors can buy cheaper meals and pocket the difference.

According to the Court of Auditors, 78 per cent of the payments to trip organisers last year were made in cash. This “limited the possibility of applying internal control procedures”, the watchdog warned.

Mr Butler defended the visits, saying: “Everyone had fun and it didn’t cost the party a penny. The trips are a good way of rewarding our activists for their hard work and dedication. Should we feel guilty for the Euro taxpayer? Certainly not.”

Each of the 736 MEPs is allowed to sponsor up to 110 visitors a year, although not all use their full quota. The visitors must travel in groups of at least 10. The trips are promoted to supporters on email lists and websites. Some are advertised on the MEPs’ websites and are not confined to sympathisers, although in practice most of the holidaymakers are political activists.

The European Parliament declined to give the number of British participants in the trips, but figures for the last available year, 2007, show that British visitors claimed €938,000 (£600,000) in subsidies.

The cost of the schemes for all 27 EU nations this year is €29.7 million (£24.9 million), a 40 per cent rise since 2007. As Britain’s share of the EU budget this year is 12 per cent, taxpayers are contributing £3 million to the programme.

A spokesman for the European Parliament said: “It is essential to the exercise of democratic rights within the European Union for members of the public to be granted access to the parliament’s proceedings and premises.”

The parliament said that better controls on the payments would be too “complex and time-consuming”.

Telegraph

BNP’s Nick Griffin set to address UCC society on free speech

Some fat bastard simpers at the cameras

British National Party leader and MEP Nick Griffin is expected to attend a UCC debate in the New Year, just months after a Trinity College student society withdrew its invitation for the controversial politician to visit.

The UCC Government and Politics Society says Griffin has accepted its invitation to speak in a debate on the importance of free speech in modern society. The society’s chairperson Ben English told TheJournal.ie that its invitation to Griffin “is by no means a defence of what he has to say, rather it is a defence of his right to say it”.

English said Griffin will face an as-yet-unnamed second speaker in a chaired debate on free speech before taking questions from the floor.

The society decided to invite him after his invitation to address a student group at Trinity College was withdrawn recently. English said that the student group wanted to stand up in support of free speech, adding that free speech is not objective: “We can’t decide who gets freedom of speech.”

In these kinds of situations, and in Trinity’s case, college groups should not cave to outside pressures, English said.

“You need to make tough decisions and bring in people who are going to cause a bit of controversy; in the long-run it’s an event that needs to be held. People need to see something new. Our society is trying to move away from the discourse and get people talking,” he said. “The society’s main goal is to encourage students who are generally politically apathetic to engage in debate.”

English said the society has met with college staff to notify them of the event and to put “strict plans in place” to ensure the safety of staff, students and Griffin. The college has indicated it will facilitate the event, he added.

The BNP confirmed to TheJournal.ie today that Griffin is interested in participating in the debate and has accepted the invitation. A spokesperson for the party said the MEP would answer any questions put to him by the debate participants or audience.

Opposition

The UCC Labour Society says it plans to campaign against Griffin’s visit to the college. Chair of the society Dean Duke told TheJournal.ie that the Labour Soc last night agreed to boycott a joint trip planned between it and the UCC Government and Politics Soc to Leinster House. Duke said his group does not accept that Griffin’s invitation to speak is really a free speech issue and that his “intolerant views” should not be accommodated:

Nick Griffin is free to say what he likes (within the confines of the law), but that doesn’t mean that a UCC society should be hosting him. There’s a difference between allowing free speech and giving someone a platform and an audience.

Withdrawn

The BNP leader was due to participate in a debate on immigration at Trinity’s Philosophical Society in October, but the society withdrew its invitation after the college said it could not guarantee the safety of the event’s attendees. The society said that while it supports Griffin’s right to speak on the issue of immigration, it felt it had “no other responsible choice” but to cancel the debate over safety concerns.

Griffin accused people protesting his Trinity appearance of using “fascist methods” to disrupt the event. He also said he complained to gardaí about the protests which disrupted a separate society event and led to the cancellation of the one he was to attend.

A date for the UCC events has not been confirmed, but it is expected to take place in late February 2012.

TheJournal.ie

Thanks to Zaahid for the heads-up

Far right councillor axed after missing meetings

Bosses at a South Yorkshire council have removed a far-right councillor from the authority after he failed to attend regular meetings.

John Gamble, who represented Brinsworth and Catcliffe, was elected in the seat for the British National Party in May 2008. But the 54-year-old, who later switched to the England First Party, has not attended for more than six months. During his time in office, he was able to claim £12,130 each year in allowances, the council said.

Mr Gamble, who won his seat from then Labour Mayor Allan Jackson by 61 votes, was due for re-election next May. He switched from the BNP to the England First Party in June 2009 before joining the openly-racist National Front in March last year, giving the far-right party its first elected representative for 35 years.

Announcing his second change of allegiance, Mr Gamble told The Star he had ‘jumped ship’ to the NF because he wanted to join a ‘more active’ organisation. When some of the NF’s recorded views were put to him, the Catcliffe and Brinsworth councillor said: “You have caught me somewhat flat-footed. I am not aware of the severity of these opinions.”

He added: “I am not racist, but on the far right. How can I be racist when I have had several coloured girlfriends?”

But Mr Gamble lost his position on the council after a lack of attendance led to complaints from figures, including former Brinsworth Labour councillor Reg Littleboy. Mr Littleboy said: “He is also being reported to the standards committee for abusing staff. He is a disgrace to Brinsworth and Catcliffe.”

A Rotherham Council spokeswoman for the borough council confirmed that Mr Gamble had been automatically disqualified from the council under the 1972 Local Government Act for failing to attend any meetings for six months. She said: “The disqualification will be officially reported to council at its meeting next Wednesday and the vacancy publicised shortly after. However, there will be no by-election for the vacant position because the vacancy has arisen within six months of the election for the seat in May, 2012.”

Mr Gamble said: “I don’t wish to comment.”

Sheffield Telegraph

British Freedom make themselves look stupid

Paul Weston (right)

At Christmas time the far right aided by some sections of the right wing tabloid press traditionally cook up a “Christmas is being banned “story that inevitably turns out to be untrue.

This year’s Yuletide award for stupidity goes to the miniscule BNP splinter British Freedom led by UKIP reject Paul Weston. British Freedom announced a link up with the thuggish EDL just last month with the possibility of EDL members standing as election candidates under the British Freedom umbrella.

It seems the victim of this year’s made up Christmas story is the much loved charity The British Red Cross with British Freedom announcing on their Facebook page “The British Red Cross has again banned overt reference to Christmas from its 430 fundraising shops to avoid “cultural insensitivity” Do not donate to them.”

However The British Red Cross are old hands at this having dealt with this kind of nonsense since The Daily Mail printed an incorrect story about them back in 2002. On their website The British Red Cross under an article entitled “How the Red Cross didn’t ban Christmas” quickly demolished the untrue story.

“To reiterate: this story is now nine years old. Many of our shops and offices are decked out in Christmas decorations, and our online Christmas gift shop is open for business. We have in no way “banned Christmas” nor have we discussed doing so.”

They continued “It’s true that you won’t find explicitly religious items or displays, relating to any faith, in any of our shops, at Christmas or any other time. But this certainly doesn’t amount to a ban on us celebrating or mentioning Christmas, or any other holiday. And it’s absolutely nothing to do with “offending non-Christians” or to serve any other sort of politically correct agenda.

The point is that the Red Cross is not a political or religious organisation. This neutrality is one of our fundamental principles and governs everything we do in the whole Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. We can’t let people in need down by compromising our neutrality. That is why we do not align ourselves with any particular political cause or religious creed anywhere in the world. And that’s why we don’t have any items of a religious nature in our shops.”

Red faced British Freedom administrators quickly deleted the posting from Facebook when it was pointed out to them that what they had claimed was nonsense and are now pretending the whole incident didn’t happen.

Good job we managed to get hold of this screen grab.

Hope not Hate

Turkey makes Christmas address

Old Nick Griffin looks just about ripe for Christmas plucking. He's had better years and he admits as much.

Standing in front of an EU Christmas tree in Brussels, Griffin has made a Christmas address, a "message" via the interweb, to his fans.

Never mind the bollocks as someone once said, never mind all those people on the dole at Christmas too because the BNP don't pay their bills either; this year's Christmas is going to be particularly special for Nick and his wife Jackie "the Night-nurse" Griffin.

Unto them a Grandchild has been born. And before you ask, yes, a lovely white baby it is too. Their first. "And the thought of the baby born in Bethlehem will perhaps have an extra poignancy in our house" he tells us.

Wait for it, wait for it...

Nope, he's not joking. Yes, the Griffin baby is not unlike Jesus. Obviously..

But aside from himself and the new Aryan born unto the Griffin Klan, old Nick is also going to spare a thought this Yuletide to the "extended family" that he has in the British National Party. And why not? Christmas is a time of giving and we all know how Nick likes to receive any time of year, "in good times and in bad" he tells us. He also says he feels his members "love". Of course, there is a little less love this year, so perhaps those desperate of foolish enough to still afford to be in his fan club/party could give a little more?

Nick's done his bit over the last year for the great white race too. He tells us how he led sixty "patriots" (we counted forty) to "protect the poppy" this year and it does not matter to him (not that he mentions it), that a lot of that number were paramilitary nutters who threatened to kill the Prime Minister on their way there too!

But Christmas can also be a time for reflection. So spare a thought for the kids in Sheffield who had their Christmas as good as cancelled because of the BNP's actions, or as Griffin recalls it, when his thugs "stood up for family values" and intimidated a primary school for their "wicked plan" to teach school children to say no to the sort of predators the BNP normally prefer to work with school children.

He goes on: "I can tell you with absolute certainty that 2012 is going to be a good year for the British National Party". Many in the BNP would of course, like that to be an indication that Griffin is going to stand down, but he is not. So it's actually going to be another great year for Hope Not Hate instead. Every day over the last few years that Nick Griffin has been leader of the BNP has felt like Christmas for us.

In winding up, Griffin tells those who are still watching him to "get involved" in his little party. "I'm really looking forward to meeting you, which is a certainty if you get involved". Bless my Mother, she was about to get on the blower and join up too...

Of course it is a certainty you'll get to meet Griffin if you join the BNP. He has room for three more in a phone box outside of his farmhouse in Welshpool. And if you can't make it there, he'll probably come to yours if you have not answered the endless begging phone calls, letters and emails from him throughout the year.

Hope not Hate

Burnley's first BNP mayor, John Cave resigns from position

The man in line to become the first BNP mayor in the country has resigned from his position.

John Cave was serving as deputy mayor of Padiham Town Council this year, but has quit following a row with Labour councillors.

Mr Cave had been due to become the town’s mayor in May and community leaders had expressed fears that the appointment would bring negative publicity on the town. But that scenario will now be averted following Mr Cave’s shock resignation.

Mr Cave said three councillors, Jean Cunningham, Andy Tatchell and John Harbour, were playing politics with the non-political town council, something which they all deny.

The trio represent the Labour group on Burnley Borough Council, but sit as non-political councillors at Padiham Town Council.

Mr Cave wanted to bring in a new rule that could have forced the three of them out. But his motion to create a new standing order was voted out and Mr Cave decided to walk away from the council, and the chance to become mayor, because of what he described as the 'deception' being carried out by the council.

Coun Charlie Briggs, leader of Burnley Borough Council, said: “His reasons for resigning are utterly ridiculous. To suggest that someone with political affiliations can’t stand as a town councillor is just a plain daft. I can’t understand the cheek of it. Is he trying to suggest that he doesn’t have political affiliations? He has tried and failed to be elected as a borough councillor.”

Mr Cave brought his motion before councillors on November 21 but it was voted down 11-2. He wrote his letter of resignation after the vote and it was read to stunned councillors at the town council meeting on Monday.

Mr Cave, who is married to BNP councillor Sharon Wilkinson, said: “We say the council is non-political but we have people on the council who clearly are political.”

Burnley Citizen

Russian Democracy: Griffin Style

Now where have they hidden that vodka?

Nick Griffin has recently returned from Moscow following an invitation for him to be an independent elections advisor in last week’s Russian parliamentary elections.

Griffin obviously couldn’t believe his luck. Known to like the food and drink, Griffin was in hog heaven with copious amounts of food and free flowing vodka along with dancing Cossacks being the order of the day.

Perhaps it was the vodka or his own sense of self importance that clouded Griffin’s judgement when it came to the actual reason he was in Russia, to give an impartial view of the Russian election. Or maybe Moscow just wanted a few gullible idiots to churn out their version of events on state television?

The election has been widely condemned as being loaded in favour of the ruling “United Russia” party, with numerous accounts of vote rigging, harassment and state interference. Yet Nick Griffin declared that there were “A handful of small technical failings in a few polling stations that didn't affect the validity of the election”.

Posting on Twitter he also said that “UK Electoral Commission could learn a lot from the Russian set up to monitor & improve elections.”

Really? Do we want the Russian system that has seen opposition leaders such as the veteran liberal politician Boris Nemtsov, a former deputy prime minister turned vocal government opponent rounded up and detained? The same Russian system that banned a number of political parties from even standing in the elections? The same system that arrested two well known anti corruption bloggers and placed them in jail?

EU Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton said “Reports of procedural violations are a serious concern". She also highlighted the "lack of media impartiality, a lack of separation between party and state, and the harassments of independent monitoring attempts".

A report from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe details alleged attempts to stuff ballot boxes, manipulate voter lists and harass election monitors. The group, which monitors and promotes democracy and human rights in Europe, cited the lack of an independent body running the election or impartial news media.

Yet Griffin wrote “Eye opening being in a country that has set up a democratic system recently and with intention of being honest & transparent. UK elections are a bent farce by comparison.”

The election results triggered two days of protests in Moscow and St Petersburg with several thousand protestors taking to the streets. Russian police are thought to have arrested hundreds of the protestors as anger over allegations of official corruption and economic stagnation started to boil over.

United Russia, the party of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin remains the largest party, albeit with a smaller majority and his reputation tarnished.

Is this the sort of democracy Nick Griffin and the BNP would like in this country?

Of course it is.

Hope not hate

Mosque arson accused's links to far right parties

One of the men accused of setting fire to a Stoke-on-Trent mosque was a member of the British National Party (BNP) and English Defence League (EDL).

Simon Beech was a serving soldier with the 2nd Battalion, The Yorkshire Regiment, based at Weeton Barracks near Preston, Lancashire, when he is alleged to have set fire to the City Central Mosque in Regent Road, Hanley, in the early hours of December 3 last year.

He is accused of entering the mosque, which was still under construction, with his co-accused Garreth Foster. The Crown Prosecution Service allege the pair were responsible for starting a blaze on the ground floor and feeding a gas pipe upstairs, from a neighbouring property.

Beech, of Hilton Road, Hartshill, and Foster, aged 28, of Hartshill Road, Stoke, deny arson.

Yesterday at their trial at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court the jury heard Beech, aged 23, subscribed to Facebook and the EDL. Peter McMaster, an intelligence researcher with Staffordshire Police, said on November 10, less than a month before the arson, Beech posted comments including "Let's start bashing skulls, dirty, rotten rodents, they breed like rats here, they need to die like rats" and "I say we need to start taking things into our own hands because they are running the place".

The next day he posted "Get as many heads as we can, go and smash some skull and take over Shelton". And Beech said he "liked" a comment someone else posted – 'Nuke all mosques'. He also posted comments including "Time we took things into our hands," and "I say we put a stop to it before it's too late."

Also on November 11, Beech said: "The time has come we burn their place, burn the lot of them."

A statement from Army Captain James Athow-Frost said Beech shared a room with three other privates. He confirmed Beech had been at the barracks a short time and had not been deployed to Afghanistan. And he would not have had any training in explosives or bomb making equipment.

Earlier the court heard evidence from firefighters who attended the incident. Firefighter Alan Filson entered the building wearing breathing apparatus. He said he and a colleague used a thermal image camera to find the fire which was on the ground floor in the centre of the room. He did not see the pipe which came into the upstairs of the mosque from outside.

"You could not see more than half a foot in front of your face," he told the jury. "The flames were from the floor to the ceiling in the central area of the ground floor."

Fire investigation officer Brian Griffiths said there was a large amount of black smoke pouring out when he arrived. He said a large quantity of building materials were used in the fire as well as insulation boards, wooden pallets and packaging. A small gas cylinder was also found near the seat of the fire.

"My conclusion was it was a deliberate fire," said Mr Griffiths.

Sarah Sweetmore, who arrived at her workplace in Regent Road at 9.20am, said: "I could see the hose was connected to the gas meter. I remember hearing a hissing sound and feeling very frightened."

The case continues.

This is Staffordshire

"Tram Woman" sobs, BNP gets busy

Emma West, 34, appeared at Croydon Magistrates' Court charged with a racially aggravated public order offence.

She broke down in the dock as a video allegedly showing her racially abusing fellow passengers on a tram was played the courtroom. West pleaded not guilty to the charges and was supported by a number of her family.

Also present were a number of BNP and EDL members and supporters who have no connection to West. Among those present for the BNP were Cliff Le May and Dave Clarke from New Addington and BNP mayoral candidate Carlos Cortiglia.

Clarke is a well known BNP thug who once ran for council and was given a year's community service for assaulting two female pacifist campaigners. David Clarke, who got 518 votes when he stood in 2009 was sentenced on four counts of assaulting anti-racism campaigners.

Clarke, of Dunley Drive, New Addington, pushed and shoved Lorna Nelson-Homian, James Cox, Nigel Green and Silvia Beckett in two separate attacks outside East Croydon train station. During the 2010 general election Clarke was ejected from a JD Wetherspoon pub after a sex act was performed in full view of diners and drinkers.

Hope not Hate

There's unions and then there is Solidarity

Patrick Harrington (far left) looking glum after another disasterous hearing.

Patrick Harrington’s Solidarity “Union” sent out an email yesterday. “Hard Time Ahead-Get Union Protection” it told me.

I agree with the sentiment. However that is about the only advice I would ever take from the faux trade union of the BNP. Their email continues “Apparently, the reason why businesses are not taking on workers is because it is not easy enough to sack them!”

There of course speaks the voice of experience, because Solidarity and its General Secretary Patrick Harrington seem to spend most of its time in employment tribunals defending the BNP against its former employees! Oh, and not very well I might add too.

Harrington and his fake union was recently criticised by the panel at the recent General Teaching Council for England (GTCE) hearing where Harrington was defending disgraced teacher and BNP activist Mark Walker. The hearing was called to discuss the conduct of Walker who used school computers to send a vulnerable 16-year-old former pupil a sexually explicit message via email.

Walker sent the girl emails while working at Sunnydale Community College, in Shildon, County Durham, in 2007. The panel found Walker guilty of unacceptable professional conduct and banned him from teaching indefinitely.

The panel criticised Harrington after he made a statement on the Solidarity website regarding Mark Walker’s suspension and referred to a scheduled investigatory meeting, which should have remained confidential to the school, Walker and Harrington.

The GTCE panel described Harrington’s actions as “inappropriate”.

Hope not hate

EDL’s North East boss Spence jailed for attack on left meeting

The English Defence League’s North East regional organiser Alan Spence has been jailed for his part in an attack on a socialist meeting, along with several of his racist and fascist cohorts.

Spence is a leading figure in the EDL – and a key link between the EDL and the British National Party: he stood as a parliamentary candidate for the BNP at the general election (see election leaflet, below).

He was sent down for seven months today, following the attack at the Tyneside Irish Centre, where the Socialist Workers Party was holding a meeting last September. His son, Steven Spence, a former BNP local council candidate, was jailed for eight months for his part in the same attack.

In a post on Alan Spence’s Facebook page, his partner Tracy King said: “just letting u no alan got 7 month our son steven got 8 month other 5 lads got jailed aswell”.

Other sentences for the attackers reported on relatives’ Facebook pages include 10 months for Peter Duffy and eight for Barry Keddy. Duffy, part of the same band of EDL thugs, later left to become a well known member of the Infidels/NEI splinter group.

The attack on a socialist meeting shows the thugs are not just racists but fascists too – and that there are few serious differences between the EDL and the NEI, both of whose members were involved as one group at the time.

Spence’s record also shows how porous the dividing line between the BNP and the EDL is. He joined the EDL’s forum in September 2009, several months before he stood as BNP candidate in the Newcastle upon Tyne East constituence in May 2010. He has also been photographed with fascist BNP leader Nick Griffin.

We will have updates on the sentences for the rest of the gang as more details are confirmed.

Unite Against Fascism

Ex BNP councillor condemned for campaign to free woman accused of racist tram rant

Paul Golding, who represented the St Mary's ward in Swanley, is campaigning to free Emma West

A former BNP councillor has been condemned for his calls to free a woman accused of a racist rant on a tram. Paul Golding, who represented the St Mary's ward in Swanley, quit the BNP in March to become chairman of a new group called Britain First.

The far-right movement, which operates from an address in Swanley, has launched an online campaign called Free Emma West. Emma West, aged 34, from New Addington, is charged with a racially aggravated public order offence and has been remanded in custody. Her arrest came after a video appeared on YouTube of a woman making racists comments to passengers on a tram. The alleged rant subsequently hit the headlines in the national media.

In the online campaign, Mr Golding, who is chairman of Britain First, said: "We call upon the Home Secretary, Teresa May, and the prison governors, Helga Swidenbank and Alan Thurlby, to be held personally accountable for any harm Miss West may suffer as a result of her incarceration in an ethnically-dominated prison."

The group emailed more than 70,000 British nationalists and have organised a rally for today (December 2) in support of West outside HMP Bronzefield in Ashford.

Gerry Gable, the publisher of anti-fascist magazine Searchlight, said: "If they are trying to catch headlines they are going for the wrong ones. It just shows there's nothing new about them. They are the same old haters. If they think they can defend somebody like that it says it all."

Speaking about the YouTube video, Mr Gable said: "It says something very very good for this country that nobody actually laid a hand on her."

Labour councillor Mark Fittock, who represents Mr Golding's former ward, said: "I'm outraged that this should be going on. The Labour group would never support such action. We fully support the law as it stands in this country on the issue."

Mr Golding refused to comment.

This is Local London

Britain’s Most Expensive Party?

With the BNP in terminal decline, you would have thought that Nick Griffin would be trying his hardest to hang onto what is left of the party’s membership?

Apparently not, and with the BNP’s finances in a terminal nosedive, Griffin and Co. have devised a cunning plan to milk the remaining few members of every penny they possess. They have increased the membership rates by a whopping 60% and in turn have become Britain’s most expensive political party to join.

From December 1st the standard membership fee has shot up from £30 to £48 per year. That in itself is a huge rise; however the BNP are actively encouraging its members to pay monthly via direct debit with BNP treasurer Clive Jefferson explaining “I cannot emphasise enough the importance of moving the membership over to a monthly collection payment system. It will help the members by making membership affordable to all”

That’s an interesting concept by Clive, and one that perhaps explains why the party is in financial meltdown. He actually aims to make the membership more affordable by charging the members more?

Using the monthly direct debit scheme which costs £4.50 per month, members will be paying a gigantic £54 per year for the privilege of seeing the BNP potentially shrivel and die. That is an 80% increase from the standard £30 membership.

According to the BNP, “One-off annual payments can also be made but are not going to be encouraged because steady monthly income makes budgeting and management much easier, and ALL new members will have to join using the monthly payment method.”

What is also means is that the BNP will have your bank details and with the way the finances have been run over the years, that is not a position most financially astute people would want to be in. So let’s compare the current BNP membership rates to other well known political parties in the UK:

Figures shown are for new members.

The BNP: Standard Membership = £54 (Existing members can make a one off payment of £48)

The Labour Party: Standard Membership = £41 (This is over a 12 month period. You are not charged extra for paying via direct debit)

The Green Party: Minimum Membership =£31 (This is over a 12 month period. You are not charged extra for paying via direct debit)

UKIP: Standard Membership £30

Plaid Cymru: Minimum Membership = £24 (Plaid Cymru do not charge extra for direct debit)

The Conservative Party: Standard Membership = £25

The Liberal Democrats: Minimum Standard Membership = £12

Scottish National Party: Standard Membership =£12 (The SNP do not charge extra for direct debit)

So, £54 to join Britain’s fastest shrinking but most expensive party. To see it go “belly up” however, remains priceless.


Hope not Hate

Gary Tumulty Salford BNP Wastes £40-80,000 of British taxpayers money on spurious FOI costs

Two days ago we brought you the news about how Gary Tumulty was claiming to be outraged by the amount of money that Asylum Seekers were getting whilst pensioners were seemingly freezing in his borough of Salford. He claimed he was fed up of the amount of money being wasted locally by Salford.

However it appears that Mr Tumulty of Salford BNP is not concerned when it comes to him being the originator of money being wasted and is costing Salford City Council £1000s in spurious Freedom of Information Requests to Salford City Council where he claims to be living and employed by the Council as a Caretaker. Not content with demonising Asylum Seekers in order to stir up racial tension , he has now taken to attacking Local Councillors as well. He is also going to great lengths to cost Salford City Council lots of money :

Tumulty complains about how much money the local council is spending on various initiatives , claiming to be acting in the 'Public Interest' by making various Freedom Of Information requests in the borough.

A Freedom Of Information request can cost anywhere up to £650 in adminstration and clerical enquiries. His first request was made twelve months ago and his most recent being on the 10th November this year.

http://www.freedomofinformation.co.uk/content/view/35/41/

Gary Tumulty of Salford BNP has made to date a staggering 124 FOI requests! :

http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/user/gary_tumulty

The nature of these requests are spurious at best and seem to concentrate on things like trying to find out the ethnicity of HIV+/AIDS sufferers in Salford, the ethnicity of Drug bustees and the ethnicity of those licensed to sell alcohol in the borough (at least three FOI requests on 'Beer' alone) in fact Tumulty seems to be mainly focused on ethnicity , which as a BNP Organiser and Candidate should not surprise anybody

We estimate that Gary Tumulty is costing Salford City Council anywhere between £40,000-£80,000 a year with these spurious Freedom of Information Requests perhaps local residents would like to ask Mr Tumulty why he is intent on wasting so much of the Council's Budgets on asking such FOI requests as 'How many Gamestations have the council bought'

We are sure that local residents of Salford would be very interested in knowing how between £40-80,000 of British Tax Payers Money is being wasted by the British National Party in Salford and where this money could be better spent on Pensioners and the vunerable and needy in the borough as we approach the harsh winter months.

EDL News

Thanks to NewsHound for the heads-up

London Far Right Mayoral Candidate Thinks Immigrants Will Ruin UK — And He’s From Uruguay

Carlos Cortiglia

The fact that the Far Right British Nationalist Party (the BNP) is fielding a candidate from Uruguay in next year’s London mayoral elections has widely been regarded as farce, though of course the BNP don’t spin it like that.

Instead, the BNP argue that the fact they have nominated Carlos Cortiglia, who emigrated from Uruguay to the UK in 1989 and has Spanish and Italian blood, is a good thing.

They are no longer a racist party, they hope to say, with its links to extremist groups like the National Front and its limit on membership to “indigenous Caucasian” people (non-white people were finally allowed to join in 2010). However, as Snipe London points out, Cortiglia, the immigrant, thinks immigrants are going to ruin the UK. He writes on his blog just two months ago:

“Look at the partition of Yugoslavia. What has been the argument about who owns Kosovo? This is bound to happen in Britain, especially because they [immigrants] have been building ghettos that usually have their own language, their own customs and their own values. One day, we might find ourselves having to decide who own Birmingham, Leicester, Manchester, Liverpool and parts of London like Towers Hamlets and Barking and Dagenham or even London as a whole.”

So what is Cortiglia saying? Immigrants are bad, except from Uruguay? That the UK is heading to a Kosovo-style civil war? The mind boggles.

From Business Insider . Story by Adam Taylor. 29.11.11

Editorial. If the BNP really had dropped its racist creed, Liverpool Antifascists could not be more delighted. Not only would that represent equal membership opportunities for everyone regardless of race or colour, it would neuter the miniscule shred of nazi barbarism, which is all that is left of the BNP. That is because fascism cannot exist and grow, and it cannot bind the indigenous population to its will, without creating a racial scapegoat.

Needless to say though, this is one issue where Nick Griffin can sleep easy in his bed. Cortiglia, with his Spanish and Italian ancestry, is in the BNP’s eyes an “indigenous Caucasian”, and is therefore automatically segregated from all the “non-Caucasians” which infest their febrile imagination. My God, what a myopic view of humanity the one-eyed Griffin must have.

Liverpool Antifascists

Andrew Brons - Non-Attached Member

On Monday afternoon I received a message from one of oldest and dearest mates saying that there is a BNP billboard at Heeley Bridge/Bottom a few minutes walk from where I live.
Now my mate is an old political hand and pretty sharp and somebody who I trust implicitly. Somebody who knows the difference between a poster and a big fuck off advertising billboard. I decided to have a wander down and take some pics. I might also have decided to have a few pints in the Sheaf View and Shakespeare on the way home.

The pics are not the best due to the location and my ineptitude with a camera but you should get the general gist.




Now there are several things that are puzzling about the above images and their content.

1 - Brons says he is a Non-Attatched MEP which suggests he has resigned the whip which I've not noticed before.
2 - The incredibly small BNP logo. It may be in the upper centre of the image but it's hardly noticeable (which may be the point)
3 - Ex NF leader with some utterly revolting views using what can only be considered concentration camp imagery.

Anyway, on the way back from a pub in Woodseats I got off the bus and saw this :-

BNP protest cancels school Christmas

A school at the centre of a row over sex education has been forced to cancel its community Christmas fair – after it was targeted by members of the British National Party.

Grenoside Primary School in Sheffield is in the middle of consultation with parents over extending its sex education classes to younger pupils. The idea has caused concern to some parents.

The dispute was seized upon by the BNP after The Star’s original story was picked up by the national media. BNP members staged a demonstration outside the school, calling on staff and governors to drop their plans and then leafleting parents. The extreme right wing party then issued an ultimatum to the headteacher and chair of governors to change their policies in the next two weeks or face further action.

Headteacher Colin Fleetwood said the situation had spiraled out of control.

“It is incredibly disappointing and upsetting the BNP has chosen to interfere in our consultation process on sex and relationship education in this way,” he said. “Their actions are deplorable and the disruption they have made to the school’s consultation process is completely out of order. There is nothing we are doing here which warrants this. Parents don’t want them here and the school certainly doesn’t.”

Police were called after the demonstration and maintained a presence at the school for two days.

Mr Fleetwood said consultations would continue.

“In view of the current atmosphere we have decided it is sensible not to hold certain school events that would give these undesirable elements an opportunity for further demonstrations,” he said. “We don’t want the BNP anywhere near our school, so we have decided to cancel our annual community school fair. Instead we will hold an internal event just for parents and children.”

One mum said the BNP had intimidated staff, children and parents.

“Their actions have now resulted in ruining a special part of Christmas for local families,” she added.

The Star

Thanks to Zaahid for the heads-up