Police investigating the leaking of a BNP membership list are sifting through boxes of evidence seized from the Nottinghamshire home of a former party member.
The boxes were taken from Sadie Graham's home in Brinsley. She is understood to have been arrested on Thursday, along with another person, also in Nottinghamshire. Police packed the boxes from Graham's terraced house into unmarked cars before leaving with a woman.
The leaking of the membership list last month provoked outrage after members of the far right group were revealed to be current and former servicemen, a police officer, teachers and doctors. The list, released on an internet blog, gave details including the names, professions and addresses of thousands of BNP supporters.
A spokeswoman for Dyfed-Powys Police said: "We can confirm that Nottinghamshire Police arrested two people as part of a joint investigation with Dyfed Powys Police and the Information Commissioner's Office in conjunction with alleged criminal offences under the Data Protection Act. The arrests followed an investigation into a complaint received about the unauthorised release of the BNP party membership list."
Graham was expelled from the party late last year after falling out with its leadership.
In April, the BNP obtained an injunction at Manchester's High Court banning publication of a list of its members.
Worksop Guardian
Showing posts with label Brinsley. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brinsley. Show all posts
December 06, 2008
January 28, 2008
Rebel faction still in a state of limbo
The strategy of the rebels faction is no clearer a day after they met to discuss tactics. Nick Lowles reports from inside the rebels’ den.
About 120 rebels, drawn from around the country, met in Brinsley Parish Hall yesterday afternoon. With a police helicopter buzzing overhead they discussed the limited options available to them.
The rebel leaders were clearly boosted by the attendance, coming as it did amid signs that the rebellion was faltering and the leaders were falling out amongst themselves. The upbeat mood amongst many in the audience showed that there was still life left in the troublemakers.
It was clear from the opening speakers that there were disagreements amongst the rebel leadership. Some, like former South East regional organiser Roger Robertson, were keen to form a new party immediately. Others, including Steve Blake and veteran London nazi Richard Edmonds, wanted to remain in the BNP and fight for a change of leadership.
However, even amongst the latter group there were differences. Should Griffin be challenged this year or next? Who had the credibility to be a strong candidate? Who was still a party member?
Some of the old Tyndallites were keen for Chris Jackson to run again. The newer rebels were lukewarm to this idea and even suggested delaying a challenge to 2009 for fear of being seen to disrupt the London elections.
Others, meanwhile, pointed out the shortcomings in a leadership challenge. Declaring a candidate now would likely lead to that person’s expulsion before too long. Waiting until 2009 could allow the Griffin-led BNP to win in London and possibly gain MEPs a year later. Against this background any challenge would be futile.
There was no clearer position about standing in the forthcoming May elections. There was a general consensus that the Griffin camp would block any attempts by the rebels to stand on the BNP ticket so that left standing as ‘Independent nationalists’, as many seem prepared to do. However, surely that would automatically lead to their expulsion from the party and so be at odds with the overall strategy of trying to win it back from within.
There appeared an acceptance that they would eventually be out of the party but few wanted to publicly propose establishing a rival to the BNP immediately. It almost seems as though they wanted to wait to be thrown out, a course many believe is inevitable, but the reality is that this would be a drawn out affair and in the meantime the rebellion would slowly disintegrate and be forgotten.
Griffin would not have been too concerned with the outcome of this meeting. It finished with the rebels being in the worst possible position. They are no longer in the party (or at least in positions of influence) in any real sense yet they have backed away from launching an alternative party at a time when they still have a degree of support around the country. Launching a new party is of course not easy and would alienate some of their key supporters who wanted to remain in the BNP but when is there ever a good time to split. The answer surely has to be when you can achieve your maximum influence and that is certainly now and not after a possible BNP London or European victory.
One day the rebels will surely look back at the meeting as being an opportunity wasted. Massed in the room were many of the BNP’s super activists and surely a nucleus of a new party and if ever they had the momentum to launch an alternative the time is now. Throughout Griffin’s career he has shown himself to be a master of factionalism and spitefulness and as night follows day it is clear that over the next few months he will drive his opponents out of the party one way or another.
In the meantime we can enjoy watching the spectacle of official BNP candidates standing against ‘Independent Nationalists’ in some of their key local authority areas in Yorkshire and the North West.
Stop the BNP
About 120 rebels, drawn from around the country, met in Brinsley Parish Hall yesterday afternoon. With a police helicopter buzzing overhead they discussed the limited options available to them.
The rebel leaders were clearly boosted by the attendance, coming as it did amid signs that the rebellion was faltering and the leaders were falling out amongst themselves. The upbeat mood amongst many in the audience showed that there was still life left in the troublemakers.
It was clear from the opening speakers that there were disagreements amongst the rebel leadership. Some, like former South East regional organiser Roger Robertson, were keen to form a new party immediately. Others, including Steve Blake and veteran London nazi Richard Edmonds, wanted to remain in the BNP and fight for a change of leadership.
However, even amongst the latter group there were differences. Should Griffin be challenged this year or next? Who had the credibility to be a strong candidate? Who was still a party member?
Some of the old Tyndallites were keen for Chris Jackson to run again. The newer rebels were lukewarm to this idea and even suggested delaying a challenge to 2009 for fear of being seen to disrupt the London elections.
Others, meanwhile, pointed out the shortcomings in a leadership challenge. Declaring a candidate now would likely lead to that person’s expulsion before too long. Waiting until 2009 could allow the Griffin-led BNP to win in London and possibly gain MEPs a year later. Against this background any challenge would be futile.
There was no clearer position about standing in the forthcoming May elections. There was a general consensus that the Griffin camp would block any attempts by the rebels to stand on the BNP ticket so that left standing as ‘Independent nationalists’, as many seem prepared to do. However, surely that would automatically lead to their expulsion from the party and so be at odds with the overall strategy of trying to win it back from within.
There appeared an acceptance that they would eventually be out of the party but few wanted to publicly propose establishing a rival to the BNP immediately. It almost seems as though they wanted to wait to be thrown out, a course many believe is inevitable, but the reality is that this would be a drawn out affair and in the meantime the rebellion would slowly disintegrate and be forgotten.
Griffin would not have been too concerned with the outcome of this meeting. It finished with the rebels being in the worst possible position. They are no longer in the party (or at least in positions of influence) in any real sense yet they have backed away from launching an alternative party at a time when they still have a degree of support around the country. Launching a new party is of course not easy and would alienate some of their key supporters who wanted to remain in the BNP but when is there ever a good time to split. The answer surely has to be when you can achieve your maximum influence and that is certainly now and not after a possible BNP London or European victory.
One day the rebels will surely look back at the meeting as being an opportunity wasted. Massed in the room were many of the BNP’s super activists and surely a nucleus of a new party and if ever they had the momentum to launch an alternative the time is now. Throughout Griffin’s career he has shown himself to be a master of factionalism and spitefulness and as night follows day it is clear that over the next few months he will drive his opponents out of the party one way or another.
In the meantime we can enjoy watching the spectacle of official BNP candidates standing against ‘Independent Nationalists’ in some of their key local authority areas in Yorkshire and the North West.
Stop the BNP
Labels:
BNP,
Brinsley,
Roger Robertson,
Sadie Graham,
Stop the BNP,
Voice of Change
Local anti-fascists condemn British National Party 'Mark II'
Local anti-BNP campaigners have condemned the “Voice of Change” conference held in Brinsley Parish Hall, Brinsley, Nottinghamshire on Sunday.
The conference, which drew an enormous police presence to the area, was organised by a split within the far-right British National Party (BNP), of which local Broxtowe BNP councillor, Sadie Graham, is a major protagonist. The split has seen a bitter feud within the BNP, with claims and counter-claims of nazi sympathies and other accusations being traded between supporters of Sadie Graham’s grouping and BNP members loyal to Nick Griffin, the party’s leader.
Notts Stop the BNP, which held its own conference last Saturday (19 January), with in excess of 100 people in attendance, have been conducting extensive leafleting of the Brinsley and Eastwood areas, despite receiving threats from unknown individuals, alerting local people to the real nature of the BNP.
A spokesperson for Notts Stop the BNP said, “No-one should be fooled by the so-called “Voice of Change” supporters within the BNP. Recent events have only confirmed that they do not represent any softening of the BNP’s extremist policies, but rather it appears to be about individuals within the party locked in a power-grabbing exercise. We appeal to the people of Nottinghamshire not to be taken in by the BNP or whatever guise in which they appear. We need positive solutions to the problems our communities face, not fear and hatred.”
Notts Stop the BNP have pledged to organise against the BNP’s annual Red, White and Blue” event, due to be held near Denby, Derbyshire, later this year.
Nottinghamshire Stop the BNP
The conference, which drew an enormous police presence to the area, was organised by a split within the far-right British National Party (BNP), of which local Broxtowe BNP councillor, Sadie Graham, is a major protagonist. The split has seen a bitter feud within the BNP, with claims and counter-claims of nazi sympathies and other accusations being traded between supporters of Sadie Graham’s grouping and BNP members loyal to Nick Griffin, the party’s leader.
Notts Stop the BNP, which held its own conference last Saturday (19 January), with in excess of 100 people in attendance, have been conducting extensive leafleting of the Brinsley and Eastwood areas, despite receiving threats from unknown individuals, alerting local people to the real nature of the BNP.
A spokesperson for Notts Stop the BNP said, “No-one should be fooled by the so-called “Voice of Change” supporters within the BNP. Recent events have only confirmed that they do not represent any softening of the BNP’s extremist policies, but rather it appears to be about individuals within the party locked in a power-grabbing exercise. We appeal to the people of Nottinghamshire not to be taken in by the BNP or whatever guise in which they appear. We need positive solutions to the problems our communities face, not fear and hatred.”
Notts Stop the BNP have pledged to organise against the BNP’s annual Red, White and Blue” event, due to be held near Denby, Derbyshire, later this year.
Nottinghamshire Stop the BNP
Labels:
BNP,
Brinsley,
Notts Stop the BNP,
Sadie Graham,
Voice of Change
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