BNP activist on firearms charges

A British National Party (BNP) activist has appeared in court on firearms charges.

Police officers were posted outside the magistrates courts building in Bury St Edmunds on Friday when 50-year-old David Lucas made a brief appearance to face two charges of possession of a signal launcher gun without a certificate and possession of ammunition for a firearm without a certificate.

Lucas, of South Road, Lakenheath, did not enter pleas and the case was adjourned until December 17 when he is due to be committed for trial at Ipswich Crown Court.

A former member of Lakenheath Parish Council, he stepped down from his role in July. He also stood unsuccessfully as a candidate for the BNP in last year’s European elections. Lucas was released on conditional bail until the next hearing and his passport must remain surrendered.

He was originally arrested in August when tactical firearms officers were involved in a search of a caravan in Blackdyke Road, Hockwold. Speaking at the time a police spokeswoman said: “Officers from the tactical firearms unit were involved but for their skills in gaining entry to properties and searching rather than firearms deployment.”

Newmarket Journal

New survey shows BBC flouted its own election guidelines in 2009 EU elections

An analysis being published today by the Jury Team, one of the political parties in the newly formed Alliance for Democracy, shows that in last summer’s European elections the BBC flouted its own guidelines for impartiality.

The political parties UKIP and the BNP had much more coverage than the BBC Trust had decided they should have as individual producers sought extra ratings by featuring those parties. As a result of the extra BBC coverage, UKIP won an additional MEP seat and the BNP won two MEP seats for the first time.

The BBC Trust decided at its 15th April 2009 meeting to give the same coverage to UKIP as it would to the three main traditional parties (Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrats) because UKIP had done well in the 2004 EU elections even though by early 2009 it had dropped way back in popularity. However an analysis for the Jury Team by Taylor Nelson Sofres (TNS), the major market research agency, shows that this is not what happened. TNS analysed the total number of items broadcast on Radio 4, BBC1 and BBC2 over the election period 28th April to 6th June 2009. This shows that UKIP was featured 58 times whereas the Conservatives only had 50 and 45 mentions respectively and the Liberal Democrats less than half as much as UKIP with 28 mentions, a complete distortion of the BBC policy of equal treatment for these four parties.

At the same meeting the BBC Trust agreed to give some national coverage to the Green Party but none to the BNP. However subsequently Helen Boaden, Head of BBC News, told her staff to give as much coverage to the BNP as to the Green Party. In fact the BNP got 38 mentions, more than the 33 of the Green Party and the 28 of the Liberal Democrats.

The Jury Team is committed to changing the way that the BBC decides on election coverage which is mainly on the basis of the results in the previous equivalent election. Sir Paul Judge, Founder of the Jury Team, said:

“By using mainly the results of the last election to decide on coverage the BBC stultifies our political system and entrenches the status quo, not living up to the BBC’s Charter requirement of innovation. People are fed up with the existing political parties. People want to vote for ‘none of the above’. In the 2009 EU elections, two thirds of the electorate did not vote. In the last general election in 2005, 40% of the electorate did not vote but the BBC ignored those licence payers in its election coverage. The BBC should be giving much more coverage to new political parties and ideas.”

By mainly basing election coverage decisions on what happened at the previous election the BBC is failing to take into account:

• the increasing volatility of the electorate
• the fact that the largest party at a general election is the Abstainers and the BBC must strive to find candidates and parties who can represent that two-fifths of the electorate
• the latest polling evidence
• the formation of new political parties and movements

The Jury Team policy is that it is for Parliament to decide how parties may be formed and people may validly be nominated as candidates for elections. Sir Paul added:

“The BBC’s impartiality requires that it treats all candidates the same and should give news coverage to all parties predominantly on the basis of the number of candidates they are putting forward rather than on the basis of previous elections. It is essential that the BBC does give more publicity to new parties in order to help to break the stultifying stranglehold of the current political system.

The BBC must consult widely about their election guidelines as it is quite clear that the decisions made about coverage can affect the result of the election. These decisions must no longer be made in private by the BBC Trust or, even worse, by an individual executive. The BBC also needs better to monitor its election coverage to ascertain what actually happens. It is quite clear from the analysis above by TNS that the coverage policies were not translated into actual coverage. The BBC needs to take its responsibilities for democracy more seriously.”

This need to publicise all strands of opinion on an equal basis was set out in a letter to The Times from David Jordan, BBC Director of Editorial Policy and Standards, who wrote in August 2009:

“Our job is to find the facts, test a wide range of opinion fairly and rigorously and let the audience, armed with the best assessment of the evidence we can provide, make up its own mind.”

The Jury Team is working to persuade the BBC to implement this clear policy in its political coverage.

PRWeb

BNP man denies 7 charges

David Lucas - yet another lunatic from the BNP

A farmer who is a British National Party activist has denied seven firearms and explosives charges. David Lucas, 49, of South Road, Lakenheath, denied the charges at Ipswich Crown Court.

Lucas, who stood as a BNP Euro-MP last year, denied possession of explosives in suspicious circumstances, possessing an explosive substance without a licence, possessing a prohibited weapon, possessing ammunition with intent to endanger life, two charges of possession of prohibited ammunition and possessing ammunition without a firearms certificate.

Judge David Goodin told Lucas his trial should start on July 26 and last four days.

Lucas was released on bail on condition he lives either at South Road, Lakenheath, or at Black Dyke Farm, Hockwold. His passport will remain with the police and he must have no contact with two named people.

Lucas has previously claimed he made gallows for Third World countries.

Newmarket Weekly News

Former BNP candidate to appear in court

A Lakenheath man who stood as a candidate for the BNP has been charged with six offences inrelation to possession of firearms and explosives and will appear in court tomorrow.

Charges against David Lucas, 49, of South Road, Lakenheath, include possession of explosives under suspicious circumstances, possession of a prohibited weapon and possession of prohibited ammunition.

The charges were brought on Thursday following execution of warrants in the Lakenheath and Hockwold areas on April 23. Police said the delay between the original arrest and the charges being brought was because only the Attorney General can authorise charges of this nature.

Mr Lucas was a candidate for the BNP in European elections held earlier this year.

Newmarket Journal

BNP activist charged with explosives and firearms offences

David Lucas, leading BNP activist and all-round nutjob

A leading British National Party activist and Suffolk farmer has been charged by police with a number of explosives and firearms offences.

David Lucas, 49, who once caused controversy for building gallows and selling them to African countries with poor human rights records, was charged yesterdayfollowing his arrest in April. Lucas, of South Road in Lakenheath, stood as one of the eastern region British National Party (BNP) candidates for the European elections in June. He is also a Lakenheath parish councillor.

He has been charged with possession of explosives under suspicious circumstances, possession of an explosives substance without an explosives licence, possession of a prohibited weapon, possession of ammunition with intent to endanger life, possession of ammunition without a firearms certificate and two counts of possession of prohibited ammunition. The charge of possession of explosives under suspicious circumstances can only be brought by police with the authorisation of the Attorney General.

But last night the BNP accused Suffolk Constabulary of persecuting Lucas because he stood for the far-right party. Simon Darby, the deputy leader of the BNP, said Lucas' “troubles” started after he was announced as a candidate for the European election.

“I think the police have got it in for him,” he said. “I would imagine that it is to do with his capacity as an agricultural rural chap. It is just one of the many things that ordinary rural people have to deal with when you have got a politically motivated police force. Obviously if he needs help we will give him that but we will have to see how it pans out. He had a very successful business there and a big market on his farm so he is very well thought of in the area.”

Lucas caused controversy in 2006 when it emerged he was building gallows for export. The execution equipment he sold ranged from single gallows, at about £12,000 each, to “Multi-hanging Execution Systems” mounted on lorry trailers, costing about £100,000. He also allowed the BNP's eastern region to use his barns for a local 'Battle for Britain' fundraising event in the run-up to the European elections.

Last night, David Gathercole, chairman of Lakenheath Parish Council, said he could not comment on the charges against Lucas. But he said: “Unless he is found guilty, he is still an innocent man and can still sit on the parish council.”

Lucas is due before West Suffolk Magistrates' Court in Bury St Edmunds on November 10.

EADT24

BNP to be fined for donations

The British National party (BNP) will be issued with a fine for failing to issue a return to the Electoral Commission concerning its donations. The party will be issued with a separate fine for failing to deliver their latest annual statement of accounts.

"This is unacceptable and the party will be issued with fines for both reporting failures," said Peter Wardle, chief executive of the Electoral Commission. "We will also be assessing the systems they have in place to ensure compliance with the law.”

The BNP were not the only small party to face the disapproval of the commission, with the Co-operative party and the Christian party both reporting "very large" donations late.

"We'll be assessing the systems they have in place to ensure compliance with the law and expect to see them reporting donations on time in the future," Mr Wardle said.

The Conservatives received the most donations, with £6,394,673 going to the opposition. Labour received £4,391,632, while the Liberal Democrats received £1,132,079. The 20 political parties registered in Great Britain received a total of £13.2 million in donations between April and June 2009, according to returns handed in to the commission. Figures were higher than normal, a fact most analysts put down to the local and European elections.

“This was the fourth highest quarter ever for donations – the second highest outside a general election quarter – and we received donations reports from a larger number of parties than usual," Mr Wardle said.

politics.co.uk

Ministers take far-right fight to estates

White, working-class areas to be targeted as Government attempts to thwart rise of the British National Party

White, working-class estates are to be targeted by a government campaign to head off the threat from far-right extremism. A list of "hot spots" considered susceptible to the far-right's messages is being drawn up by officials in the Department for Communities and Local Government. About 100 council wards will be identified by using crime, unemployment, and income data, supplemented by "soft intelligence" from local sources.

Each community will be targeted with "tailored" measures designed to steer them away from the far right. The tactics used will include:

• Holding "open and honest" discussions to allow residents to air grievances without being accused of racism, while tackling immigration "myths";
• Tackling segregation by bringing together people from neighbouring, but ethnically distinct communities;
• Focusing a £1bn new jobs fund on the areas, offering jobs and work experience for unemployed young people;
• Fostering more community leaders, who can help local authorities to respond to the concerns of communities;
• Forcing local authorities to be more transparent on social housing policies.

The nationwide drive comes after the British National Party (BNP) won two seats during the European elections last month.

In an interview with The Independent, John Denham, the Communities Secretary, admitted that the Government had been guilty of failing to communicate with the traditionally Labour-supporting areas in the past and now had to launch a "sustained and visible campaign" to re-engage white, working-class communities with mainstream politics.

"Very few people would actually see themselves as white supremacists or white fascists," Mr Denham said. "But we know that those communities are the ones that often say no one's speaking up for us. That's a sense populist parties can exploit. I think that there has been a concerted effort over the last 10 years to target resources at the most deprived communities. But I think if we're honest about it, the extent to which that work has really engaged a lot of local people has been patchy... Some are undoubtedly people who have voted Labour in the past."

The Government will use the campaign to take on the issue of immigration, explaining its points-based application system and tackling "myths" about social housing. Research published this month revealed that less than 2 per cent of public housing stock was occupied by people who had moved to Britain in the past five years, but a Government report this year found that people on working-class estates believed that refugees were being given priority for social housing.

"The factual evidence about take-up of housing is very clear," said Mr Denham. "But it doesn't mean that people don't believe that new social housing is going to migrants. There is a real discussion to be had about the priority given to the length of time someone has lived in an area – we think that is a legitimate discussion. That enables you to put the facts on the table."

The communities involved are expected to be identified soon after the summer recess, with work beginning in September. The scheme will also focus on highlighting help already available for accessing jobs, housing and child care, as well as action taken to tackle antisocial behaviour and health care.

Independent

Big news from Norwich - ideas win elections

One should not over-elaborate the analysis of elections. The central question is always the same. Who won? This is certainly true of the Norwich North by-election, where Chloe Smith turned Dr Ian Gibson's Labour majority of 5,459 in 2005's General Election into a Conservative majority of 7,348.

Allowing for all the special circumstances, that is probably a good enough result to produce a Conservative victory next year, both nationally and in Norwich North. That is what matters; it is natural for the Conservatives to be delighted with last Thursday's result as well as relieved. Miss Smith is more than entitled to enjoy her triumph.

There are, however, some interesting undercurrents revealed in the Norwich North results. First, there is one piece of excellent news, which I had not totally expected. After its relatively successful result in the European Elections, the British National Party (BNP) thought it a good idea to put up a candidate in Norwich North. It was mistaken. The BNP was beaten into seventh place with just 941 votes.

That does not mean the BNP may not become a future threat, but it does show it has limited appeal outside a few deprived areas. Seventh place in a by-election is a joke position for a group claiming to be a national party.

The result put the Conservatives in first place, Labour second, the Liberal Democrats third, the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) fourth and the Greens fifth.

The result is disastrously bad for Labour. Undoubtedly, Labour voters resented the brutal dismissal of Dr Gibson, a popular and independent-minded local MP. The Labour vote fell by 70 per cent from 21,097 in 2005 to 6,243 in 2009. The opinion polls have been reporting that Labour support in the country has fallen from 36 per cent at the last General Election to a figure in the mid-20s now. Norwich has confirmed the opinion polls reflect reality.

The Conservatives won the seat largely because Labour has become so unpopular. In 2005, the Tories came second in the Norwich seat with 15,638 votes; in last week's by-election they came comfortably first with 13,591. The Tories would have been able to win the seat simply by retaining the support of their past voters, though they did well to increase their share of the votes.

The Lib Dems also had a lower vote in 2009 than they had had in 2005. At the by-election they came third, but they had only 4,803 votes to the 7,616 they had won in 2005. Although Labour did by far the worst, all three traditional parties won fewer votes than they had won at the last General Election.

The three leading parties, taken together, saw their vote fall from 44,300 in 2005 to 26,700 in 2009. Resentment over parliamentary expenses may have partly caused the decline, but an analysis of the vote for the new parties suggests there is more to it than that.

Two of the new parties came just below the three traditional parties in the ranking order. Both had performed reasonably well in the European Elections. UKIP increased its 2005 vote from 1,122 to 4,068 at the by-election. That put it in fourth place. Indeed, UKIP was fewer than 1,000 votes behind the Lib Dems. The Greens increased their General Election vote of 1,252 to 3,350.

Both parties are perceived by the public as single-issue parties. Nevertheless, both were able to increase their votes at a by-election in which the three major parties were unable to do so. Labour's vote was catastrophically lower. Obviously, the European and Green issues are important to voters.

Last week, Labour lost some 15,000 votes, votes that Dr Gibson had won in 2005. No doubt many of these voters simply abstained, but the two new parties gained 5,000 voters.

If Britain had adopted electoral reform, which is the long-standing policy of the Lib Dems, these new parties, including the BNP, would have an opportunity to grow to the point at which they would become natural coalition partners. The parties that are the biggest threat to the established parties would also make the most attractive coalition parties.

The Lib Dems would be attractive coalition partners for Labour, as they have been in Scotland; UKIP might be a potential coalition partner for the Tories, though that would be resisted. The Greens are a threat to the Lib Dems, but could also be their partners. As we do not have proportional representation, this change-your-partners dance will not take place - yet.

Nevertheless, British politics will increasingly be influenced by the single-issue parties. It is no longer reasonable to think UKIP or the Greens are merely crankish parties, bound to fade away. The opinion polls suggest both are in the interesting situation of being single-issue parties whose issues have strong public appeal. Most voters are certainly more conscious of Green issues than they used to be a generation ago; most voters have also become increasingly critical of the European Union and the Lisbon Treaty.

The Lib Dems in the House of Lords voted with the Government against the Lisbon referendum, which the country had been promised. Obviously, Eurosceptics will hesitate before they vote Lib Dem. Support for Green issues crosses the boundaries of other parties - the Tories can claim to have been a Green party for a long time in that they were always the countryside party.

I would not particularly welcome coalitions of conflicting ideas - which electoral reform has created in Scotland - into Westminster. But I do welcome the mixture of ideas which is fermenting in our politics. The Norwich North result supports the forecast that Labour is on the way out and the Tories are on the way in.

Yet it also supports the view that the politics of ideas, which we knew in the Forties, may be coming back. It was the ideas-based parties, UKIP and the Greens, which were the only ones to increase their votes in the Norwich North by-election.

Mail Online

Doctors Angry About BNP Campaign Tactics

Correspondence and a linked Editorial in this week's Lancet criticise the election tactics employed by the British National Party (BNP) prior to the recent European Elections.

Before the European elections last month, the BNP distributed 29 million election leaflets featuring quotes alongside images of archetypal BNP supporters. Among them was a photograph of a white doctor alongside the quote: "I'm voting BNP because I see what immigration has done to the NHS".

Dr Dave Baguley, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, UK, and colleagues say in the Correspondence: "If it were not poisonous enough in itself, the quote becomes more dangerous through its anonymity: without association to a named individual, it reflects all white British doctors. This powerful image might have influenced voters in favour of the BNP; moreover, it has huge potential to damage our vital relationships with patients from ethnic minorities or from other countries."

The people depicted in these BNP leaflets have since been exposed as actors from outside the UK. Dr Baguley and colleagues are frustrated that 'the General Medical Council was unable to take any action unless a "named" doctor was involved.', and that 'The British Medical Association (BMA) chose not to condemn the leaflet through a general press release to avoid giving the BNP further publicity. Instead, a short article appeared in the BMA News. For further action the BMA recommended writing to local newspapers.'

Dr Baguley and colleagues conclude: "The global economic conditions in 1930 were conducive to allowing the Nazi Party to become the second-largest within the Reichstag. In the European elections, significant gains were made by far-right parties with strong anti-immigration policies, reflecting a reaction to mainstream parties' handling of the current economic crisis. The BNP, and other nationalist parties in Hungary and Austria, all won parliamentary seats for the first time. How appropriate is not taking a stand against their extremist and damaging views?

"Our profession's neutrality is a precious virtue, and use of the medical profession to promote any political party is unacceptable. The responsibility for safeguarding the public's perception of doctors is of fundamental importance and something the professional bodies that represent us should protect at any cost."

The Lancet Editorial adds that health tourism is a myth that has long been perpetuated by anti-immigration groups, including the BNP. Meanwhile, the benefits of immigration are rarely reported or promoted by politicians who prefer to make migrants scapegoats for problems in the NHS. In truth, immigration has made a massive contribution to running the NHS. Around 16% of the 1•4 million people who work in the NHS are from a minority ethnic background, including 30% of doctors and nurses, 16% of midwifery and health-visiting staff, and 5-7% of staff in ambulance services.

The Editorial says: "Such diversity has been, and continues to be, essential for providing services not only for the majority white population but also for ethnic minorities, who make up 15% of the population in England. Black and minority ethnic groups will also play a large part in the future of the NHS-around 30% of today's medical students have such a background."

It concludes: "A combination of insidious campaigning tactics by the BNP, low-voter turnout, and increasing concerns amidst the economic crisis led to the election of a party whose dangerous ideas present a threat to health in the UK. Doctors' leaders should be vocal in counteracting these views and supporting the ethnic minority workforce who have provided a vital lifeline to the NHS for decades."

Medical News Today

What YOU think about the BNP vote

The Advertiser took to the streets of Oldham to ask the public what they think about the European Elections and the BNP’s success:

Julie Williams, who works for Oldham Adult Learning Disability Service, did not vote. "I am ashamed of myself, and anyone who didn’t vote should be as well," she said. "When I found out the BNP had won I was absolutely incredulous. I will never not vote again."

Randy Arthurs, 41, from Alt, a father of one who is half Jamaican, fears of a repeat of what happened in 2001. "I am so angry and worried," he said. "I remember seeing the cars on fire and the bad feeling around Oldham. I would hate us to go back to those dark days. We’ve moved on so much."

Damian Hall, 41, from Moorside, said the BNP success is a backwards step for Oldham. "If people disagree with the current Government they should use their vote constructively. This is an ethnically diverse town. There are a lot of organisations and groups that work towards ethnic cohesion. I don’t think Oldham can move forwards with a BNP MEP. You can’t call yourself British or nationalist if you won’t let someone join your party because of the colour of their skin."

Anthony Bromiley, 21, and Jamie Whittleworth, 26, from Shaw, welcomed the BNP victory and said it was a wake up call to the Government. "The country at the moment has gone to the dogs," Anthony said. "Me and my mates feel like our rights and our jobs have been taken off us by immigrants. The Government need to get its priorities sorted and look after those here first who need help."

Jamie said: "I have mates who have left the army because they don’t believe this country is worth fighting for anymore."

Mauaz Ahmad, 23, from Coppice, voted Conservative and is offended that Oldham helped the BNP win. "The BNP is a party which doesn’t acknowledge what the thousands of soldiers who died on D-Day were fighting for," he said, "These men died so we could all be free. The BNP will now have a platform to spread their ‘Nazi’ policies and ideology. It worries me what may happen in Oldham. We have spent the last few years really getting on."

Kirsty Khan, 17, from Shaw, said Oldham will only improve if people become more intergrated. "If you are to live together in a community, you have to contribute to its success. My experience of volunteering for the Princes Trust at Groundwork opened my eyes to the diversity in Oldham. It gave me a different point of view which I will build upon for the rest of my life. If you have a problem with immigrants, you need to remember that these people came here to build a better life for themselves – many escaped torture and war."

Shama Arif, who runs a newsagents on Yorkshire Street said she was scared of the BNP. "There are still issues between people of different backgrounds but it is improving," she said. "I have to agree that the way the Government has handled immigration is appalling and, as a result, all those from different backgrounds are being tarred with the same brush. I’d hate for us to go back to the bad days, but must remember, it is a minority of people that hold such views."

Emma Milligan, 23, from Derker, said: "The political system may be shocking and a lot of people have steered clear of voting, but the BNP is not a serious option for this borough or the country."

Oldham Advertiser

Equality bill 'will make BNP illegal'

The upcoming equality bill will make the British National party's (BNP) membership criteria illegal, Harriet Harman has confirmed.

Speaking during business questions opposite Alan Duncan, Ms Harman responded to concerns about the election of two BNP MEPs last week in the European elections. Ms Harman said she was "shocked and horrified" by their success but went on to say its constitution - which bars non-whites from membership – would become illegal once the equality bill was passed.

"There is no place for a political party in this country to have an apartheid constitution and the equality bill will prevent this from being the case," she said.

Andrew Brons and party leader Nick Griffin were elected as MEPs for the Yorkshire and the Humber and north-west regions with 9.8 per cent and eight per cent respectively in European elections held last week.

Later in the session a Conservative MP suggested to Ms Harman the reason voters in these two "great regions" had turned to the BNP was because of widespread frustration with mainstream parties' ability to deal with the issues of the day.

Ms Harman said that "throughout history" when there had been fear for people's jobs and standards of living "that always provides opportunities for stirring up of apprehension and fear by far-right parties". She added: "There is no place in British national life and democracy for a party that excludes people on the basis of the colour of their skin".

Ms Harman has a strong record on equality issues and is currently minister for women, beyond her roles as deputy Labour leader and leader of the House.

The equality bill consolidates all the UK's disparate equality laws into one piece of legislation, including laws related to the provision of goods and services, although it is unclear if it will be these sections which affect the party.

politics.co.uk

Bogus voter arrested in Cannock

A man has been arrested on suspicion of impersonating a voter during elections in Cannock Chase.

He allegedly cast a vote in another person’s name at the Staffordshire County Council and European Parliament elections last Thursday. Two hours later the real voter arrived at the polling station to cast his vote, which raised the alarm with election officials.

On Thursday night as the votes were being counted at Cannock Chase Leisure Centre, the man was recognised wearing a BNP rosette. He was taken out of the count and arrested. He was then questioned by police and bailed.

The incident was described as “deeply concerning” by district council leader Neil Stanley. Councillor Stanley, whose Liberal Democrats were beaten into fourth place in Etchinghill Ward, Rugeley, added: “I will be speaking to the council chief executive and returning officer, Stephen Brown, to see if measures can be taken to reduce the likelihood of this happening again. This raises questions. It would be difficult to check the vote unless the council wrote to every voter to ask if they did actually vote.”

Mr Brown said: “I would like to thank the presiding officer, whose vigilance ensured that this alleged fraud was swiftly brought to the attention of the police. During the county and European elections on Thursday the man allegedly cast a vote in another voter’s name. This came to light when the real voter arrived at the polling station. We want every voter to be confident that their vote is safe and secure.”

Emma Stanley, spokesman for Staffordshire Police said: “Officers attended Chase Leisure Centre in Cannock on Friday, where they arrested a 39-year-old man from Cannock on suspicion of impersonating a voter. He is currently on conditional bail until July 13.”

Simon Darby, West Midlands spokesman for the BNP, said: “If this is one of our chaps he will have to face court. We have just had two MEPs elected and beaten Labour in South Staffordshire, so we don’t really need to impersonate voters.”

Express and Star

What lies beneath?

This article was submitted by one of our readers, Wes. We welcome any contributions from our supporters (as long as those contributions conform to the law and are in reasonably good taste). Please send your articles to us via email.

Last night at about 1230 I went to bed, already weary that Yorkshire had elected a BNP MEP. In some ways it didn’t hit me as hard as it could have done at this point, the fact it wasn’t the BNP leader Griffin, but in fact a leading figure within the BNP who Griffin sees as troublesome gave me some hope. Hope that if Griffin didn’t get a seat, and it was looking like he wouldn’t the BNP could be torn apart by infighting between these two. So we now had now elected one thanks to Yorkshire. But my own sweet Manchester wouldn’t, would it?

I awoke with hope, to find Nick Griffin had been elected as a North West MEP, by the skin of his teeth (about 5000 votes). The turnouts were around 35% and the percent of the BNP votes were 8 for Manchester and 9.8 for Yorkshire. Meaning on the turnout, and if you accept the voting pattern and generalise (I know it’s not a perfect science, but bear with me), around 1 in 14 people in Manchester voted BNP and 1 in 10 in Yorkshire and the Humber.

So travelling to work on the bus I looked around, who out of these seemingly normal looking people had voted BNP? The bus was full, so at least 2 or 3 by the law of averages would have done. Was it the young mum, the old couple sitting near me, or even the guy I know through friends sat near the back to whom I nodded a greeting as I got on the bus.

It is impossible to tell what lies beneath. I know there are some very obvious BNP supporters keeping the stereotype alive, we all know them; the skinheads, tattoos etc. Yet the BNP received a total of over 250,000 votes between these two regions alone – they can't all be tattooed skinheads, can they?

But were all these BNP voters actually voting for the party they supported – or was it a protest vote against the backdrop of the expenses scandal? The Lib Dems and Tory vote hardly moved, though Labour's vote fell by nearly 8%. So it is interesting when you look at the figures to see that the BNP vote fell in both regions from the numbers from the last election in 2004. So how did they win the seats on a falling vote? Well largely because of that falling Labour vote really, around 400,000 votes were lost by Labour in these two regions since the last election. Nowhere near this amount of votes were picked up by the other parties. Meaning due to the PR system used in this election, Labour's stay at home votes meant even on a falling vote count the other parties still increased their percentage share of the vote and this in turn let the BNP in.

So it is of at least a little comfort that the BNP didn’t win due to receiving a huge rise in votes despite the record amounts they had spent on this campaign, but the simple fact that the governing party couldn’t get its vote out on the day. Things could be much, much worse - imagine if the BNP vote had increased dramatically? I agree it is of little comfort, but it still leaves us with that essential ingredient, that is, in the end, all we need to continue this fight and win this battle against the fascist BNP - HOPE.

Wilders strikes first blow for European extremists

Fears that low turnout and gains by far right will be repeated across the EU

The first killer punch of the European election campaign was struck yesterday by the maverick Dutch politician, Geert Wilders, who scooped 17 per cent of the vote and almost a fifth of his country's seats in the European Parliament running on a populist, anti-immigrant, law and order agenda.

The Dutch result, released two days early – before most Europeans had even cast their votes – sent jitters around a continent fearful that a miserably low turnout will help extremists on both the left and right.

Mr Wilders, refused access to Britain as a rabble-rouser earlier this year, has perfected a form of tolerant intolerance with his Freedom Party and its smartly-suited, middle-class, anti-Islamic and "pro-liberal" values. While the Christian Democrats of Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende managed to keep hold of the largest share of the votes (albeit with the loss of two seats and a mere three-point lead), the Freedom Party romped home in second.

The platinum-blond maverick shot to international prominence for branding the Koran a "fascist book" and releasing a film, Fitna, which depicted Islam as inherently violent. "This is fantastic, a great day for the people who crave another Netherlands, another Europe," declared a triumphant Mr Wilders who won four of the 25 seats up fro grabs. Having beaten the Labour party, the other main bloc in the Prime Minister's coalition, into third place, he claimed the government no longer had a mandate. "The cabinet should step down, the sooner the better," he told Dutch television, although analysts said that was wishful thinking.

In another worrying sign from this founding EU member, turnout in the Netherlands was reported to be down to 36.5 per cent for Thursday's poll, three points lower than the 2004 elections. With that in mind and with the majority of the 27 member states still to vote this weekend, European leaders urged people to the polls. "Everyone must understand that Europe is very important to daily lives," the French President, Nicolas Sarkozy, pleaded.

At European Commission headquarters in Brussels there was anger that the Dutch, in clear breach of the rules, released their results before most of the continent was able to vote. It did "not comply with the spirit" of the EU vote, said spokesman Amadeo Altafaj Tardio. But the low turnout and the resurgence of extreme parties are expected to be familiar themes when the official results start coming in from the rest of the continent tomorrow night.

With the exception of Britain, Ireland and Spain – where those in power are expected to get particularly bloody noses – most ruling parties can expect to follow the Dutch pattern, seeing their support siphoned off by the extreme flanks but managing to eke out a limp endorsement from the electorate.

Chancellor Angela Merkel in Germany, President Sarkozy in France and Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi in Italy will escape the battering which seems certain for Gordon Brown and the Irish PM, Brian Cowen.

Europe-wide trends towards the left and right, pro or anti-Europe, will be difficult to discern. Most national campaigns, in so far as they have stirred popular or media interest at all, have been fought on national themes. Even the low turnout has no Europe-wide explanation. In some countries, such as Poland, it reflects a vague contentment with the EU; in other countries, such as Greece or the Netherlands, there's growing disenchantment.

Here is the great European paradox. European voters complain that the EU is too distant and too abstract; the more power their elected representatives in Brussels and Strasbourg are given, the more the voters shun the European elections. In 1979, turnout was nearly 62 per cent. In 2004, it was 45 per cent. Yet the European Parliament has acquired considerable new powers to amend European legislation. The newly elected assembly will – unless Irish voters reject the Lisbon Treaty again – become virtual co-legislators with governments across the spectrum of EU policy and law-making.

Country by country: How battle shapes up

• Germany: Like Gordon Brown, Chancellor Angela Merkel has campaigned as a "safe pair of hands" for hard times – only she has succeeded. Interest in the election has been low, but Ms Merkel's coalition is forecast to win up to 39 per cent of the vote, despite severe recession and a German habit of turning left, or to extremes, in times of difficulty.
• France: President Nicolas Sarkozy's centre-right UMP will top the poll with about 25 per cent, after stressing law-and-order issues and opposition to Turkish membership. However, the widely forecast meltdown of the divided main opposition party, the Socialists, has failed to materialise. The great winner may be Daniel Cohn Bendit, the student leader in the May protests of 1968, whose ecological, pro-European list may sneak into third place.
• Italy: Despite revelations about his friendship with a teenage girl, and a very public "no" vote from his wife, Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi will probably top the poll. The centre-left Democrats, founded only two years ago, have failed to impress, even with the recession.
• Poland: The centre-right party of the Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, (Civic Platform) is expected to take over 40 per cent. The Eurosceptic Law and Justice party of the President, Lech Kaczynski, and his twin-brother Jaroslaw, the ex-prime minister, is forecast to score only 30 per cent. The great paradox will be the turnout. More than 80 per cent of Poles say they are content with EU membership; less than 20 per cent may bother to vote to prove it.

Independent

Black anti-fascist campaigner beaten by 'BNP thugs'

Racial tension leading up to the European and local elections spilled out onto the streets of London this week after a black anti-fascist campaigner was beaten by a pair of white 'BNP' thugs.

Cops were called to Eltham High Street last Saturday afternoon when the volunteer from Unite Against Fascism was set upon by two men said to be "defending" the British National Party. Their victim had been handing out leaflets urging people not to vote for the controversial far-right party, widely tipped to make an electoral breakthrough on June 4.

Speaking to the News Shopper, fellow UAF volunteer Michael Coulston, 43, from Lewisham, saw the argument start, he said:

"A couple of guys kept walking past and shouting stuff which defended the BNP. They said the BNP acts to protect the British people. But then a black guy shouted out that he was British too. An argument started and then the two white men started punching and kicking him."

The attackers fled before police arrived and the investigation closed as the attackers were not captured on CCTV - The victim escaped without serious injury.

A spokeswoman for Greenwich police said:

"We take incidents of this nature very seriously. This kind of aggressive behaviour will simply not be tolerated and anyone arrested will be thoroughly investigated."

London Daily News

Warning issued over BNP

Church leaders across East Anglia intervened last night in the local and European Parliament elections campaign by warning that voting for the British National Party (BNP) could put the well-being of communities at risk.

Two weeks before polls open for county council and European elections, bishops spanning the denominations issued a joint statement urging people to exercise their right to vote but remain vigilant.

Widespread fears have been voiced that revelations about MPs' allowance claims could prompt disenchanted voters either to shun the polls on June 4 or back fringe parties such as the far-right BNP, which is fielding candidates in more seats than ever before.

“The regional voting system means every vote counts,” the bishops said, of the Euro-poll. “As church leaders in the region, we encourage everyone to exercise their right to vote and to do so with the well-being of all people in our communities in mind.

“The East of England has a notable history of welcoming people fleeing persecution elsewhere in Europe, sometimes on religious grounds. As Christian leaders in this generation, we believe hospitality and living together with mutual respect remain the foundation of a civilised society. All human beings are created equal: that is why racism is a sin.

“Christ calls on us to love our neighbours as ourselves, and in this forthcoming election we believe it is right to be vigilant about any party or individual candidate seeking to use people's fears for their own well-being to stir racial and religious hatred. At a time when many people are anxious about their jobs, finances and future, we pray that the best and most generous traditions of our national life will guide all voters on June 4.”

Clergy in parts of Norfolk say some groups have been leafletting congregations to try to drum up votes.

Norwich Evening News

Right and Wrong

The British National Party is both an ideological disgrace and hopeless in practice. The main parties must do more to encourage voting in the European elections

“Britain today is a society living in fear. Our society is overcrowded, splintered and bankrupt. We stand on the brink of destruction.” Every few years the British National Party claims to have become more sophisticated. But its reliance on an apocalyptic picture of a country on the cusp of collapse is constant. The culprits leading Britain to this brink are, as usual, immigrants, welfare scroungers and an imperial European Union.

That is not to say that the BNP does not pose a genuine threat at the forthcoming European elections. In the North West, for example, where the party’s leader, Nick Griffin, is standing, the BNP only needs to go from 6.4 per cent to 8 per cent to be virtually guaranteed a seat. A single MEP could deliver the BNP as much as £250,000 a year in salaries and office costs. An only slightly bigger increase in the vote is needed in Yorkshire and The Humber and the West Midlands.

There have been false dawns before for the BNP. But there are three reasons to think that this time the danger is more real. First, a high turnout is the best antidote to extremism. The turnout in 2004 was abnormally high — more than double what it had been in 1999 — because council elections took place simultaneously in most of the West Midlands and the North and, in four regions the elections were all-postal ballots. That may not be repeated this time.

Second, the last European election was dominated by the political success of the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) which won 16 per cent of the national vote and gained 12 MEPs. UKIP has now all but imploded: some at least of that anti-European vote is back in play.

Third, recession, rising unemployment and a political class held in low public esteem provide — as government politicians regularly, and counter-productively, remind us — propitious circumstances for the politics of the far Right.

Nobody should have any doubts that these are indeed the politics of the far Right. Non-whites are, in the BNP’s own euphemism, firmly encouraged to seek voluntary repatriation. Party membership is restricted to “indigenous British ethnic groups”. One of the party’s major concerns is what it calls the Islamification of Britain. Even for that sliver of this country that shares such nonsensical views, the BNP is hopeless. Ideologically, they are a disgrace; practically, they are a joke. Like all small extremist parties, they are prone to splintering into even smaller ones. The latest internal dispute led 60 dissidents to begin referring to themselves as the “Real BNP”.

When forced to conduct real local politics the BNP is quickly revealed to be pointless. In Burnley, where three councillors were elected in 2002, the BNP contingent failed to turn up for the meeting to set the budget. In Barking, in 2005, Councillor Daniel Kelley retired after just 10 months, claiming he had been an outcast. In October 2007, James Lloyd, a BNP councillor, was disqualified from Sandwell Council for not attending a single meeting in a six-month period.

It is a good thing that a discenchanted electorate has somewhere else to cast its ballots. But there is no iron of law of politics that decrees that such sentiment needs to be turned to malign effect. In 1989 the Green party won 15 per cent of the popular vote in the European elections. Not even its most committed supporters really interpreted that vote as a sudden upsurge of environmental concern. It was, instead, the register of protest, a claim that none of the main parties had done enough to warrant their support.

To alert voters to the reality of the BNP, the main parties need to make their own case and persuade people that, no matter what they think about the state of politics in general, the BNP is worse than just useless, it is bad. A vote for the BNP is a vote for extremism and intolerance.

Times Online

BNP's attempt to gain first European seat aided by man linked to ANC leader's killer

• Far-right activist arrested over Hani's murder in 1993
• Anti-fascist group warns of BNP 'mask of moderation'

A far-right activist linked to the murderer of the South African Communist party and ANC leader Chris Hani in 1993 is playing an influential role in the British National party in the run-up to next month's European election campaign.

Arthur Kemp runs the party's merchandising arm, Excalibur, and was pictured this week at the BNP's election headquarters in mid-Wales helping to prepare thousands of campaign leaflets.

Hani was one of South Africa's most popular and skilled black politicians and his killing was an attempt to derail the transition from apartheid to democracy. Kemp, the author of March of the Titans: A History of the White Race, was one of a number of people arrested in connection with the murder. He was released without charge but information drawn from a list of names he produced was found at the home of anti-Communist activist Janusz Walus, who was one of two men convicted of the shooting.

At the subsequent trial, at which he appeared as a prosecution witness, Kemp admitted producing a list of names but denied having knowingly supplied a "hitlist". The list had Nelson Mandela's name at the top; Hani's was third.

Kemp's book, which is popular with far-right activists around the world, questions the number of Jews killed in the second world war.

Kemp worked for the white supremacist South African Conservative party before moving to the UK in 1996. He joined the BNP and now helps edit the party's website and is widely seen as one of leader Nick Griffin's key policy advisers.

Last night a spokesman for the BNP said Kemp was a "valued member" of the party but said he did not have an official role in the election campaign. Kemp said he was "just an ordinary volunteer".

Kemp's involvement emerged as an internal memo revealed a growing anxiety within the BNP that "careless extremism" could spoil the party's chances of securing its first MEP in June's elections.

The document, sent to activists last weekend, states: "Any adverse publicity arising from careless remarks reported in the press could wreck our chances of election so please make all your members aware that they should observe the utmost caution in this respect."

However the BNP's attempts to brand itself as a mainstream party have been hampered by the actions of its two most senior figures in the last two weeks:

• Griffin was widely criticised for defending a BNP leaflet that said black and Asian Britons "do not exist" and should be referred to as "racial foreigners". He added that a "bloodless genocide" was taking place in the UK.
• Deputy leader Simon Darby described the Archbishop of York, John Sentamu, as an "ambitious African" and said Sentamu's fellow Ugandans threw spears at their enemies.
• Photographs emerged of Griffin alongside former Ku Klux Klan grand wizard Stephen "Don" Black – one of the extremists banned from the UK by the home secretary, Jacqui Smith.

Last night Darby said he and Griffin stood by their statements even if they risked offending some people. "In a way I am happy to be distanced from other politicians when you see what is happening with MPs' expenses … we are not in it for the money," he said.

A spokesman for Searchlight, the anti-fascist organisation which uncovered the picture of Kemp at the BNP's election headquarters, said the party's attempt to portray itself as a mainstream organisation was "unravelling". "The plan was to present a moderate facade until polling day, but even before the campaign has formally been launched their mask of moderation has been torn away," he said.

Some analysts believe the BNP could win up to six seats in the European parliament although it appears the party is planning to concentrate most of its efforts on two regions – the North West, where Griffin is standing, and the West Midlands.

In the North West Griffin needs 9% of the vote to be guaranteed a seat but could be elected with 7.5%. In 2004 the BNP polled 6.4% but has since broadened its campaign beyond its traditional heartlands of east Lancashire and Greater Manchester to include areas such as Cumbria and Merseyside. In the West Midlands it needs around 11.5% of the vote to be guaranteed an MEP – 4% more than it achieved in 2004. Analysts believe the collapse of support for the UK Independence party and growing disillusionment with the three main parties, especially Labour, may play into their hands.

In the last 12 months senior figures in the BNP, hopeful of a breakthrough and a windfall of up to £2m in funding, have attended a series of meetings with extremist groups across Europe in an attempt to prepare the way for a far right coalition.

Last month Darby was pictured arriving at a conference in Milan flanked by men giving a one-armed fascist salute. Roberto Fiore, leader of Forza Nuova, a rightwing Italian party, who once said he was happy to be described as a neo-fascist, was present, as was French National Front MEP and convicted Holocaust denier Bruno Gollnisch. Darby spoke of the "looming and growing problem of the colonisation of our country [UK] by Islamists".

In October Griffin addressed a crowd of far-right activists in Prague including hundreds of members of the Czech National party which has produced a study titled The Final Solution of the Gypsy Question. He also spoke at a nationalist rally in Hungary telling the crowd: "We are all in the same struggle against the same enemies. Now we all stand together in a long march for freedom and the next step on that long march to freedom is June 2009."

Last night Darby said the BNP did not agree with everyone it shared a platform with, adding the party was trying to promote a "sensible nationalism" to stop the UK becoming an "Islamic Marxist" state.

However, Labour MP Jon Cruddas said the BNP was attempting to use the elections to build "a pan-European network of hate".

"They know for every MEP they get elected they will secure hundreds of thousands of pounds of taxpayers' money to subsidise the campaigns of prejudice, extremism and division."

Guardian

Parties join forces to fight BNP

Senior politicians are drawing up cross-party plans to fight the British National party in next month’s local and European elections, amid fears the far-right party could stage advances by exploiting an “anti-politics” tide sweeping the country.

Harriet Harman, deputy Labour leader, and Eric Pickles, Tory chairman, will hold talks next week to draw up a strategy designed to isolate the BNP and to co-ordinate a united response in areas where the party is campaigning.

Ms Harman will propose that mainstream parties should not share a platform with BNP candidates and that they should avoid campaigning on issues that stoke sentiment against foreigners. There has also been talk of setting up a “hotline” where Labour, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats would share intelligence on BNP activity. The mainstream parties, and possibly church and other voluntary groups, would then knock on doors to try to raise voter turnout in an attempt to dilute the BNP vote.

Ms Harman has angered her opposite numbers by twice cancelling meetings to discuss the strategy. Lord Rennard, the veteran Lib Dem campaigner, will argue against making joint statements about the BNP on the grounds that they would give the party free publicity.

The rightwing party has long traded on its hostility to immigration and foreigners generally, but is now mining a seam of anger towards politicians, fuelled by stories about expenses claims.

Simon Darby, deputy BNP leader, said on Thursday his party aimed to exploit anger towards “professional politicians”. He said the party would field more than 400 candidates for county council elections on June 4 – nominations closed on Thursday – and that it would field a full slate for the European elections on the same day.

The proportional voting system in the European polls has raised the prospect of the BNP winning its first seats in Strasbourg, with Mr Darby claiming a target of five or six seats was “attainable”.

Hazel Blears, communities secretary, has admitted: “The BNP have got into ‘anti-politics’, which taps into a very resonant public mood.”

Labour’s discontent with the leadership of Gordon Brown is likely to be put on hold until after the polls, but could flare up if the party loses its last four county councils and fares badly in the European elections.

Financial Times

Leaflets blitz to oppose the BNP

Carlisle Against Racism is leafleting every house in the city as part of their fight to stop the British National Party (BNP) gaining local seats.

The push was launched before the European Parliament and county council elections on June 4.

In recent weeks, right-wing BNP supporters have had a high-profile presence in the city centre, where they have been handing out flyers. Carlisle Against Racism aims to counteract that by delivering 30,000 leaflets direct to households and organising anti-racism events. Teams began delivering them this week.

Members will also be visiting towns across north Cumbria to help other groups and set up new ones where needed.

Activities will also be taking place in the city centre on Saturdays to spread the word among shoppers. This includes a visit from Unite Against Fascism and, on May 30, a Day of Action with trade union groups. On May 15, Carlisle Against Racism is supporting Union Friday, when workplaces will be leafleted and there will be a lunchtime rally in Carlisle city centre.

The Cumberland News