Burnley BNP supporter’s appeal fails

A POLITICIAL campaigner claims he set off a Burnley Town Hall fire alarm because he feared people were trapped behind a fire door.

But town hall staff insist they had told British National Party supporter John Rowe that the venue’s public gallery had been closed for a full council meeting in February, 2008, Burnley Crown Court heard.

Councillors and mayor Coun Ida Carmichael, along with staff and the public, were forced to evacuate the building just after 7pm.

Police arrested Rowe, who was found inside the town hall complex and he was later convicted by Burnley magistrates of causing criminal damage. He later lodged an appeal against the ruling.

Problems began when Rowe, 54, of Tennis Street, Burnley, arrived to witness the council meeting, the crown court was told.

Because of previous altercations with officials, Rowe had been told that he must give 48 hours notice, in writing or by telephone, if he wanted to turn up for meetings.

Head porter David Bristow said Rowe, who attended the meeting with a pushbike, was told he should not sign the visitors’ book as he was barred from the proceedings.

Mr Bristow said: “He was obviously upset and said it was ‘bloody ridiculous’ that he was not allowed in, and that he had every right to be in there as a member of the public and a council tax payer.”

Giving evidence later, receptionist Diane Whittle said she told Rowe that the gallery was closed for the meeting.

Mercedes Jabbari, representing the respondents, said Rowe was seen walking along a corridor towards the gallery when the alarm sounded.

Martin Hackett, defending, said Rowe’s case was that, on finding the door to the gallery locked, he genuinely believed people on the landing would be trapped in the event of a fire.

Rowe said, in the witness box: “It appeared to me that if I was locked out then other people would be locked in.”

Earlier Mr Bristow had said that the fire door could only be opened from the inside.

Judge Andrew Woolman, sitting with magistrates, dismissed Rowe’s appeal.

Lancashire Telegraph

Injunction sought against former Burnley council candidate

A former council candidate could be barred from town hall meetings if an application for a county court injunction is successful. Borough council chiefs in Burnley have formally applied for a court order which would prevent British National Party member John Rowe, 52, from attending the local authority’s meetings in future.

The announcement comes as Rowe, of Tennis Street, Burnley, was convicted of causing criminal damage to a fire alarm at the town hall in May. Following the incident, a Burnley full council meeting had to be temporarily suspended as councillors, officers and Mayor, Coun Ida Carmichael, had to be evacuated from the town hall.

Rowe, then of Cowper Street, was originally issued with an £80 fixed penalty notice regarding the offence, which he refused to pay. As a result he was summonsed to appear before Burnley magistrates where he pleaded not guilty to the offence. But he was convicted after a trial and conditionally discharged for 12 months and ordered to pay £200 costs.

Rowe failed to appear in court on one occasion and a warrant was issued for his arrest. He was detained by police while attending another Burnley full council meeting. He also attempted to attend a subsequent full council meeting in October but was turned away at the town hall entrance by police.

The council meeting disruption was condemned at the time by police and council chief executive Steve Rumbelow.

Court officials have confirmed that Rowe, who unsuccessfully stood as a BNP candidate in Rosegrove with Lowerhouse in 2007, intends to appeal against the magistrates’ verdict. But it has now emerged that council officials are taking legal steps to permanently exclude him from town hall meetings.

A Burnley council spokesman said: “We are in the process of applying for an interim injunction against Mr Rowe.”

For the hearing, later this year, Mr Rowe is understood to have called a number of witnesses, including council leader Coun Gordon Birtwistle.

Mr Rowe was unavailable for comment last night.

Lancashire Telegraph

Police eject BNP man from Burnley Town Hall

A Burnley Council meeting was disrupted when police entered the council chamber and ejected a former British National Party candidate from the public gallery.

Three officers arrived at Burnley Town Hall on Wednesday night to arrest Rosegrove with Lowerhouse candidate Mr John Rowe after he appeared in the public gallery despite a warrant earlier being issued for his arrest.

Mr Rowe, who has been defeated in the last two elections, has a long-standing dispute with the council, which has led to him being barred from council buildings. The warrant for his arrest was made when he failed to attend court over allegations he set off a fire alarm at an earlier Burnley Council meeting. Police had issued him with an £80 fixed penalty notice in relation to an offence of criminal damage.

Council leader Coun. Gordon Birtwistle slammed Mr Rowe's latest actions as "outrageous" and said he was "disrupting the democratic process of the council".

He said: "I understand there was a warrant out for his arrest and somebody must have tipped the police off that he was here. I know he has been defeated twice in elections, but there are many other defeated candidates who accept it and do not behave like this. He wants to stop the work of Burnley Council, but cannot be allowed to do this."

Leader of Burnley BNP Coun. Sharon Wilkinson described Mr Rowe as a strong-willed man and said she could not disown him. She said: "I feel John Rowe and members of Burnley Council should sit down and try to solve their dispute. He is not a councillor so I cannot really tell him what to do, and I cannot disown him as he has stood for us in the past. I think he is a brave man by standing for us, but there is a dividing line which is why he needs to resolve this dispute."

Arrangements have been made for Mr Rowe to return to Burnley Police Station.

Burnley Express

Arrest warrant issued for Burnley politician

 

The BNP's John Rowe, smirking as he's nicked for being a moron

A warrant has been issued after a political campaigner failed to attend court over allegations that he used a fire alarm to disrupt a town hall meeting.

Councillors and Burnley Mayor Coun Ida Carmichael, along with chief executive Steve Rumbelow and his directors, were forced to abandon the town hall after the alarm interrupted a full council meeting in May. Rowe, formerly of Cowper Street, Burnley, was later arrested by Lancashire Police and taken to the town's police station for questioning after allegedly being found trapped inside a town hall compound, following the incident.

Police later issued British National Party council candidate John Rowe, 52, with an £80 fixed penalty notice, in relation to an offence of criminal damage.

Rowe was summonsed to appear before Burnley Magistrates Court, to face a full criminal hearing after he was alleged not to have paid the charge. His case yesterday had originally been adjourned from August 11, to enable him to attend court. But when he did not appear magistrates issued a warrant backed by bail for his arrest.

Following his arrest in May, Rowe said he would be seeking legal advice about the matter, claiming that the council's chief executive had acted illegally in barring him from the authority's meetings. Council sources have previously confirmed that Rowe can only attend meetings with prior written consent, following a number of angry stand-offs at previous council sessions.

Police and council bosses hit out after the incident in May, saying that vital resources could have been diverted from a genuine emergency.

Rowe has twice stood unsuccessfully for the Rosgrove with Lowerhouse ward on Burnley council. His first attempt for political office ended in an High Court battle, after the BNP candiate tied with Labour councillor Paul Reynolds. Law lords rejected his claim that a single vote, cast in Coun Reynolds' favour, should have been discounted as it was marked with a diagonal stroke instead of a full 'X'.

Lancashire Telegraph

Police called to Burnley council meeting - BNP candidate sets off fire alarm

John Rowe - yet another BNP criminal and idiot

A British National Party council candidate has been fined for setting off a fire alarm which caused a Burnley town hall to be evacuated.

Political campaigner John Rowe, 52, had been barred from attending a meeting of Burnley's full council when the drama unfolded. Moments later the fire alarm sounded and new Mayor Coun Ida Carmichael, who was taking her inaugural meeting, and fellow councillors were asked to clear the building.

Council insiders said that Mr Rowe had tried to escape via a fire exit but had found himself trapped in a courtyard inside the town hall complex, where he was later found by council officers. Mr Rowe, of Cowper Street, Rosegrove, was later issued with an £80 fixed penalty notice for criminal damage. But he remained defiant about his stance following the incident, amid criticism from police and political rivals.

Mr Rowe said: "I think it is completely improper and there is no justification from barring me from council meetings, and prevent me from council buildings."

He says that he will be seeking legal and political advice over the situation but that the matter "might just die a death".

Mr Rowe has accused council chief executive Steve Rumbelow from excluding him for "political reasons". He says that if the chief executive or council wanted to bar him from their premises then they would need a county court injunction.

"The did not do that because they know perfectly well that it would not have been granted," added Mr Rowe.

Following the town hall incident, Mr Rumbelow said: "It is not the disruption to our meeting that concerns me so much as the fact that this mindless act risked lives in other parts of Burnley; our emergency services could have been needed elsewhere. This completely irresponsible act wastes taxpayers money and has put lives of Burnley folk at risk."

Sgt Martin Selway, of Burnley police, added: "The police will take false alarms extremely seriously. Not only does it disrupt police and the fire service but it cause unnecessary disruption for member of the public and potentially puts lives at risk."

A spokesman for Burnley council's ruling Liberal Democrats said: ""People were shocked by Rowe's behaviour. We now know that he did not intend to endanger life directly, but he must realise that his hoax has put lives at risk by distracting the fire service and police from essential duties. In addition to the risk, there is also the cost. Around six police officers and a fire crew attended the building. Forty councillors, the mayor, at least seven council staff plus members of the public all had their democratic business suspended and were forced to wait outside for the all-clear. How such a man is considered by the BNP as a suitable candidate for a public election is beyond us."

Burnley Citizen

Council chief hits out at BNP

Burnley Council's Chief Executive Steve Rumbelow has blasted the British National Party for appealing a "tied" local election result which has left four people facing massive legal costs. High Court judges ruled the result of the May 3rd Rosegrove with Lowerhouse election result will stand in favour of victorious Labour candidate Paul Reynolds over his BNP rival John Rowe whose four supporters face £30,000 in costs.

The disputed election result was declared a tie by the Returning Officer Mr Steve Rumbelow who then drew lots resulting in Paul Reynolds emerging victorious.

Four voters – Michelle Pilling, Scott Atkinson, Susan McDevitt and Iain Smith – challenged the result of the poll, but now face £30,000 in legal cost bills after judges Mr Justice Tugendhat and Mr Justice Blake ruled the disputed ballot paper had been rightly counted in Mr Reynolds' favour.

Burnley Council Chief Executive Mr Rumbelow claimed the petitioners did not get proper legal advice and had been "cajoled into going on a fishing trip".

He said: "Four citizens of Burnley have been put in a position where they face substantial costs, which could have been avoided. The fact that it's four individuals means the British National Party isn't liable for any of the costs despite the fact they've been using this for party political means."

The four petitioners had originally disputed the validity of three ballot papers, but the challenge of two ballots was withdrawn. The disputed ballot paper had a diagonal mark in the left hand column beside the number of the Labour candidate – rather than a cross in the right hand column – but judges ruled the Returning Officer had rightly discerned the voter's intention to cast his vote for Labour.

Labour group leader Coun. Andy Tatchell said: "We are understandably pleased at the decision. Paul Reynolds has done a good job despite the distractions. We were happy on the day that everything was done within the regulations and were rather bewildered that an appeal was made."

Defeated Mr Rowe said: "I'm not sorry we brought this case. I think it is good we brought it because it establishes what the law is. I don't want to be on bad terms with Mr Reynolds because a time may come when we will both be councillors. Until I see the reasoned judgement, I don't know whether we're going to appeal."

Burnley Express

BNP keeps a brave face as disappointments keep on coming

This last few days must have been terribly disappointing for the BNP.

Not that we care, but we'd imagine Nick Griffin would have liked something to cheer up the troops after the ructions of the past couple of months and after the resignations of Alans Warner and Bailey from their positions of, respectively, town and real councillor.

Happily, the situation has gone from bad to worse. Despite putting everything into a major fight to win a mere parish seat (so desperate are they for a win of any kind) for dismal Donna Bailey at Upper Beeding, the far-right party was pipped at the post by twenty votes.

Joyce Shaw (Ind): 297
Donna Bailey (BNP): 277
Becky Davoubi (Ind): 196

Bailey, variously described by the creepier than usual BNP as the British National Party Blond Bombshell and brave (why brave?), received an astonishing amount of support for her campaign and cost the local council tax payer a few thousand quid just to prove the party could lose even where it had its own version of Julie Andrews standing for it. Even when the Dail Mail had assisted by printing a two-page puff-piece about her.

James Clayton (see pic), though no blond bombshell, deserved more support from his wretched party than he actually got. No mass leaflettings for him, no double-page spreads in the Mail and no commiserating posts on the BNP website either.

Despite standing for a real council seat (on Wyre Borough Council) and probably being its youngest candidate, the BNP chose to ignore young Master Clayton, which might explain why he bombed at the polls.

Con 769
Lab 339
BNP 222
UKIP 151

So nice to see the BNP failing its young up and comers.

But these results pale almost into insignificance at the latest news - that the High Court has awarded the disputed (see here and here) Burnley seat of Rosegrove and Lowerhouse to the Labour candidate, Paul Reynolds, leaving the BNP's John Rowe with egg on his face and a bill estimated at around £30,000.

Given the BNP's treatment of Sharon Ebanks (and she was only stuck for £5000 after following the party's advice and taking her disputed vote to the High Court), we'd advise Rowe to grab the money NOW before the party changes its mercurial mind and tells him to get lost, or to save time and declare himself bankrupt now.

If the BNP really intends to cover the costs of this wasted case, we wonder how the funds will be found - a raid on Nick Griffin's legendarily deep pockets, a dig into the hidden donations from Civil Liberty or the Trafalgar Club or yet another begging letter to the members. Or maybe it'll just come out of the membership fees paid for this year - a juicy thousand of them.

Antifascist

BNP's "Blonde Bombshell" misfires

Elevating an obscure and unimportant parish council by-election into a matter of national importance, the BNP somehow got itself to believe that the election of Donna Bailey to Upper Beeding Parish Council was a forgone conclusion.

Carried away with the idea that a pretty face and a much discussed article in the Daily Mail (which BNP members linked to on almost every forum they infest) would secure Donna's victory, they seemed to forget that the BNP was also contesting a real election for a real council with real power on the same night in Lancashire.

Having demanded co-option on to Upper Beeding Parish Council (Sussex), Donna Bailey and her vociferous band of supporters forced the council into the needless expense of a by-election when she was refused.

Bailey stood as an "independent", as did the two other candidates opposing her, but it was very clear from the beginning that the BNP regarded her as anything but "independent" - and it seems that the voters of Upper Beeding were of the same mind.

Proving beyond any doubt that Upper Beeding Parish Council were right not to cave in to her demands for co-option, Bailey came second, rejected by nearly two-thirds of local voters:

Joyce Shaw (Ind): 297
Donna Bailey ("Ind"): 277
Becky Davoubi (Ind): 196

A twenty vote shortfall, but, given the hype and the media coverage Donna Bailey and this by-election have received, a real embarrassment for the BNP and its golden goddess, who expected to win this contest by a wide margin.

We await the stock BNP excuses that Donna wuz nobbled.

Back in the real world of real politics that matter, BNP candidate James Clayton took part in a four-cornered contest in Victoria ward (Cleveleys) for a seat on Wyre Borough Council. Last May Victoria ward returned as follows:

UKIP 353
Lab 474
Lab 472
Con 1351 Elected
Con 1150 Elected
Con 1165 Elected

In May 2007 Clayton fought Cleveleys Park ward, coming seventh of eight candidates, with 19.6% (after vote averaging). Last night in staunchly Conservative Park ward, Clayton managed a so-so 14.99%:

Con 769 (51.92)
Lab 339 (22.89)
UKIP 151 (10.20)
BNP 222 (14.99)

Total 1481

The BNP did nibble into the UKIP vote, but UKIP's surviving 10.2% gives lie to the BNP fantasy that UKIP voters are always interchangeable with its own. Disappointed BNP supporters not getting the message that to be anti-Europe is not to be pro-fascist were this morning sourly condemning the UKIP as "ludicrous" and "pointless".

Just like that costly by-election one of their supporters forced on Upper Beeding Parish Council.

Denise G