BNP's James Lloyd kicked out at last

A Tipton BNP councillor has been kicked off Sandwell Council for failing to attend a single authority meeting in the last six months.

James Lloyd, who represented the Princes End ward, has been disqualified as a result of his absence and failing to explain why. The councillor, first elected in 2004, was sent a letter from the authority’s chief executive Allison Fraser yesterday informing him of the decision.

In her letter, Dr Fraser said: “You last attended a meeting of the authority on April 12, 2007 when you were recorded as being in attendance at a meeting of the Employment Appeals Panel. During six months you have not provided reasons for your failure to attend and have not sought approval from the authority. You have now ceased to be a member of the authority.”

The disqualification will be announced to members at a meeting of the full council on October 30. Mr Lloyd said today he was not aware of the council’s decision and had been working away from home.

The BNP member was at the centre of a scandal in January when he was asked to quit as licensee of the Lagoon pub in Princes End following a string of violence.

He said today: “Since I lost the business I have been forced to take a building site job in Oxfordshire, working up to 15 hours a day. I have been coming back to Sandwell at weekends, but my phone is on 24/7 for the people who voted for me.”

Express and Star

The Red White And Blue Lagoon

THE LAGOON PUB in Tipton offers an insight into how the British National Party run their affairs.

Cllr Jamie Lloyd: dodged a bullet fired by a man in his pub. Sandwell Council stripped the landlord of his licence to run the drinking den recently after a spate of violent incidents, including beatings. The landlord, Jamie Lloyd, is also a BNP Sandwell councillor, former parliamentary candidate in West Bromwich West, and local leader of the far-right party. On one occasion a man entered the establishment brandishing a machete, and on another a man fired a semi-automatic weapon, reportedly at councillor Lloyd. Police eventually lost patience with the Lagoon, which is situated in Princes End, the ward represented by Councillor Lloyd, and in January the Council's licencing committee closed the pub. Cllr Lloyd is reported to have failed to report the incident to police, and hampered their enquires by failing to give a statement and delaying the handing over of CCTV footage. Until its' closure, the Lagoon served effectively as the BNP's local "headquarters", and a regular drinking hole for BNP foot soldiers, and the pub football team - the Tipton Boilers - played in a strip sponsored by the party. The Football Association later ruled that soccer teams are forbidden from wearing a strip that displayed a political message. The Lagoon was also noted for hanging effigies of three Tipton terror suspects held in Guantanamo Bay, who were later released without charge. If this is how the BNP run a pub, some locals have mused, what horrors lie in wait should they get their hands on political power. BLACK INFORMATION LINK

GMB activists join campaign to defeat BNP in forthcoming local elections in Sandwell

Election campaign against BNP in Sandwell part of a co-coordinated push nationally to defeat racism and fascism on our streets and council chambers as Hope not Hate Big Red Bus prepares to visit Manchester, Keighley, Bradford, Dewsbury, Leeds, the set of Emmerdale Farm, Newcastle, Sunderland and Glasgow.

Well over 200 people from three political parties, ten trade unions, MP's, including John Cruddas MP for Dagenham who is standing in the Deputy leadership contest, local councillors, and many others helped deliver over 45,000 tabloid newspapers to the local community in Sandwell yesterday 1st April 2007, along with leaflets promoting Hope over the politics of division and hatred of the BNP.

Over 40 GMB members took part in this activity, some for the first time. These members also helped deliver en mass thousands of Searchlight newspapers in the afternoon with Billy Bragg to every local household next to the BNP former stronghold The Lagoon pub in the Princess End, which until recently was run by Jamie Lloyd the local BNP councillor.

The event was part of the Hope not Hate tour that is currently touring the country in the big red bus celebrating modern Britain. This features entertainment by the local all nations steel band and the legendary folk singer and committed anti racist Billy Bragg. Hope not Hate Big Red Bus now prepares to visit Manchester, Keighley, Bradford & Dewsbury, Leeds & the set of Emmerdale Farm, Newcastle & Sunderland and Glasgow (see notes to editors for dates).

Mick Rix, GMB National Officer said: "GMB was proud and privileged to have helped and be a part of organising a hugely successful anti fascist - anti racist day of action, in Sandwell. Our members were accompanied by the Hope Not Hate big red bus, 45,000 tabloid newspapers were delivered in record time, by 2pm. A free show by the All Nations Steel Band was put on for the shoppers in the Market and at ASDA in West Bromwich, where again over three thousand newspapers, leaflets, balloons and badges were given out.

Leaflets were delivered to households near the BNP former stronghold, The Lagoon pub, which until recently was run by Jamie Lloyd the local BNP councilor. This was recently closed down on the advice of the police after many violent attacks took place there. Apparently Mr. Lloyd who was running the pub at the time refused to hand over CCTV evidence of these attacks in which it is alleged there was a shooting and in a separate

incident a machete attack. In their submission to the councils licensing committee the police concluded: "That Lloyd had little or no concern for the safety of his customers in general". Which raises further questions over the BNP claims to be a party of law and order.

The Lloyd family is no stranger to violence, Lloyd's sons have been continually in trouble with the police, and one is currently in prison serving a three year term. "

GMB