MP attacks BNP governor

The Leader of the House of Commons, Sir George Young, is to ask the Schools Minister to consider whether it is appropriate for BNP councillors to serve as school governors.

The move follows the matter being raised in the Commons by Stoke-on-Trent South MP Rob Flello yesterday. He asked Sir George to make a statement about the "appropriateness" of BNP councillors being governors.

Mr Flello said: "I am looking at a photograph of a British National Party councillor, Steve Batkin, with some individuals who are doing Nazi salutes outside a war memorial. Will the Leader of the House consider making time for a statement about the appropriateness or otherwise of BNP councillors who hold such appalling views and who consort with such individuals serving on governing bodies such as that of Edensor High School in my constituency?"

This is Staffordshire

Defector damages BNP election plan

Alby Walker: kicking Simon Darby where it hurts

The BNP's hopes of winning a maiden Parliamentary seat in Stoke-on-Trent are in disarray today following the defection of one of its most popular members

Alby Walker now intends to stand against the far-right party's deputy leader, Simon Darby, in the General Election. Mr Darby has set his sights firmly on snatching Labour MP Mark Fisher's Stoke-on-Trent Central seat. And he had confidently predicted that Councillor Walker was to manage his campaign.

Mr Darby sees the seat as winnable, due to public discontent with mainstream politicians, and is bullish about his chances. But The Sentinel can exclusively reveal that, far from masterminding Mr Darby's campaign, Councillor Walker actually intends to stand against him as an independent candidate.

The embarrassing blow comes as Mr Darby and BNP leader Nick Griffin are due to launch their national election strategy, and their challenge for the Stoke Central seat, in the city today. Councillor Walker's move is likely to split the right-wing vote, as he has a personal following in his own Abbey Green ward.

Speaking yesterday, Mr Darby seemed to have no idea that his former ally would be fighting him for the same seat. He said: "I don't think that's the case at all. I've not heard anything about that. I know that anything can happen in politics, but I wouldn't have thought that was true."

He added: "It was Alby that asked me to stand and offered to be my election agent, so I can't see him standing against me for the same seat."

But when confronted yesterday about rumours of his political defection from the BNP, Councillor Walker admitted he is planning to quit the party and stand against Mr Darby. He said: "I am not going to deny the rumours about standing as an independent candidate, although I would need to find a financial backer in order to make that happen. I was going to walk away from politics, but so many people in my ward have begged me to stand because they feel I have worked hard for them as a councillor. I am therefore considering standing for re-election as an independent councillor as well as standing for the Parliamentary seat."

Mr Walker, who stood down as the BNP's city council group leader without warning last month, said he had become increasingly disenchanted with politics and wanted to focus on helping residents. He said: "I'm fed up of party politics. I believe it is fragmenting the council and hurting the city because nothing is getting done. Being a councillor has really opened my eyes and I realise that the only important thing is the residents and the community."

He added: "I have been heartened by the approaches I have had from many people in my ward asking me to stand, but I am only willing to stand as an independent and work for local residents."

The Sentinel

Bercow breaks convention to attack BNP

He swept to office on the back of a promise to break with tradition. But John Bercow, the Speaker of the Commons, has been accused of taking his shake-up of the role too far after he unleashed an attack on the British National Party.

Centuries of political impartiality demanded of the Speaker were rolled back in spectacular fashion by Mr Bercow yesterday, as he described the far-right party as "evil", adding that it was a "poison which we could well do without". It is thought to be the first time that a Speaker has ever launched such an assault on a legal party.

Mr Bercow, who was in the Speaker's chair to oversee the first ever UK Youth Parliament session taking place in the Commons, earned cheers and even a standing ovation from the delegates for his outburst. "I'm under absolutely no obligation whatsoever to be impartial as between the forces of democracy on the one hand and the forces of evil on the other," he said. "I do feel very, very, very strongly as someone from a Jewish background that the evil of the BNP is that its whole politics is based upon and driven by hate. That is a poison which we could well do without."

While the Speaker is always expected to remain independent while overseeing business in the Commons, Mr Bercow may be saved from censure because Parliament was not technically sitting. The ornamental mace, which marks that the Commons is in formal session, was not in place during his comments.

Mr Bercow asked the delegates to reflect on history, during which political extremists had always sought to capitalise on discontent. "The Nazis in Germany in the 30s, and the neo-Nazis today, seek to scapegoat whole communities as they peddle their message of hate and scurrilously appeal for support," he said. "They depend on either ignorance, or apathy. And the counter to ignorance and apathy is education, interest and participation – all of which you have displayed today."

Simon Darby, the deputy leader of the BNP, said the outburst was "quite shocking" and broke the rules of the office of Speaker. "He is meant to be independent and this kind of outburst is quite extraordinary," he said. "We are hopeful of performing well at a general election and if he is still the Speaker, I do not see how he could possibly continue in the role. He has jeopardised his position."

Overseeing the Youth Parliament session, the first time non-MPs have ever been allowed to use the Commons, Mr Bercow said that MPs had been "vindicated" in allowing the chamber to be used by the 300 delegates, who were aged between 12 and 18. More than 100 were given the chance to speak in debates on tuition fees, crime, transport, the economy and the voting age. A small group of Tory backbenchers had tried to block the move.

Independent

BBC Director-General - BNP will get annual Question Time slot

The British National Party will be granted up to one appearance on Question Time each year if it maintains its current level of public support, the Director-General of the BBC said today.

Giving evidence to the House of Lords communications committee, Mark Thompson was asked about the controversial appearance of Nick Griffin, the BNP leader, on last week’s instalment of the BBC’s flagship political panel programme.

Mr Thompson said that the party’s showing in the European elections earlier this year, when it gained two MEPs, meant that the BBC had no choice but to include it in some editions of Question Time. He said: “The underlying support for the BNP is 2 to 3 per cent. In the European elections they got 6 per cent. This isn’t an absolute, precise science. I think you’re talking about a party, if it continued to get that level of support, [getting] no more than one [appearance] a year and perhaps less.”

Mr Thompson admitted that it was the BBC that approached the BNP to appear, rather than vice-versa, adding that the corporation had been considering the move for “months and years”. He said that it was his decision, as editor-in-chief of the corporation, to extend an invitation to Mr Griffin, and that as Parliament had not banned the party it was not appropriate for him to deny it access.

Under a barrage of questions from Lord Fowler, the chairman of the committee, Mr Thompson said that the BNP was also likely to appear on other political programmes such as Radio 4’s Any Questions.

“He could appear on any of the programmes that deal with UK politics,” he said.

The Director-General said that he could not give a view on whether the show had been a success, as he may have to adjudicate on complaints made by the public, which he said numbered in the low hundreds.

The BBC secured record ratings for Mr Griffin’s appearance on Question Time. More than 8 million people tuned in to watch him receive a mauling from his fellow panellists and the studio audience at Television Centre in West London. That figure was the highest in the 30-year history of the programme — which normally attracts 2 to 3 million viewers — and meant that the show edged out the Saturday night celebrity talent contest Strictly Come Dancing in the week’s ratings.

At least 500 protesters massed outside Television Centre as Mr Griffin arrived for the taping of the show last week. Three officers were injured during clashes with demonstrators and six protesters arrested.

Times Online

BNP man condemned in Commons over 'rape is a myth' remarks

Labour deputy leader Harriet Harman today joined condemnation of a BNP politician who suggested rape was not "a serious crime". She was speaking at Commons question time as it was confirmed that Nicholas Eriksen had been withdrawn from the list of his party's London Assembly candidates.

Tory Charles Walker (Broxbourne) told MPs Mr Eriksen, who had suggested that it was a "myth" to think rape was a serious crime, was "not fit to run for public office".

Ms Harman said all mainstream political parties had to ensure Londoners voted to prevent BNP members being elected to the assembly. Mr Eriksen had sparked fury when he wrote on a far-right blog: "Rape is simply sex. Women enjoy sex, so rape cannot be such a terrible ordeal.

"To suggest that rape, when conducted without violence, is a serious crime is like suggesting that force-feeding a woman chocolate cake is a heinous offence. A woman would be more inconvenienced by having her handbag snatched."

Mr Walker called on Ms Harman to condemn Mr Eriksen and added: "Will you not agree with me that this man, this creature is not fit to run for public office?"

Ms Harman said: "I strongly support your comments and I thank you for bringing this matter to the House. It is for all of us, all parties in London to say that we have got to make sure that everybody votes in the London election. The best way to avoid a BNP member being elected to the London Assembly is to make sure that as many people as possible vote for all the other parties."

There has been concern among mainstream parties that the BNP, which scored 4.8% in the 2004 London elections, might this time pass the 5% level which would have given it a chance of an assembly seat under the proportional representation system. Mr Eriksen had been second on the BNP list and might have won a seat if the party's vote share had risen to about 8%.

Earlier a spokeswoman for London Elects, which is overseeing the May 1 election, disclosed: "Nicholas Eriksen has been withdrawn from the BNP's London-wide assembly list."

24dash

There was a further exchange of interest reported in Hansard yesterday:

Ian Lucas (Wrexham) (Lab): When council candidates declare next week, will my right hon. Friend join me in calling on all of them to make it clear that they will stand on a non-racist ticket? It is very important that these elections do not at any stage descend into the gutter, and that we make it clear that we need cohesive communities that can be built together.

The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Hazel Blears): Absolutely: my hon. Friend is so right! When people come to exercise their democratic vote and choose the kind of administration they want, it should be on the basis of good policy, value for money and the provision of cleaner, greener and safer environments. It should not be on any kind of platform seeking to divide people; rather, it should be on a platform that brings people together.

Hansard (April 1st 2008)

Some politicians look like they're waking up.