Three Counties Unity - tom.woodson@btopenworld.com

No joy for BNP in parish councils bid

2011-05-11T22:25:00.001+01:00

ATTEMPTS by the British National Party to win parish council seats in Bedfordshire failed miserably on polling day.

The party fielded candidates in Slip End and Caddington, but both failed to win a seat.

In Slip End, Peter Fehr received two per cent of the vote with 81 votes. And in Caddington, Stephen Bridgeman 180 votes, also giving him just two per cent.

In Caddington, nearly 10,000 people turned out to vote, and in Slip End the figure was nearly 3,500.

For the parish councils of Barton, Chalgrave, Harlington, Silsoe, Streatley, Sundon and Toddington the parish councils remain unchanged as the seats were uncontested.

Luton News

Milton Keynes "England Is Ours" Website Incites Violence

2011-05-08T20:13:00.003+01:00

Milton Keynes nationalists have used the "England Is Ours" website as a background source of ideology in recent months. In the wake of the election disaster for the far-right this week a post appeared on the site tonight that can only be interpreted as a strong and viscious incitement against the presence of minority ethnic communities in this country.

Time For Action Calling All Patriots!!!
The feud between different religious, ethnic and ideological groups in Britain has be simmering since the introduction of multiculturalism in the 1950 s.

Communities in the UK have been ripped apart by immigrants entering this country from the third world. People from uncivilised, uneducated and tribal regions of the globe have entered the UK and without a doubt increased crime ratesand influenced gangster culture such as pimping, violence and drugs over the last 15 years.

The statistics appear to back this up and the police appear either scared or powerless because of PC to take any measures to tackle this.

So the question is do we as British Patriots take the law into our own hands using violence by actively putting pressure on foreign criminals to leave the country??

Should they be executed immediately upon capture aswe don’t have the resources or money to accommodate them in the prison system??

Or be on the safe side, should all foreigners who have not been here for 3 generations be rounded up and taken to Dover where boats will be waiting to take them to a suitable country??

I believe its time for action and to draw a line in the sand.’ Freedom is earned with the blood of Patriots ‘ and i believe its the right social and economic conditions for true British people to unite and rid this pleasant land of the scum that’s been allowed to dominate our society for far to long now.. Diplomacy has failed..

Far-Right Candidates in Beds, Bucks, Herts

2011-04-26T22:03:00.012+01:00

Bedfordshire
Given the BNP's strategy of trying sneaking onto parish councils elected, South Beds BNP thought they could emulate Simon Deacon in Markyate by putting 2 candidates up in Slip End and Caddington. With activists (pictured, 2010 General Election count) down to a bare minimum, organiser Peter Fehr was forced to put himself up for candidature in Slip End with Houghton Regis' Stephen Bridgeman taking the ward of Caddington, where the party has a good number of its (paper) supporters. Local anti-fascists have already completed 2 drops in the area - one with the Hope not Hate tabloid and another with UAF literature. The BNP are so strapped for cash that they have been forced to put out left-over leaflets from the Barnsley parliamentary by-election. Interestingly, Fehr gives a High Town address for this election, whereas he lived in Leagrave acting as an agent for last year's general election. Of course Fehr was well-known previously as an activist in the Farley area - gets around, this guy.With former North Beds organiser Phill Carter moved away from Shefford with her fiancee and Bedford organiser Robin Johnstone disillusioned and inactive, there are no candidates at in the Central Bedfordshire council elections.

Luton
In 2007 it was Steve Sherwood, Barry Taylor and the rest of the Milton Keynes BNP crew who poked their nose into the Luton Council election, standing Rob Sherrat and our friend Chris Brennan in Round Green and Farley respectively. Four years later and they can only muster a single candidate - Stephen Bridgeman again. Fehr only had to wander into the living room to get his son Damien to propose the nomination.Ageing skinhead Michael Bluestone (pictured) is seconder.Unfortunately, Farley English Defence League activist Kevin Carroll was not one of the nominees this time round, unlike in 2007 ......

Hertfordshire
Whereas Simon Deacon is pictured here shaking hands with Eddie Butler, the BNP's one-time Eastern Organiser, he fell out with the BNP leadership a year ago. Along with the core of the BNP Broxbourne activists, Deacon has moved over to the English Democrats. Deacon is standing to be re-elected on the Markyate Parish Council (there will be an election this time,) as well as in the Bennetts End ward of Dacorum Borough Council. Four BNP stalwarts stand in Broxbourne, including former councillor Ramon Johns and sub-regional organiser for the East of England, Steve McCole. North Herts activist Reg Norgan has hung up his snooker cue and so, unlike previous years, there are no BNP candidates in Hitchin, Letchworth or Stevenage.

Buckinghamshire
The very active BNP group in Milton Keynes decided not to stand for election this year - instead they decided to campaign against the building of a mosque on the site of the Plough pub, Bletchley. They have shown their intention of standing next year, however. An old face from the past - Anna Seymour (pictured) - has decided to stand for the Stantonbury - Bradville parish council seat, however. Anna is a former BNP activist associated with the dreaded Barry Taylor and key organiser of memorial meetings for the late John Tyndall for the past few years. in 2008 she broke ranks with the national BNP and stood for the English First Party in the Whaddon Ward bye-election. Interestingly, Anna has mixed-race children through her marriage to a black American. She is not standing under a party banner for this forthcoming election, preferring to describe herself as "Bradville Resident for Twenty Six Years."

Milton Keynes BNP Youth Leader Arrested

2011-04-25T14:11:00.002+01:00

Kieren Trent, leader of the British National Party’s “young adults” organisation Resistance, was arrested by Thames Valley Police yesterday (Sunday), according to a report on a far-right activist’s blog. His computer equipment was seized.

The arrest followed a demonstration in Wolverton, Milton Keynes, against a local councillor who voted in favour of granting planning permission to Bletchley mosque. Councillor Mike Galloway, a Liberal Democrat, is a member of the Milton Keynes Development Control Committee, which deals with planning applications, and chair of the Local Development Framework Advisory Group.

Bletchley mosque has been the target of BNP opposition since last autumn, with Trent leading several protests.

Trent and another person were held in custody on suspicion of committing an offence under section 5 of the Public Order Act – disorderly behaviour, the report said. If convicted he could be fined.

The report says the demonstration forms part of a new approach to activism consisting of “explaining the failures of an individual councillor to their immediate neighbours and ensuring that the community realise who is responsible for the changes that are coming about”.

It seems more a new excuse for harassment than anything else. Trent, who has stood unsuccessfully for election to Milton Keynes council, was one of a group of BNP activists involved in a violent confrontation with Asian youths in Barking a few days before last year’s general election. The incident was caught on film, posted on YouTube, but Trent was not charged despite being clearly visible landing blows and kicks to someone on the ground.

Trent is pictured posing with a gun in front of a UDA flag on page 91 of Lone wolves: myth or reality? in “chapter 6, these people are dangerous”, downloadable at http://www.lonewolfproject.org.uk/resources/LW-complete-final.pdf (pdf file 8mb).

Herts and Beds Sub-Regional BNP Organiser Resigns

2011-03-06T08:01:00.005Z

It appears that the Griffin-supporting sub-regional organiser Danny Seabrook has resigned his post. A serial election failure, Seabrook had links with the only other Griffin-supporting unit in the 3 Counties - Kieren Trent's Bletchley group. This from Eddy Butler :

"I know hardly any of you will have heard of him, but I was interested to learn that the Herts and Beds Sub Regional Organiser Danny Seabrook has resigned. Mr Seabrook was ‘promoted’ to this position in the aftermath of wholesale sackings in Eastern Region last summer. There really isn’t a region left now, just a few units are struggling to exist. The Herts and Beds Sub Region now has two units compared to nine a year ago.

Danny Seabrook played a very poor role. He initially presented himself as an ultra supporter of me, ringing me at all hours (often in an emotional state) and he made extreme claims to other members about what was going on in the party. Then just as rapidly he switched sides and began spreading the most lurid accusations. I found this very disappointing and when people told me what he was doing and saying I initially refused to believe it."

Koran-protest pastor Terry Jones may be banned from UK

2010-12-12T14:09:00.003Z

Home Secretary Theresa May has said she will be "actively looking at" whether to ban a controversial US pastor from entering the UK.

Terry Jones attracted condemnation when he threatened to burn copies of the Koran on this year's 9/11 anniversary.

He has been invited to the UK to share his views on Islam with activists.

Ms May told Sky News that Mr Jones had "been on her radar for a few months" and that "this is a case I will be actively looking at".

She said she had the power as home secretary to exclude an individual from coming to the UK if she considered they were not conducive to the public good or threatened national security.

Mr Jones has said his presence at an English Defence League rally in February would be "positive" but he admitted he would preach against "extremist Muslims".

Unite Against Fascism said it would be holding an anti-racism demonstration.

And the anti-extremist group Hope Not Hate is urging the home secretary to act.

The EDL said on its Facebook page that the rally in Luton, Bedfordshire, on 5 February would be "our biggest to date". It said Mr Jones would be joining the organisation to "speak out against the evils of Islam".

Mr Jones, pastor of the Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Florida, which has fewer than 50 members, told BBC 5 Live he had "no intention" of burning the Koran in the UK.

'Intimidation and division'
He said his speech would be "on harmony, on the subject that Muslims are welcome in our country".

He said: "We have no problem with Muslims - we have freedom of speech and religion - Muslims who want to make our country their country, obey our laws and constitution.

"We have a problem with them, which I believe you all have also, when they go on the street... and they call for the death of the UK, for the death of Israel, for the death of America. They call for Sharia law.

"They say they are going to turn Buckingham Palace into a mosque and the Queen must convert to Islam or leave the country."

Mr Jones admitted that his knowledge of the EDL was "somewhat limited".

"It's only what I know through conversations with them that my office has had and then of course the different material in the internet that they have put out. I would describe them as a group who, I believe, in their words they want England to stay English."

Weyman Bennett, joint national secretary of Unite Against Fascism, said: "Terry Jones is coming here to whip up Islamophobia and racism.

"We intend on calling a mass demonstration where everyone can oppose the growth of racism and fascism in this country."

Global demonstrations

Anti-extremist group Hope not Hate condemned the invitation to Mr Jones and has launched a petition calling on the home secretary to ban him from entering the UK.

Its director Nick Lowles said: "Only extremists will benefit from his visit and, as we know, extremism breeds hatred and hatred breeds violence.

Theresa May says Terry Jones's case has been known to her for several months "It is yet another example of how the EDL exists only to sow the seeds of intimidation and division."

George Readings, spokesman for counter-extremism think tank, Quilliam said: "Terry Jones is only coming to the UK to address a rally by the EDL, a far-right group whose protests have a track record of degenerating into violence.

"This suggests that his presence in the UK will not be conducive to the public good. The EDL has only invited him here to stir up trouble."

Mr Jones came to prominence in September after he announced plans for his "International Burn a Koran Day".

His plan was internationally condemned and sparked many demonstrations around the world. He eventually called off his protest.

BNP Opposes Bletchley Mosque Plans - MK News 24th Nov

2010-11-29T21:38:00.004Z

The Muslim community are hoping for a new place of worship, after applying to transform a biker bar - but not if the BNP get their way.

Former music venue, The Plough, on Manor Road, Bletchley, is planned to be converted into a mosque, as the current Duncombe Road venue has become too small for the widening community.

Over the past weekend, the British National Party branch in the city launched a public campaign comprising leaflets, petitions and public protest actions against the conversion of a pub into a mosque in Bletchley.

BNP organiser, Kieren Trent said: "We decided to start the campaign after being approached by angry members of the public.

"We have warned local people about the threat of creeping Islamification, and the conversion of an English pub into a mosque shows how our culture is gradually being replaced by a different culture.

"Another mosque in the area will change the nature and character of the area, as has happened everywhere else where these buildings have been allowed."

Mr Kalamdar Ali, 54, secretary at Bletchley Mosque, said: "If the application goes ahead, we will be using the building for worship, especially on a Friday.

"Right now, the mosque at Duncombe Road simply is too busy for the residential area, and the traffic is really bad.

"So we want to open this new mosque to give the local people another place to pray.

"The community has grown so much, and with opening a new mosque, it could help a lot.

"The property at Manor Road isn't that big, but what we are hoping is that eventually we can get permission for an extension which we could then use for anyone in the community to hold events, meetings and educational classes."

Mr Ali, of Bangladeshi origin, opened the first Indian restaurant in the city 35 years ago, The Golden Curry in Bletchley. He also owns the Passage to India restaurant in Stony Stratford.

BNP Demo, Saturday 20th Nov, Hemel Hempstead

2010-11-18T22:10:00.003Z

Word is that Herts BNP has organised a demo at Bank Court, Hemel Hempstead on Saturday 20th November, starting at 11 or 12.

A Message to Our Blog

2010-11-18T21:54:00.004Z

My name is John Pater.

I was a member of the BNP and the British First party. As you know.

What led me to this path and making these mistakes may be of interest to you but what saved me from it and the fact I have woken up should be.

I have seen on the Searchlight website the motto ‘Hope not Hate’. I believe you do not harbour hatred of any one, I hope you don’t. Even those in the BNP and other organisations like it. If that is the case and you can forgive and believe in that hope as I do, there is hope for me and the opposition against the far right.

I left the British First Party, the BNP and all other organisations like it. Indeed I have been threatened by the EDL to keep away from them as they try to represent a front of non racism (hardly a claim to fame).

I left without any statements or reasoning to them because I couldn’t take it anymore. I couldn’t carry around with me a constant hatred, a constant fear and suspicion of everything diverse, I couldn’t bear the burden of such negativity weighing heavy in my heart another second longer. And I just couldn’t cope with the constant barrage of racism, historic distortion and evil ranting at every meeting and on every bulletin.With the love and support of a beautiful Lady and the companionship of the Lord I have re-discovered my humanity.

This humanity exists in the vast majority of those you oppose (granted not all). If you can reach out to that, if you can try and connect with this humanity then there is hope. Hope that people can accept a better way of living, and a better outlook on their future without the need to perpetuate a sense of fear and destruction spread by these parties.It is easy to move on from all this hideousness and find a growing harmony.

I am not pitching my services as a reformed character to your efforts as I believe I would not be trusted (rightly so considering my history), and I’m sure you will read this with a high degree of scepticism, but to be perfectly honest I just want my life back, and atone for what I have done in charitable works completely unconnected with any politics what so ever.

I hope my post here is of interest to you. Please publish it if you think there is a chance it could boost your readers/activists resolve to continue with hope in their hearts and perhaps remind others to reconnect with their own humanity within these organisations (and leave them.)

Beds BNP Supporters Target Asian-Owned Garage

2010-11-17T22:34:00.003Z

Police have launched an investigation after a petrol station in Toddington was daubed with racist graffiti at the weekend.

The busy BP garage and its Spar supermarket in Dunstable Road were targeted by vandals overnight on Friday, with the letters ‘BNP’ sprayed repeatedly on walls, the forecourt, pumps and shop shutters. It is believed the vandalism happened between 11pm on Friday and 6am on Saturday, when the garage re-opened for business.

A spokesman for Bedfordshire Police said the incident was being treated as criminal damage, and on Saturday morning officers were at the scene photographing the graffiti.

The garage, which has several Asian members of staff, last month had one of its pumps damaged when workers tried to stop a motorist driving away without paying for petrol. The garden fence of a house opposite the filling station was also damaged in a similar incident.

Jim Gledhill, chairman of Toddington Parish Council, said he was disappointed with the attack on a business popular with villagers. He said: “These are people who provide a really good service to the village, and it shouldn’t matter to anybody what their background is. It disgusts me. They had managed to clean up a lot of it but it was still very visible on the brickwork.”

Councillor Gledhill said he would be raising the issue at the parish council’s meeting last night (Wednesday), and hoped the council would be able to help the garage with the cost of the clean-up. Asked whether support for the BNP was an issue in the village, Councillor Gledhill said he thought there were a small number of people in the village with “racist views”.

“It’s a problem you wouldn’t really expect in Toddington,” he said. “I hope it’s just stupid children who will learn better in the future.”

Dunstable Today

All Change in BNP Eastern Region Organisation

2010-11-16T21:16:00.005Z

Before

After

Back Row
Pat Richardson (Epping)
Len Blain (Chelmsford)
Kieron Trent (Milton Keynes)
Stuart Freeman (Southend)

Front Row
Dennis Pearce (Kingsbury London)
Janet Price (Hemel Hempstead)
Colin Cooper (Borehamwood)
Paul Morris (Epping)
Danny Seabrook (Potters Bar)

Of course with Eddie Butler an official outsider in the BNP camp, it was only a matter of time before the Party Leadership purged the Eastern region of its dissident forces. The above "before and after" shots show the number of reps reduced by 2/3rds with both the Bedfordshire (Jim Smith) and Luton and South Beds camps not represented. The Herts and Milton Keynes groups, represented by Danny Seabrook and Kieran Trent respectively, have remained loyal to Griffin. Broxbourne powerhouse Steve McCole was absent though as well as the Three Rivers councillors and Markyate independent Simon Deacon. Peter Fehr in Luton is also in the Butler camp as well as Leighton Buzzard's Shelley Rose - who would blame the poor girl. Robin Johnstone from Bedford appears disillusioned about the whole affair and sits on the fence, disappointed that old friends have fallen out.

Here's the report from the BNP website, for what it's worth :

"Long serving British National Party councillor Pat Richardson has been appointed the Eastern Region’s new membership secretary as part of a major overhaul of party’s local organisation, reports regional organiser Paul Morris.

Speaking after what he described as a “massively successful” Eastern Regional Council meeting, Mr Morris said Cllr Richardson’s appointment was one of many made at the gathering.

Cllr Richardson will now be responsible for making sure the branches are kept up to date with all the relevant enquiry information that future campaigns bring in.

“The regional executive decided exactly how we are going to proceed with local and regional issues and the growth of the British National Party in the region as a whole,” Mr Morris said.

“There were some new faces round the table at this meeting, including Cllrs Richardson and Rod Law, who attended for the first time in their capacities as new councillor representatives,” he said.

“In addition, a new regional press officer, Kieren Trent, was appointed. He produced a fresh set of ideas on how to promote the region and local branches.

“The success of the ‘bring our troops home’ campaign has shown to many activists that the public are behind us on key British National Party policies and issues,” Mr Morris continued.

“It has highlighted that it’s up to us to get out there and tell the public exactly what the BNP are about not what the lying media tell them.

“The region is facing change in many areas, such as housing and jobs, about which the public has not been consulted or made aware of. We intend to address these issues with maximum effect.

Delegates were also nominated to attend the intensive election training which is currently being rolled out across all sectors of the party."

Luton EDL Leader Charged with Assaulting Police

2010-11-14T08:21:00.002Z

The founder of the English Defence League (EDL) has been charged with assaulting a police officer during clashes with Islamic protesters.

Stephen Lennon, 27, of Luton, was held by police in Kensington, west London, as the nation stopped to mark the anniversary of Armistice Day.

Five others associated with his group were also arrested as members of Muslims Against Crusades (MAC) burned remembrance poppies.

Two Islamic protesters, aged 30 and 25, were arrested for public order offences after the poppies were set alight and protesters chanted "British soldiers burn in hell" during the two-minute silence.

One officer was taken to hospital with a head injury during clashes as about 50 men linked to EDL were kept separate as they shouted abuse.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said Lennon had been released on bail and would appear at West London magistrates' court on November 22.

He said four other men, aged 41, 42, 19 and 18, all arrested on suspicion of affray, were released on bail until mid-December.

It is not yet known what happened to a fifth man who was held on suspicion of possession of class A drugs.

The spokesman added that the two members of Muslims Against Crusades had been bailed until mid-December pending further inquiries.

Meanwhile, parents of British soldiers killed in Afghanistan condemned the inflammatory protest by the hard-line group.

EDL Luton Man charged with Israel demo offences

2010-11-14T08:17:00.002Z

Three EDL members charged with affray and public order offences during a “Tea Party” rabbi’s speech at Speakers Corner have had their case sent to Crown Court.
Shortly after their demonstration on Sunday outside the Israeli Embassy in Kensington, EDL supporters made their way to Hyde Park where Rabbi Nachum Shifren, the so-called "surfing rabbi" from California, gave a short speech.
The rabbi had earlier called Muslims “dogs” and told the EDL “We will never surrender to the sword of Islam."
Bryan Kelso, 28, from Luton, Christopher Long, 38, from Roehampton and Brian Bristow, 37, from Doncaster were charged with affray and public order offences.
They appeared today at Westminster Magistrates Court. No pleas were entered and the men were given conditional bail.

EDLs "Tommy Robinson" at Luton BNP Meeting ?

2010-11-01T23:33:00.003Z

Are we mistaken, or is that the English Defence League's Stephen Yaxley-Lennon (AKA Tommy Robinson pictured on the far left at a 2007 Luton BNP meeting in the King Harry Pub ?
Speaking is Richard Edmonds, veteran Holocaust denier and BNP activist with a string of violent convictions. Also present on the top table is the then Beds/Bucks BNP organiser Steve Sherwood as well as John Pater, activist with the BNP as well as the national socialist November 9th Society.

Candidates Declared to Date In Beds, Bucks, Herts

2010-04-08T08:17:00.001+01:00

Bedfordshire

• Bedford: Conservative: Richard Fuller; Labour: Patrick Hall; Lib Dem: Henry Vann; BNP: William Dewick

• Mid Bedfordshire: Conservative: Nadine Dorries; Labour: David Reeves; Lib Dem: Linda Jack; Green: Malcolm Bailey; UK Independence Party: Bill Hall

• North East Bedfordshire: Conservative: Alistair Burt; Labour: Edward Brown; Lib Dem: Mike Pitt; BNP: Ian Seeby

• South West Bedfordshire: Conservative: Andrew Selous; Labour: Jennifer Bone; BNP: Mark Tolman

• Luton North: Conservative: Jeremy Brier; Labour: Kelvin Hopkins; Lib Dem: Rabi Martins; Green: Simon Hall; BNP: Shelley Rose

• Luton South: Conservative: Nigel Huddleston; Labour: Gavin Shuker; Lib Dem: Qurban Hussain; Green: Marc Scheimann; UK Independence Party: Charles Lawman; Independent: Esther Rantzen; Independent: Stephen Rhodes; Independent: Joe Hall; Independent: Stephen Lathwell; BNP: Tony Blakey

Buckinghamshire

• Aylesbury: Conservative: David Lidington; Labour: Kathryn Perera; Lib Dem: Steven Lambert; UK Independence Party: Christopher Adams

• Buckingham: Speaker: John Bercow; UK Independence Party: Nigel Farage; Independent: Patrick Phillips; Independent: John Stevens; BNP: Lynne Mozar; Independent: Geoff Howard

• Chesham and Amersham: Conservative: Cheryl Gillan; Labour: Anthony Gajadharsingh; Lib Dem: Tim Starkey; Green: Nick Wilkins; UK Independence Party: Jim Matthews

• Milton Keynes North: Conservative: Mark Lancaster; Labour: Andrew Pakes; Lib Dem: Jill Hope; Green: Alan Francis; UK Independence Party: Michael Phillips

• Milton Keynes South: Conservative: Iain Stewart; Labour: Phyllis Starkey; Lib Dem: Peter Jones; Green: Katrina Deacon

• Wycombe: Conservative: Steve Baker; Labour: Andrew Lomas; Lib Dem: Steve Guy

Hertfordshire

• Broxbourne: Conservative: Charles Walker; Labour: Michael Watson; Lib Dem: Allan Witherick; English Democrats: Debbie Lemay; BNP: Steve McCole

• Hemel Hempstead: Conservative: Mike Penning; Labour: Ayfer Orhan; Lib Dem: Richard Grayson; BNP: Janet Price

• Hertford and Stortford: Conservative: Mark Prisk; Labour: Steve Terry; Lib Dem: Andrew Lewin; BNP: Roy Harris

• North East Hertfordshire: Conservative: Oliver Healdl; Labour: Richard Henry; Lib Dem: Hugh Annand; Green: Rosemary Bland

• South West Hertfordshire: Conservative: David Gauke; Labour: Harinder Mann; Lib Dem: Christopher Townsend; BNP: Deirdre Gates

• Hertsmere: Conservative: James Clappison; Labour: Sam Russell; Lib Dem: Anthony Rowlands; Green: Arjuna Krishna-Das; BNP: Daniel Seabrook

• Hitchen and Harpendon: Conservative: Peter Lilley; Labour: Oliver De Botton; Lib Dem: Nigel Quinton; Green: Richard Wise

• St Albans: Conservative: Anne Main; Labour: Roma Mills; Lib Dem: Sandy Walkington; Green: Jack Easton

• Stevenage: Conservative: Stephen McPartland; Labour: Sharon Taylor; Lib Dem: Julia Davies; English Democrats: Charles Vickers; BNP: Robin Johnstone

• Watford: Conservative: Richard Harrington; Labour: Claire Ward; Lib Dem: Sal Brinton; Green: Ian Brandon; BNP: Dr Andrew Emerson

• Welwyn Hatfield: Conservative: Grant Shapps; Labour: Mike Hobday; Lib Dem: Paul Zukowskyj; Green: Jill Weston; Monster Raving Loony Party: Nutty Farrquha Perigrine Parker.

Exit of three top BNP officers confirmed

2010-04-03T12:54:00.001+01:00

Following a report earlier today of the resignation of Emma Colgate from her post as BNP manager, the BNP has amended its national contacts spreadsheet. Absent are Colgate, Eddy Butler, the former national organiser and national elections officer, and Mark Collett, the former head of publicity.

The changes confirm the stories circulating on nazi web forums that the unpopular Collett has finally fallen out of favour. A BNP organisers’ bulletin circulated on 31 March referred to “financial irregularities and ‘scamming’ concerning the procurement of print, especially large election print run, leaflets and regular publications including Identity magazine”. It appears that Nick Griffin, the BNP leader, has finally accepted that there is substance to the long-standing accusations that Collett has been making a huge personal profit on the design and print procurement he carries out for the party.

Collett is also accused of leaking “sensitive party information” onto the internet and “feeding lies to certain anti-BNP blog sites”.

The organisers’ bulletin continues: “Earlier this week, the police were made aware of very serious allegations potentially affecting the personal safety of Party chairman Nick Griffin MEP and senior management/fundraising consultant James Dowson. Formal statements have now been made to the police, including by Mr. Griffin.”

Although the bulletin says it the party is “unable to provide any further details in order not to prejudice any resulting legal proceedings”, it goes on to announce that: “Mark Collett was conspiring with a small clique of other party officials to launch a ‘palace coup’ against our twice democratically elected party leader, Nick Griffin, and that in order to create the artificial climate of disillusionment necessary for this to stand any chance of success, lies and unfounded rumours have been spread, and were planned to be spread much further. Mr. Collett has therefore been relieved of all positions within the Party with immediate effect.”

As a result Collett’s Wikipedia entry was updated with incredible haste to state that he “was Director of Publicity for the Party before being suspended from the party in early April 2010”.

A second organisers’ bulletin calls on “regional organisers and key officials” to attend an “urgent briefing meeting” on Easter Monday, which “will cover recent events, urgent organisational matters, including a crucial update from our new National Elections Officer Clive Jefferson”. Jefferson, who only a few months ago was promoted to North West regional organiser, quietly replaces Butler in the national elections officer role. He is also one of the BNP officers fraudulently on the European Parliament payroll.

All this comes at the worst possible time for the BNP, five weeks before elections in which it hopes to win control of Barking and Dagenham council and get Griffin and Simon Darby, the party's deputy leader, elected to the House of Commons.

Collett stood trial alongside Griffin in 2006 on race hate charges and was acquitted. Although Griffin always stood by him, he knew Collett was a fool. “I constantly have to lecture Mark Collett about all sorts of things,” said Nick Griffin. “He is a pig ignorant man. Often it goes in one ear and straight out of the other.”

A few years ago Collett starred in a Channel 4 documentary called Young, Nazi and Proud, in which he said he would prefer to live in 1930s Nazi Germany than in today’s Britain. He also attacked Winston Churchill and the British Royal Family.

Another EDL Supporter Jailed for Racially Aggravated Assault

2010-04-02T01:17:00.003+01:00

A teenager found guilty of carrying out a racially aggravated assault when a mob went on a town centre rampage has been jailed for 16 months.

Kier McElroy, of Langford Drive, Luton, attacked an Asian man in a shop doorway in Chapel Street on May 24, 2009.

McElroy, 19, hit the man across the head with a placard he was holding.

On March 5 a jury at Luton Crown Court, decided McElroy was guilty of racially aggravated assault occasioning actual bodily harm on a Luton student.

He had earlier admitted assaulting the student, occasioning him actual bodily harm and a second charge of affray, which resulted from his actions that day.

CCTV images of McElroy taking part in the rampage
Speaking after the sentencing on Friday, Detective Sergeant Maz Wheeler said: “Officers from Bedfordshire Police painstakingly reviewed CCTV of this incident to ensure all evidence was put before the court and this successful prosecution was achieved.

“I hope the sentence given today serves as a lesson to anyone who gets involved in violent crime within our town.

“Any kind of violent or hate crime within our town simply is not acceptable and Bedfordshire Police will always pursue those who engage in such behaviour and bring them before the courts.”

Shelley Rose Election Address Nonsense

2010-04-02T00:21:00.005+01:00

By far the most extreme out of the three election addresses. Rose hammers race again and again. Thanks to the insider who contacted us to say that she is "turning a bit bit loopy" - it appears it from this rant.

"I’m proud to be your Parliamentary candidate for Luton North. I am standing here to give local people a voice, so you can speak out against the establishment politicians who just don’t listen. Labour, the Tories and the Lib Dems all say Luton is a ‘diverse’ town, I say Luton is a town divided. Mass immigration has turned Luton into a place where many people feel like foreigners in their own home town. It’s not racist to oppose political correctness and mass immigration – it’s commonsense. I am proud to stand for Christian values and not afraid to discuss the issues that matter to you – issues the other parties choose to ignore.The British National Party will put local people first. Whilst other parties have pandered to minority groups we will represent everyone, but ensure that the wishes of the majority are top of the list. After all, ensuring that those who have paid in are put first for housing, health care and pensions is only fair. A vote for me is a vote for fairness, commonsense and to put British people first."

Our Comment

"I am standing here to give local people a voice"
But she doesn't have a clue about Luton issues - she comes from across the County in Leighton Buzzard.

"Labour, the Tories and the Lib Dems all say Luton is a ‘diverse’ town, I say Luton is a town divided."
The Community Safety Survey, in June 2009, showed that 82% of people believe Luton is a place where people from different backgrounds get on well together.

"I am proud to stand for Christian values"
BNP values and Christian values don't mix. Last year the Church of England banned BNP members from becoming ministers. If elected, Rose would not let black people open churches in Bramingham or Wigmore.

"We will represent everyone, but ensure that the wishes of the majority are top of the list."
Rose wants a return to a whites-only Britain. Black and Asian people have lived here for years and are a welcome part of our town. The "wishes of the majority" have meant that the BNP has always had no success in elections round here.

"Ensuring that those who have paid in are put first for housing, health care and pensions is only fair."
The BNP would rather have us living in a South African apartheid-style society where people who have paid taxes for years come bottom of the queue - all because of their colour.

Luton EDL In Court - Part Two - Man jailed for racially aggravated assault

2010-03-27T21:34:00.001Z

A Luton man, who carried out a racially aggravated assault when a mob went on the rampage in Luton in May last year, has been sentenced to 16 months imprisonment today, March 26, at Luton Crown Court.

Kier McElroy, 19, of Langford Drive, attacked a young Asian man in a shop doorway in Chapel Street, hitting him across the head with a placard he was holding.

On March 5, a jury at Luton Crown Court, found McElroy guilty of racially aggravated assault occasioning actual bodily harm on a Luton student.

He had earlier admitted assaulting the student occasioning him actual bodily harm and a second charge of affray, which resulted from his actions that day

Luton EDL in Court - Part One

2010-03-27T21:26:00.003Z

Justice was meted out to four of English Defence League supporters on 19th January after two violent disturbances held in Luton in response to the protest made by anti-war demonstrators at the Luton homecoming parade by the Royal Anglian Regiment on March 10th 2009. Richard Myers (21,) Tony Griffiths (27,) Simon Hattle (21,) - all from Luton - and James Butler (18) from West Sussex. All three had already pleaded guilty to affray and were sentenced for between four and seven months in jail. Their offences took place at a protest against Islamic extremism on March 24th which quickly descended into violence. In scenes of great confusion, a small orderly protest by "March for England" was hi-jacked by supporters of "United People of Luton" - an early prototype for the English Defence League. As the Luton News put it (Jan 21st) "groups of yobs, many draped in the flag of St. George, wearing balaclavas and shirts bearing the Luton Town Football Club logo, went on the rampage, fighting battles with the 200 hundred police who were drafted in from across 3 forces."
Richard Newcombe of Bedfordshire Crown Prosecution Service said "CCTV footage clearly showed the men displaying violent behaviour towards others, by kicking out at bystanders and goading police officers. It was part of the prosecution case that some of the defendants deliberately directed part of their violent behaviour towards Asian bystanders."

Three other men who pleaded guilty to the same charge Luke Allsop (28,) Robert Rowe (18,) and Daniel Schreiber (24,) will reappear before Luton Magistrates Court on February 4th for sentencing after having their case adjourned. Another man, Kier McElroy is due to stand trial for racially aggravated actual bodily harm on a date yet to be fixed. McElroy is accused of fly-kicking the Sikh Mayor of Luton, Lakhbir Singh, on the day of the Royal Anglian Regiment march.
The same event as lead to a further two Luton men appearing at Luton Magistrate's Court on Friday 22nd January.Brian Kelso, of Chapel Street, Luton, and Carroll, of Bollingbroke Road, Luton, pleaded not guilty at Luton Magistrates' Court to using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress. Both men were part of a hostile crowd who confronted the Muslim protesters and told them to "f*** off", prosecutor Avirup Chaudhuri said. They also sung a song with the words "Bin Laden's mother is a whore", he told the court. Kelso, a father who had wanted to join the army himself, told the Muslims to "get out of my f****** country" and made obscene gestures, Mr Chaudhuri said. He can be seen on CCTV footage approaching the protesters aggressively and having to be pushed back by the police, he added. Carroll called the Muslims "scum" and "w******", he said, and could be seen on CCTV footage shouting and gesticulating at them. Mr Chaudhuri said: "The two men were in the vanguard of the hostile crowd." Both men accepted that the language they had used was abusive. Father-of-one Carroll, a carpenter, told the court he was "extremely angry and outraged" at the Muslims' protest against the British army. He was not a member of the National Front and was not a racist, he said in his police interview. The trial was adjourned to 5 March and both men were released on bail.

Carroll worded his statement about party affiliation very carefully. True, he has never shown signs of National Front affiliation, but he has been an enthusiastic BNP supporter, living on the same estate as Luton BNP organiser Peter Fehr. He is well-known to local anti-fascists and was only dissuaded from standing as a candidate in the 2007 Luton Council elections by a last-minute plea from his partner, Mary Stevenson. He did, however, sign nomination papers along with Stevenson for the BNP candidate for Farley in that election - Robert Sheddock - and in doing so shows his political colours.
In response to this plethora of unwelcome news stories, Luton Borough Council have launched a new campaign to improve community cohesion in the town - Luton in Harmony. The campaign hopes to reach out to the whole community and build a positive reputation for the town by celebrating its diversity.

Anti-BNP campaigners rally opposition in St Albans tonight

2010-03-11T23:49:00.000Z

"ANTI-BNP activists will meet in St Albans this evening to mobilise opposition against the controversial far right political party ahead of the impending General Election.

Three Counties Unite Against Fascism will hold the meeting at Fleetville Community Centre in Royal Road from 7.30pm.

Anti-fascist campaigner John Berry said: "It's a planning meeting for people to discuss how we may react in St Albans if there are BNP candidates in the forthcoming election. As yet we have no indication that there will be, but if it is the case then they can expect to have fairly vigorous opposition."

The meeting in St Albans coincides with today's Dacorum Borough Council by election in which the BNP are fielding a candidate."

St Albans and Harpenden Review, 11th March 2010

Three Counties Activists Leaflet Adeyfield West Ward

2010-03-07T19:57:00.002Z

Janet Price is standing in a bye-election for the BNP in Adeyfield West ward, Hemel Hempstead on March 11th. On a lovely morning, a great turnout of 18 people delivered over 1,000 anti-fascist leaflets in under the hour - very many thanks to all involved, including those of you who couldn't make it on this occasion but sent apologies.

Thanks, too, to local Labour and Lib Dem members who provided us with useful advice and information - very much appreciated.

Kelso and Carroll Convicted of Racial Abuse

2010-03-07T08:52:00.002Z

Two men who shouted "scum, scum, scum" at Muslim protesters during a soldiers' homecoming parade have been convicted of committing a public order offence.

Bryan Kelso, 27, of Hartley Road, and Kevin Carroll, 40, of Bollingbroke Road, both in Luton, both denied committing the offence in March 2009.

Magistrates in the town convicted the men following a trial.

They both received a nine-month conditional discharge and were ordered to pay costs of £175 each.

The men had denied using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress on 10 March.

Hand gestures

The court had heard they were among a crowd of "25 to 30 hardcore protestors" shouting at Muslim demonstrators during a parade of the Royal Anglian Regiment.

Insp David Atraghji had told magistrates there were shouts directed at the extremists of "Bin Laden's wife is a whore" and "go and have a shave".

The men were captured by BBC News cameras covering the parade in Luton
He added he had seen finger and hand gestures, and the Muslim protesters were told in explicit terms by the crowd to "go home".

In a police interview, the court heard, Kelso said the protesters were abusing people he considered heroes.

"My intention was to give them a piece of my mind," he added.

"If they want to be like that, they should go back where they came from.

Speaking after the hearing, Supt Mark Turner said: "Luton town has enjoyed excellent community relations for a number of years but it seems last year a small minority came to the town to cause disorder.

"There has been extensive public consultation and work behind the scenes to strengthen community cohesion in the town."

Man Accused of Assaulting Luton Sikh Mayor

2010-03-07T08:48:00.002Z

A man who admitted assaulting the Asian mayor of a town after Muslim extremists protested against British troops returning from Iraq, told a jury today (Thursday, March 4) he was not a racist.

Kier McElroy, 19, was giving evidence about his part in a demonstration two months later in which it's alleged he attacked a young Asian student in a shop doorway.

Mr McElroy has admitted assaulting the man occasioning him actual bodily harm as well as affray, but he denies a charge of racially aggravated assault on the victim Venkateswara Muppalla.

Mr McElroy was arrested by Bedfordshire Police in July last year, two months after a right wing march in Luton had ended in violence.

The demonstration on the afternoon of Sunday May 24 had involved a group of around 200-300 young men who marched through Luton town centre.

Luton Crown Court was told that the march was in response to a homecoming parade on March 10 last year by the Royal Anglian Regiment through Luton, which had been targeted by Muslim extremists.

On that occasion, young Muslims had carried banners and chanted slogans calling the soldiers "Butchers of Basra", "Baby killers" and "Murderers."

At the start of the trial, Sarah Porter prosecuting said the crown's case was that Mr McElroy had been involved in the violence on May 24 last year. She said he could not be identified immediately because, in addition to his bright orange top and jeans that he was wearing that day, his face was also covered for part of the time with a black balaclava.

She then told how that afternoon Mr Muppalla and his friend Vijaychaitanya Kovvuri, who were students at the university, were walking along George Street in the town centre when they became aware of a large group walking towards them.

The court heard that, on seeing other young Asian males running from the crowd into Chapel Street, the two students decided to follow them.

The jury heard that Mr Kovvuri managed to get into a chicken shop and the door was then locked.

As a result, said Miss Porter, Mr Muppalla was left locked outside in the doorway as he found himself surrounded by people from the demonstration.

The jury have been told that Mr McElroy was part of that group and was holding a banner which it is alleged he used to then strike Mr Muppalla.

The prosecutor told the jury that they would have to decide whether the assault was racially aggravated.

She told the court how, on March 10, when the homecoming parade of the Royal Anglian Regiment had been targeted by young Muslims, the defendant had assaulted the Mayor of Luton that day.

Dealing with the assault on May 24 last year of Mr Muppalla, Miss Porter said: "The crown say he attacked someone who was Asian simply because they were Asian."

In the witness box Mr Muppalla said he and his friend went into Chapel Street on seeing the crowd, because they wanted to try and get behind the police.

He said on finding himself locked outside the shop, he was then struck once in the face.

As a result, he said he was knocked to the floor and then, when he was picked up, he was struck with a "stick".

In the witness box, Mr McElroy of Langford Drive, Luton, said he had been present in Luton town centre on March 10 last year when he saw the protest taking place against the troops.

"I thought it was disgusting that it was allowed to happen," he told the jury.

He said that on seeing the mayor, he ran up to him and kicked him because, he told the jury, he was the one who had given the protestors permission to be there.

He said the attack was nothing to do with race or colour and he later pleaded guilty to an offence of common assault on the mayor.

Turning then to the May 24 demonstration, he said he thought it had been organised by a group called "United People of Luton".

He said he went into Luton that day, adding "I thought it was disgusting what they did against the troops."

In the town centre, he said he starting drinking at around 10am and continued throughout the day. He agreed that, at one stage, he had worn a face mask which he said was of a "creature of hate" who also had links with Al Qaeda.

He said there had been some chanting against Muslims in general, but he said those responsible were a minority and at the back of the crowd.

Asked what sort of chanting he had been involved in, he admitted he had shouted "scum" but said the words were aimed at the police, saying the reason was they had not done anything about the demonstration against the troops.

He said in Chapel Street he became aware of a conflict outside a shop. He said: "I got involved, I was drunk. My vision was cloudy and I assaulted someone."

He said it was not justified and he had not said anything before striking his victim.

Asked if he had assaulted Mr Muppalla because of his race, he replied: "No, he could have been black, white or Asian. It would not have mattered, I didn't know what I was doing."

Asked if he was a racist, he replied that he wasn't and there were Muslims in his own family as well as Sikhs.

Case proceeding.

BNP candidate in Adeyfield by-election

2010-02-23T00:19:00.001Z

The British National Party is fielding a candidate in a by-election in Hemel Hempstead.

Janet Dorothy Price, who lives in Tring, is standing in the Adeyfield West ward for the BNP.

The by-election has been called following the death of Keith Reid, who died of ill health in December.

The other candidates are Sue White for Labour, Steve Wilson for the Liberal Democrats and Dan Wood for the Conservatives.

The election takes place on March 11.

Shelley Rose Hints at Luton Election Bid

2010-02-18T12:23:00.003Z

Luton BNP look like importing a Leighton Buzzard activist to contest one of the two general election seats. Fresh from deceiving the British Legion by booking their hall under the false name of "British Heritage" (yawn) Shelley has unveiled her long-standing plan to stand that follows on from a December 12th "Yuletide" party fundraiser. Meanwhile, here's an extract from a February edition of Leighton Buzzard online that declares her candidacy :

"SUPPORTERS of the controversial British National Party defied their critics and held a political rally in Leighton.

People turning up to the recruitment meeting, originally planned for the Royal British Legion in West Street, were redirected to a town centre pub less than a mile away.

More than 60 people attended to listen to Shelley Rose, one of the BNP's parliamentary hopefuls, talk about the furore.

This week Ms Rose claimed she told RBL club secretary, Eileen Johnson, that the booking was for the BNP and asked her on three occasions to confirm the date with the building's managers.

"I wasn't trying to hoodwink anyone," said Ms Rose, who intends to contest one of the Luton seats at the next general election."

BNP Lies to War Veterans in Leighton Buzzard

2010-02-18T11:58:00.002Z

THE BNP has vowed to hold its meeting in Leighton Buzzard today – but it will not reveal where.
The British National Party had booked the hall of the Royal British Legion for a meeting.
However, after an outcry from the public and the town’s MP, the armed forces’ organisation cancelled the booking on Monday.
They say they booked it as a political meeting in early January, and did not know the BNP was involved.
Andrew Selous, MP for South West Bedfordshire and member of the town’s branch of the Legion, was ‘astounded’ to hear the meeting was taking place – particularly because it fell on Holocuast Memorial Day.

He told LB NEWS yesterday: “Given that this country fought fascism during the Second World War, I was absolutely astounded to find they were holding a meeting at there.
“I was so astounded I nearly dropped the phone “Now they’ve agreed to cancel it I think that’s the right decision.
“There are plenty of places the BNP can go. They can have a meeting in a room above a pub.
“I think it would have been the most tremendous coup for them to hold the meeting on Holocause Memorial Day at that venue.” Several constituents told Mr Selous they would have resigned from the Legion if the meeting, which was only for BNP members, had gone ahead.
He has written to the national chairman asking for them to issue guidance to all clubs.
The Royal British Legion is an organisation which supports the families and members of the Armed Forces, past and present.
Hoping to distance their campaign from the BNP, in May their national chairman wrote to the party’s leader Nick Griffin asking him not to wear a poppy.
Eileen Johnson, the Legion’s secretary, said: “Everything’s all finished with now. We’re hoping it’s all going away.
“Because of the people that were complaining we were asked that it be cancelled. We booked it in early January as a politicial meeting.” A national spokesman for the Legion said that clubs are independent and can take bookings at their own discretion, however they dissociate themselves from political organisations.

Central Beds Results - Dunstable Downs

2009-06-05T06:29:00.001+01:00

Dunstable Downs
BATER, Wendy Anne The Labour Party 855
COLE, Peter Arthur United Kingdom First 856
FREEMAN, Paul Darryl The Conservative Party 1828 Elected
GATES, Lesley Elizabeth Liberal Democrats 775
GODFREY, Derek Esau National Front Britain for the British 423
GREEN, Tony The Conservative Party 2011 Elected
HEGLEY, Carole The Conservative Party 1664
KING, David The Labour Party 556
LARKMAN, David William Liberal Democrats 799
O'NEILL, James Kenneth The Labour Party 520
POINTER, Sally Francis Liberal Democrats 746
SHAW, Joy Amelia The Labour Party 557
WITHERICK, Ian Liberal Democrats 692
YOUNG, Nigel The Conservative Party 1855 Elected

Central Beds Results - Biggleswade

2009-06-05T06:26:00.000+01:00

Biggleswade
AUSTIN, Kevin British National Party 709
BRIARS, Bernard Victor The Labour Party 963
BURKE, Gregory Liberal Democrats 1060
CLIFF, Neil Liberal Democrats 850
CONNING, Dante Virgil Liberal Democrats 726
DENNIS, Allister James The Labour Party 714
GRAYSTON, Sheila Margaret The Labour Party 808
JONES, Maurice Richard The Conservative Party 2091 Elected
LAWRENCE, David John The Conservative Party 1989 Elected
LAWRENCE, Jane Gray The Conservative Party 1930 Elected
LESLIE, Chris Liberal Democrats 639
SKINNER, Rex The Labour Party 951
VICKERS, Peter Frank The Conservative Party 2157 Elected

Central Beds Results - Northfields

2009-06-05T06:22:00.001+01:00

Northfields

FREEMAN, Jeannette The Conservative Party 618 Elected
HEARTY, Michael Joseph The Labour Party 413
KEYES, Rod Liberal Democrats 258
MORGAN, Elaine Ann Liberal Democrats 244
MURRAY, Julian David Independent 755 Elected
ROSE, Shelley Birtish National Party - British Workers First 348
ROSS, Duncan The Labour Party 480
WARREN, Nigel Austin The Conservative Party 511

Central Beds Results - Houghton Regis

2009-06-05T05:45:00.005+01:00

Houghton Regis

BRIDGEMAN, Steven British National Party - British Workers First 735
CHATTERLEY, John Anthony The Conservative Party 998
EGAN, Rita Liberal Democrat Focus Team 1650 Elected
GOODCHILD, Susan Anne Liberal Democrat Focus Team 1877 Elected
HARRIS-SMALL, Ruth The Labour Party 463
JONES, David John Liberal Democrat Focus Team 1628 Elected
MEAKINS, Beryl Mary The Conservative Party 279
MEAKINS-JELL, Claire Elizabeth The Conservative Party 799
ROCHE, Robert James The Labour Party 482
SLOUGH, Susan Elizabeth Ann The Labour Party 456
SWAISLAND, Peter Frederick The Conservative Party 746
TURNER, Roger Harold The Labour Party 444
WILLIAMS, Peter Liberal Democrat Focus Team 1553 Elected

Ex-Activist Chris Brennan Lifts the Lid on Beds and Bucks BNP

2009-05-31T18:58:00.002+01:00

A brave whistleblower warns today how race-hatred is still the lifeblood of the evil BNP - and begs People readers: "Vote for anybody but them this week."Former BNP candidate Christopher Brennan made his plea as the far-right party try to win support for Thursday's vital Euro and local elections.Leader Nick Griffin and his henchmen are selling themselves as mainstream moderates. But Chris, 21, declared: "Don't be fooled - they are racist to the core."

Chris was just 18 when he stood as a British National Party candidate in multi-cultural Luton, Beds. He said officials routinely branded black people n*****s. And he claimed they told activists to launch violent attacks on their "enemies".Chris - who quit the party in disgust in 2007 - said: "I've seen the BNP for what they really are. They are hellbent on destroying all that is good in Britain. No matter what is said in public about not being a racist organisation any longer, those beliefs are still at the core of the organisation.

The European elections give them a chance to get a foothold in British politics because people are so incensed by the scandal of MPs' expenses. But they are beyond the pale."The BNP is fielding 450 candidates for the local elections and 66 for the European Parliament poll.ConvictedTheir campaign is being led by Griffin - convicted in 1998 of distributing material likely to incite racial hatred - and publicity manager Mark Collett. Chris worked alongside both of them during his failed election bid in 2007.The whistleblower - who joined the BNP as an impressionable 13-year-old - said: "

On the outside these men, like many BNP activists, will take the party line of presenting an image of respectability, people the voters can trust. But at secret meetings the talk is of 'breaking the legs of our enemies'."He went on: "I met Griffin and Collett several times. Griffin congratulated me for standing and told me our country needed 'young blood'. I remember him saying, 'We need to get to the stage when we have 40,000 people to march on to the streets to take our country back from the immigrants'."Before my election in 2007, Griffin came to Luton to make speeches where he said the P*kis were to blame for housing shortages in the north. Collett hated black people and made no secret about it - he spoke about n*****s diluting the British race.

He and Griffin made it clear how they felt - but made sure they made it clear how we should behave in public for the 'good of the party'."Chris claimed Collett quoted whole passages from Hitler's book Mein Kampf to a packed meeting in Luton. And he said Collett once told him he idolised the Nazi monster.Chris revealed: "Collett said he wanted to be just like him - a man of courage and honour is how he put it. He called Mein Kampf his version of the Bible and quoted passages from it, encouraging others to study it."Chris said party workers were instructed in how to intimidate opponents. He went on: "We were told to find the names and addresses of anyone who campaigned against us. We'd put them under surveillance for several days, photographing them and watching their movements. Some had bricks through their windows and some even had deaththreats and were warned not to carry on. Griffin and Collett knew this was going on - it was talked about openly.

In private, the party line is that the ballot is just a stepping stone and after that it will be taken by force."Chris claimed the party was now being torn apart by jealous rivalries. He said: "Senior figures are at each other's throats, all vying for power and trying to discredit each other."But he warned the BNP is still a force to be reckoned with at Thursday's polls.Chris said: "The public may be appalled at MPs' expenses but the reason the BNP is targeting European seats is because of the wages and extortionate expenses members can claim. There's an agreement to claim the highest amount and divide the money between individuals and the party so there is more in the coffers for the next wave of elections. It needs to be stopped - and I hope it is not too late to stop British electors being fooled into voting for them."He went on: "Having witnessed what I have, no one associated with it is to be trusted and every aspect of the party is devious.

Behind the smart suits and the nice smiles are lies and deceit that will threaten our country."Chris added: "Thousands of people will be thinking the BNP is an alternative to the other parties. But there is a dark side which we have to stop coming to power ever."Griffin denied all the allegations and branded Chris a Labour mole.He said: "This man is paid to tell lies about us by an organisation funded by the Labour Party."

He insisted he never said n*****s and only used P*ki to describe a type of street thug not the Muslim community.And referring to the housing shortage he added: "Why on earth would I blame Pakistanis for a problem caused by Poles, Czechs and Nigerians?" Collett also denied Chris's claims, saying: "He clearly has a personal grievance. It's not what we stand for and the members would not tolerate these claims - they are utterly ludicrous."It is a politically motivated stunt on the eve of the elections."Sunday People

Three Counties Unite Against Fascism Press Statement

2009-05-26T10:12:00.003+01:00

We were appalled at the events of Sunday evening.

Never again must we see the sight, in our town, of a 200-strong rabble fighting police on the central dual carriageway in a bid to reach Bury Park; terrified customers barricaded within a restaurant; Asian shops with windows smashed or students assaulted.

We extend our thoughts to those who were assaulted, intimidated or had property damaged as a result of the actions of the lawless majority on that march. We also commend the actions of police on the ground who, with severe provocation, contained the disturbances with minimum force.

The Asian community showed admirable restraint under tremendous provocation and thanks must go out to community leaders who exercised great leadership under duress.
However, the truth is that these events could have been entirely avoided. Intelligence from the internet quite clearly showed that there was a large contingent that cared nothing for honouring troops, laying wreaths or handing in petitions. They intended to travel to our town in order to cause the very same trouble that we saw on Sunday evening.

In trying to appease demonstrators, the authorities tried to negotiate with groups such as "March for England" and in doing so gave the green light for all manner of individuals with a grudge or grievance to attend. March for England then realised this for themselves and pulled out, meaning that there was no-one on the day who could exercise leadership for the gathering or be held accountable.

This resulted in three different groupings entering Luton on Sunday. Two were relatively dignified and peaceful but numbered no more than fifty. The third bolted from the form-up point in Manor Park right from the very start and were responsible for the confrontation with both police and community.

In the aftermath of these events we call for the following :
1) An urgent assurance from the authorities that no further parades of this kind be allowed, particularly given the fact that a spokesperson for the demonstrators has identified 31st August as the next date for disturbances.
2) Police to use the full force of the law to mete out justice to those responsible for violence, threat and criminal damage
3) The Council to review their procedures for considering the merit of parade applications, incorporating a far stronger consideration of impact on community cohesion.

In stark contrast, Monday’s International Carnival – with 100,000 participants instead of 200 – provided a far more positive and accurate representation of our town of Luton than events the previous evening.

Peace, harmony and tolerance are values worth defending and we call upon all within the town to work towards this end.

Violent Mob Runs Amok in Luton Town Centre

2009-05-25T11:01:00.009+01:00

I arrived at Manor Park at 4.30pm to see a small number of mounted police at the form-up point awaiting the demonstrators. They were to be found in boisterous mood in various pubs and bars in a trail from Park Street up to Market Hill. At 4.45pm, a large contingent made their way down to the Park, chanting "we want muslims out" and drawing much bemused attention from passers by.

When we reached the Park, police calmly ushered demonstrators into the Park. There was a small "formal" delegation from March for England already line-up, but suddenly a large group (about 200) bolted in the direction of the town centre. Police soon realised that plans had to change quickly, as it soon dawned on us that there was only one thing one minds of this group of youths - the fastest route possible to Bury Park ready for a confrontation with the Asian community. A quick pause at the war memorial was followed by nearly 2 hours of cat-and-mouse with the police as this group of demonstrators zig-zagged their way along Luton side streets try to make their way northwards. On each turning police, now wearing riot shields and carrying batons, outflanked the protestors and hemmed them in. On many occasions ringleaders urged the crowd to stand their ground and mount a charge at police. A few hurled banners at police lines and there were arrests made when youths fought with police as they were trying to make their way towards Bury Park along the elevated dual carriageway.

Some of those arrested, I was told, already have recent convictions for violent offences.

Some had a different target in mind. "Leave them - they're coppers, not Pakis" said one as a further attempt to break police lines was made. An Asian shop down Chapel Street had its windows broken and cars were damaged as one individual walked up the boot, across the roof, down the windscreen and on with his journey.

Dedicated T-shirts, balaclavas and Sayful Islam masks (with devil's horns) were being sold by the same person in a grim attempt to sell "merchandise" related to the event.

Eventually police cornered the mob in Market Hill and the crowd dispersed into local bars. However, disturbances went on into the evening and further attempts were made to make ventures into Bury Park.

Great credit must go to a local young Imam who persuaded a group of angry young muslim men from making their way towards the town centre. A true act of leadership matched by the self-restraint and disciplined of the Bury Park youth. It appears that the Imam was from the same mosque that was burned in a firebomb incident from a few weeks ago.

Strangely, there were three distinct groups of demonstrators : 1) the break-away mob as described; 2) the "official" March for England delegation who laid their wreath and left 3) a further small group who walked down towards the town hall and stayed for the duration of the afternoon at the war memorial.

The instigator of the event, Paul "Lionheart" Ray, has announced intentions for another march in August, but surely Luton can be spared another re-run of this mayhem.

This blog will report on the aftermath of the demonstration in the days and weeks to come.

Derek Godfrey – NF Candidate for Dunstable Downs – His Secret Neo-Nazi Past

2009-05-25T10:59:00.001+01:00

We have come across Godfrey before when he stood in 2007 (with Deacon as agent) in Caddington and Slip End under the banner of the NF. He is a frequent correspondent of the local paper, where he has stood up for Oswald Mosely and supported Prince Harry when he wore a swastika armband.

Godfrey was a active member of Mosley's post war Union Movement. By the 1970's when it was in terminal decline some core members who were hard line National Socialists set up the League of St George. Membership was by invitation only and our picture shows Godfrey (second from left) marching at Diksmuide in Belgium on the occasion of their annual pan-Europe get-together.

Simon Deacon – BNP Candidate for Hertfordshire Bridgewater – Wants an All-White Britain

2009-05-25T10:45:00.001+01:00

Deacon (on left, facing camera, against police van.) Seig Heiler is Stuart Hollingsworth – convicted for damaging the Steven Lawrence memorial in 1998 and sentenced to three months in prison.

On his election to the Markyate parish council in 2007, Deacon told the St Albans Observer (25.4.07)

"England was a white country – we think it should be returned to that. "

Shelley Rose – BNP Candidate for Dunstable Northfields – Uses Language of Race Hate

2009-05-25T10:37:00.003+01:00

Shelley Rose (centre) flanked by BNP leader Nick Griffin and Young BNP activist Mark Collet.
Collet appeared in the 2002 Channel Four documentary "Young, Nazi and Proud." He is quoted as saying "Hitler will live forever; and maybe I will."

In 1998, Griffin was convicted of inciting racial hatred for publishing material that denied the Holocaust.

On 27th November 2008 Rose – worker at a Luton furniture company - showed that she was capable of spreading similar lies. On Facebook, when describing why she was boycotting Tescos (once owned by Jewish people) she said:

"They want to take over the world, all the other shops even supermarkets seem to have some regard for local produce and the country. Tesco's are on their own agenda. They will destroy all business around them, unless people refuse to shop there. I would rather put myself out and pay a bit more at a smaller local shop, than line the pockets of the kikes that run Tesco."

Ex-BNP Man Turns Back on Racist Past

2009-05-21T23:21:00.002+01:00

My name is Chris Brennan and I had the misfortune to be a candidate for the British National Party in the 2007 Luton elections. I joined another racist group, the National Front, when I was just out of school - down on my luck and without too many prospects. I joined the BNP after a couple of years in the NF running around with people that were little more than criminals and bootboys. At first the BNP appeared friendly and offered some simple answers to things that were frustrating me at the time. As I got drawn further in however, it became clear to me that their activists were full of hate - for Jews and black people as well as for each other. When I stood as a candidate I felt I was left all by myself - a young lad - without any support from the older men who were pulling the strings from way off in Milton Keynes. The last straw was when another party member assaulted me in the street - from that point on I decided to make a break. Since then I have made a new career for myself in a new part of the country. Whereas I still have questions about immigration, my views have changed seeing that I have got to know people from all sorts of backgrounds.

My simple message to you is not to trust any leaflet or candidate from the BNP that might land on your doorstep. Behind the gloss lies a message of fear put around by men who have no answers for the issues of Luton today.

10 Questions for Luton Borough Council Re. Proposed 24th "March for England."

2009-05-13T06:19:00.003+01:00

1. What evidence do we have that the accommodation of a march will draw this issue to a close ?

2. It is clear from Facebook that protestors see the campaign as a phased programme of events. In fact they have identified a number of demands.Is there not a significant risk that they will be emboldened by this action to make future requests that, to be "fair", have to be considered on face value ?

3. Specifically, will the heralded "D-Day" event for 6th June now be cancelled if the 24th May event goes ahead ?
4. Could it not be argued that in organising (albeit illegally) on bank holiday Monday 13th April, the demonstrators have had a more-than-fair chance to make their demands and articulate their feelings on the issue of March 10th ?

5. Will the 24th event culminate in a rally with speeches ? Do we have notice of who the speakers are ? Will the content of their speeches be restricted ? The twin themes of "March for England" are "immigration" and terrorism."

6. Is there not a problem where the criteria for permission relate purely to issues of health and safety with no consideration of equalities and impact on community cohesion ?

7. Does this concession to march not run contradictory to the strong message sent out on the cover of the recent "Lutonline" saying "Enough is enough. Luton is our town and the people who live here work hard to co-exist, ensuring community cohesion. We don’t need people using our town as an excuse to stir up ill feeling or suggest that we are not patriotic."

8. Who are the organisers of the march ? Are any of them Lutonians ? If it is March for England, is LBC aware of the serious allegations levelled at the organisation on respected blogs such as http://barthsnotes.wordpress.com/2009/03/26/english-patriots-capitalise-on-islamism/. The 2 photos gathered from Dave Smeeton's Facebook page (above) are of particular concern. Under the "Skinhead" photo, Smeeton has written in a comment "those were the days..." in a moment of unbridled nostalgia.

9. Were community groups and leaders consulted prior to the decision to consider sanctioning the 24th March ?

10. Is not the marching date particularly ill-timed given the 1) proximity of the mosque fire, 2) high-profile far-right election campaign, 3) heightened community tension and 4) imminent preparations for the inclusive, multi-cultural carnival celebration ?

Far-Right Candidates June 2009

2009-05-12T22:22:00.002+01:00

South Beds

Dunstable Downs
Derek Godfrey (Only NF candidate)

Houghton Regis
Steven Bridgeman

Northfields
Shelley Rose

Mid Beds

Biggleswade
Kevin Austin

North Beds

Clapham
Robin Johnstone

East Herts

Bishops Stortford West
Ralph Ballard

Ware North
Brian Gildersieve

Ware South
Dennis Corbett

Hertsmere

Borehamwood
Jim Scott

St Albans

The Colneys
Mark Gerrard

North Hertfordshire

Hitchin North
Herbert Clark

Letchworth NW
Barry Gillespie

Stevenage (Full Slate)

Shephall
Terence Savage

St Nicholas
Mark Ralph

Chells
Cheryl Peers

Old Stevenage
Reginald Norgan

Bedwell
Thomas Godfrey

Broadwater
Arthur Medley

Three Rivers

Abbots Langley
Seamus Dunne

Oxhey Park
Roger Holmes

South Oxhey
Deirdre Gates

Watford

Meriden
Danny Seabrook

Dacorum

Bridgewater
Simon Deacon

Hemel Hempstead NE
Mark Fuller

Hemel Hempstead NW
Tina Adams

Kings Langley
Janet Price

Broxbourne (Full Slate)

Goffs Oak and Bury Green
Wendy Ward

Hoddesdon
William Dewick

Cheshunt
Carolyn Iles

Flamstead End and Turnford
Ian Seeby

Hoddesdon South
Ramon Johns

Waltham Cross
Stephen McCole

Mark Gerrard, St Albans BNP Candidate, "Too Busy to Interview"

2009-05-12T22:19:00.001+01:00

A British National Party candidate, due to stand in London Colney and Colney Heath in next month's county council elections, has undergone training to enable him to speak to the press.
BNP member Mark Gerrard has been nominated in the Colneys division and will be on the ballot paper. Unfortunately, despite his training, his was this week unable to talk to the Review.
His opponents fighting for a seat on Hertfordshire County Council include Labour Party candidate Dominic Benson, Liberal Democrat's Chris Brazier, Green Party's Lucy Eggleston, and Tory Timothy Jones.
St Albans MP Anne Main said: "It's extremely disappointing that we have far right parties like this who only serve to bring out racial tension. "In an area like London Colney, which has a significant ethnic popultation, its politics are completely disreputable and I do hope people don't see the need to support it.
"Community relationships on the whole in St Albans are very good, exemplary in some cases, it's a real shame they feel they need to stand in areas such as ours.
"I really hope that people roundly reject them." Speaking about his controversial competitor, councillor Brazier added: "It's sad that people are still considering the BNP these days, it is an extreme political party.
"I think it's very difficult for the BNP to get its policies over without sounding extreme."
Labour councillor Martin Leach, who represents Batchwood ward, said: "I hope the election will concentrate on the real issues about the future of local services and not be side lined by racists and cranks."
Mr Gerrard, who is the only competitor within the Colneys Division living outside the district, did not respond to the Review's request for comment but his party colleague, BNP local spokesman Mark Fuller, said: "Like any BNP candidate he will be a strong voice for the local people in the community and will work hard within the framework of his office, should he be elected, for the benefit of all."
He added that it was party policy for all its member to undergo extensive training before talking to the press.
Hertfordshire County Council will go to the polls on June 4.

"Luton Line" Front Page - May 2009

2009-04-28T05:16:00.001+01:00

"Extremism, a centre for terrorism" – these are just some of the dreadful and frankly unwarranted things that people have begun to associate with Luton. It is time we put the record
straight. These recent press stories have also made Luton attractive to national groups who want to make this Town a focus for their own objectives. Enough is enough. Luton is our town and the people who live here work hard to co-exist, ensuring community cohesion. We don’t need people using our town as an excuse to stir up ill feeling or suggest that we are not patriotic.

The Second Battalion, The Royal Anglian Regiment, known as The Poachers, has the freedom of the borough. Its members – whether White, Black or Asian – include young men and women from our town and we are proud of them all. Whether or not you agree with them being sent to war zones, that is no reason to harrass brave men and women who are simply doing their job. The recent protest by the handful of people who subjected the Poachers to ignorant and unacceptable abuse was not authorised by Luton Borough Council or the Police. Groups of all faiths, shapes and sizes across the borough condemned the action. Some groups, not necessarily connected to Luton, reacted by trying to arrange a march in support of the troops at very short notice. Their recent claims that we have banned such action are without foundation. Democracy and freedom of speech are fundamental rights of our community and this allows anyone to apply to hold a march. But the Council, and the Police, have a duty to keep people safe.

To ensure public safety there are clear rules forassessing any such application, beginning with prior notice of six weeks and a risk assessment to ensure the safety of the public and those who intend to march. There is however no license to say anything you want. Freedom of speech needs to be used properly and responsibly. Marches which break the law, such as inciting riot or fuelling racial hatred, will not be considered under any circumstances. We will not have our Town and community threatened by such action. We will however do what we can to ensure those seeking to express their view within the law can have that opportunity. The Council and its partners in the Town are committed to supporting and sustaining all communities in this Town and promoting community cohesion. This takes time, patience, goodwill, compromise and understanding from us all.

Luton is certainly not perfect and like many other towns we have to work hard at living in harmony which we do - anyone who was with Luton Town FC at Wembley would have seen the diversity of this Town standing together celebrating their victory. All we ask is that people, and in particular some members of the media, focus on the many positive aspects of life in Luton.

Beds and Bucks BNP New Year Newsletter 2007

2009-04-24T00:20:00.002+01:00

2007 THE BREAKTHROUGH YEAR?

Last year’s council elections saw the BNP win record numbers of seats, to take us to over 50 elected representatives in England and Wales. This year’s council elections will hopefully see us make an even bigger advance and to do that we ask for all branch members and supporters to get involved. In Beds & Bucks we hope to have a number of candidates and would welcome even more.

We have been extensively leafleting and campaigning in Luton, Biggleswade, Milton Keynes, Leighton Buzzard and Aylesbury towards this goal. We also need more leafleters to come forward and help not only in our own area but possibly others as well. There are many other ways to help the party move forward, addressing envelopes, office duties etc so please get involved. There will be regular meetings and activities throughout 2007.

We have established a new group in Aylesbury Vale, under organiser Mellissa Hayles. She can be contacted at aylesburyvale@bnp.org.uk and is very keen to build up support in the town as well as the surrounding villages. Luton Group continues to grow, mainly due to the hard work put in by organiser Peter Fehr and his dedicated team of activists. Membership has doubled in the town over the last twelve months. We have held three excellent meetings in Luton over the past few months and leafleting teams have been out regularly.

Meetings have also been held in Milton Keynes, while we continue to encourage our members to support our colleagues in Northants BNP, by attending their meetings and activities, while
they in turn support ours. Many thanks to Dave Robinson, the Northampton Organizer for his support during 2006. In Biggleswade, the entire town has been leafleted as a prelude to standing candidates in May. We have a number of new members in the area as a result of this. Mention must also be made of the newly appointed Young BNP Organizer for Beds & Bucks, Chris Mitchell, who has plans to develop the youth wing of the party in our region. But as usual we needmore people to get active. Then we can increase dramatically our presence on the political scene in the two counties. For the first time we will be standing a number of regional candidates, so please SUPPORT AND HELP THEM!

MAJOR REGIONAL MEETING
THERE IS A MAJOR REGIONAL MEETING IN SOUTH NORTHAMPTON ON TUESDAY, 20 FEBRUARY AT 7.30PM TO BE ADDRESSED BY PARTY CHAIRMAN NICK GRIFFIN. WE HOPE TO HAVE IN EXCESS OF 100 PEOPLE AT THIS MEETING. ALL BEDS AND BUCKS MEMBERS ARE REQUESTED TO ATTEND AS THIS WILL BE THE MAJOR PRE-ELECTION MEETING IN 2007.

Full details are available from Jim Wood (Beds & Bucks), Dave Robinson (Northampton) and other local organizers.

Lionheart Now Targetting 6th June

2009-04-18T23:55:00.004+01:00

Paul Ray is now intent on putting in a request for a march for 6th June in Luton as the letter to police shows below. One wonders who the "several organisations" helping out with the event are ....... One thing is certain - they will not be from Luton and will parachute all of their supporters in for another day of mayhem in the town centre.

Ray's agenda is to highlight "the threat of militant Islam," although in his blog postings he does not draw a distinction between miltants and mainstream muslim thought. His agenda is set out in the following Youtube video :

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/video/video.php?v=96175039740&ref=nf

Sergeant 257 Paul Lowe,

I am writing to you in relation to a planned D-day march in Luton on Saturday June 6th. Due to the 6 week block that was placed in the way of holding a St George’s day event in the town, I am now giving the 6 weeks notice as requested. There will be several organisations helping with this event, one of them being ‘March for England’.

Mr Smeeton from ‘March for England’ has advised me to pass the contact details below through to you in relation to police references, and one preventing the BNP from attempting a high profile presence at one of their previous events.

This is not a political event; this will be an event where citizens from all communities, no matter the colour of their skin, or what their political affiliation might be, can come together to show their respect to past and present Allied troops on such an important day in the British calendar, and to protest about the present dangerposed to our domestic security by militant Islam (Al Qaeda) in Britain.

A signed letter of intent for this event will be in the post in the next few days.

Yours sincerely

Paul Ray

Another Fine Mess in Beds and Bucks .... (reproduced from June 2007)

2009-04-18T21:57:00.014+01:00

There are times when the anti-fascist struggle is precisely that – a long, hard haul with little visible return. However, there are those precious times when fascist groups turn in upon themselves and push the self-destruct button. Our job then is purely to sit back and admire their handiwork, as has been the case recently in the case with events in Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire.

One could make the case that regional prospects for the BNP were looking relatively rosy after the May elections. First-time candidate Phill Carter got a cuddle from Nick Griffin for her 22% in Stratton ward, Biggleswade and NF-convert Chris Brennan chipped in with a reasonable 17% in Luton. Recruitment in neighbouring Hertfordshire was bubbling up and with a capacity start-up June meeting in Aylesbury, local campaigners could see an arc of activity appearing across the three counties of Beds, Bucks and Herts.

As a May newsletter for activists mentioned,

"Beds and Bucks was just one group only three years ago. We now have new groups in South Bucks (Chilterns), Aylesbury and Luton as well as the "mother group" Beds & Bucks. We now seek to establish new self governing groups in Milton Keynes, Mid-Bedfordshire, South Beds and Bedford."

The framework for this region was provided by activists in Milton Keynes, lead by the trio of fundholder Steve Sherwood, Barry Taylor and Anna Seymour. Between them, these three ran the Luton BNP website, organised leafletting campaigns and supported local candidates at count night in the May elections.

A meeting to plan future campaigning was held in Milton Keynes mid-June when local activists met regional organisers Roger Robertson and Eddy Butler, who rode into town in the company of Essex activist Miss Emma Colgate. Prior to this meeting Taylor had whined long and hard to local members about the aloof attitude of Sherwood and wanted to bring his regional influence to an end. He got his way through the appointment of Phill Carter as North Beds. organiser; Blood and Honour wannabe Robert Sheddock as Luton fundholder and ex-November 9th Society member John Cater as Luton organiser. Sheddock and Cater were thought to be a winning combination, although Cater was rejected as a candidate in May because his politics (straight-arm variety) were considered beyond the pale. Sherwood’s favoured candidate for Luton organiser, hypnotist Chris Chibnall, took a long lie down on the couch as he was sidelined. Sherwood’s wife Kay, an activist herself, reportedly left the meeting in tears.

Events then started to take on a life of their own. A council bye-election was called for Whaddon ward in Milton Keynes and local BNP activists wanted Anna Seymour to stand. Seymour has a somewhat eclectic past and present – having two mixed-race children from a relationship with an African-American in the 1980’s. Along with Barry Taylor they choose to straddle a variety of nationalist groupings, having dealings with the BNP, Nationalist Alliance, British People’s Party (BPP) and lately, the England First Party. They specialise in support for Tyr Services, a nationalist marketing group run by Ricky Fawcus, now resident in Sweden. With political astuteness (such a CV was bound to cause problems for the BNP) and with awareness of the internal campaign run against him, Sherwood baulked at the suggestion of Seymour’s candidacy.

Ricky Fawcus (left), Steve Smith (right)

Veteran nationalist Les Andrews from nearby Bedford had received a long-service award from Nick Griffin at a local meeting just 18-months ago, but that didn’t stop him jumping ship to the England First Party earlier in the year. On hearing the news of Seymour’s rejection by Sherwood, he got on the hotline to the EFP’s leadership in Lancashire. Undeterred by the fact that there are only 4 EFP members in the region, elections organiser Simon Bennett saw an opportunity for the Party to break out of its north-west heartland. Anna was therefore adopted as a candidate and the entire Milton Keynes BNP branch (minus Sherwood and without the knowledge of hapless South-East Organiser Roger Robertson) swung behind the campaign. Barry Taylor appeared to be happy that their distribution of two leaflets and cavalcade in a battered Fiat Punto was proceeding "under the radar" of both local media and local anti-fascists.

Local attention was drawn however, by the content of the leaflets, which railed against translation costs, an "influx immigrants and asylum seekers" and a school that dared to have children speaking 32 languages. The local contact number for the EFP was a mobile number belonging to Barry, identical to that found on a website that registers his involvement as a UK Honeybee Swarm Co-ordinator. In fact, the website of the North Bucks Beekeeping Association appears to be hosted by Taylor and with alarmist talk on its pages of "imported bee parasites as a result of Global Capitalist exploitation" it appears he is writing more than his fair share of the content too.

Left to right : Bert Leech, Anna Seymour, Steve Smith, Les Andrews

In the election Seymour gained 8% of the votes and contributors on the nazi-web forum Stormfront purred about the way that UKIP were relegated far down the poll. These comments took on more of a hostile tone when local anti-fascists seized their moment and informed the local press about the candidate’s membership of the BNP, active involvement with Tyr Services and her fulsome praise of a deceased John Tyndall in the online book of condolence for the openly-Nazi British People’s Party :

"Sadly I was only able to meet John on two occasions at recent meetings here in Milton Keynes, and I must say on both occasions i was moved by his noble love and patriotism of this once great land, which sadly no longer belongs to us the indigenous natives."

A front page story in the Milton Keynes News caught many of the characters unawares. Roger Robertson was forced to expel both Taylor and Seymour from the BNP on account of the fact that they campaigned openly for the EFP, a proscribed organisation. Seymour spluttered out that she had left the BNP "because they were too racist." This sits uneasily alongside the fact that two weeks later, she was pouring coffees for Richard Edmonds and 50 members of the BPP at a local John Tyndall Memorial Meeting, where nazi flags and paramilitary merchandise were openly on sale.

The aftermath of this episode features personal setbacks for many local activists on the far-right :

The leadership of the EFP is being ridiculed by nationalists for failing to check on the credentials of one of its candidates;
Taylor and Seymour have been expelled from the BNP;

Milton Keynes BNP organiser Steve Sherwood has apparently left the party;
South East BNP regional organiser Roger Robertson is being questioned for his inability to influence activists in the Home Counties;

Local BNP activists in Luton and Biggleswade are now cast adrift from the support provided by the "mother group" in Milton Keynes.

For anti-fascists this represents an opportunity to press home our advantage, having put the opposition on the back foot. Fortunately, the activities of Taylor and Seymour, both past and present, have the potential to create many more embarrassing local headlines in the months ahead ......

Watford and District BNP Candidates

2009-04-16T23:20:00.008+01:00

A little bird tells us that the BNP intend to stand candidates in Abbots Langley, South Oxhey and Oxhey Park in Three Rivers.

We've been aware of some partial deliveries of old BNP material in Abbots Langley and Oxhey Park (Moor Park, Carpenders Park and Oxhey Hall) in recent weeks, but this is sporadic and inconsistent.

We also gather that for Watford Borough Council, the BNP will only be standing for the Meriden/Tudor county division, currently held by the Lib Dems. Meriden has traditionally been a Labour area, with high rise blocks and many council and housing association properties.

Luton - Bank Holiday Monday

2009-04-16T17:39:00.015+01:00

There's a lot to rage at in Luton at the moment - the financial crisis is biting and even the local football team has dropped out of the football league due to the Football League docking 30 points. So when the opportunity came to show displeasure at authority for allowing extremists to hurl abuse at the Royal Anglian Regiment, 150-strong mob duly turned out in the town centre on Bank Holiday Monday. From the start it became clear that this was not an exclusive far-right rally. Most of those attending were from various football tribes, with the majority made up of those Luton Town fans who couldn't be bothered to see the home game just down the road. The target of their wrath wasn't easy to make out. A few days previous, a Borough Council committee had decided that local Islamaphobe blogger Paul Ray could not hold a St George's Day march through the town due to the lack of notice.

This was a very sensible decision by virtue of the wealth of out-of-town troublemakers that follow in Ray's wake. By reading the variety of placards present on the day (above), the council, police and MP Margaret Moran all received some blame. The police tactic of "kettling" received another outing, with officers surrounding the demonstrators and hemming them in to a small area. No permission had officially been given to march, so movement down the town precinct was not permitted.

Just after 2.00pm people carrying placards appeared and the crowd began to gather. Soon there was around 200 people who came from nowhere and that crowd was in no mood to listen to the police informing them that the protest march could not go ahead and was illegal. The police moved infront of the marchers as they moved from Park Square trying to stop them but the protesters broke through and were being chased by police and also officers on horseback. The protesters wanted to get to the Town hall but they were stopped by a strong line of officers and police vehicles. Now they were all infact penned in from the front and back, there was now to be a stand off.

Ten National Front supporters turned up including their Chairman Tom Holmes, which probably made it their biggest turnout in many a month. To their horror, one placard (above) read "NF Go to Hell" (can we borrow it please) and sensing that today would not be their best day for recruitment, they decided to leave and lick their wounds. Much discussion has subsequently gone into the nature of this placard. It was clearly an attempt by the organisers to distance themselves from far-right politics and indeed, conversing with a number of demonstrators on the day, they gave little evidence of a racist motive. However, the BNP put a good deal of effort into promoting the march and clearly hope to benefit from the resulting publicity. However, the only sign of known supporters on the day was YBNP Bedfordshire organiser Chris Mitchell (below, wearing cap, facing camera) who turned up with his less-than-conscious black Arsenal chum, Godfrey Faulkner (below, wearing cap, facing left) on a road trip from Leighton Buzzard. After being penned in for two hours, the police let the demonstrators disperse before the end of the Luton home game.

In total, six people were arrested after dispersal. The local press wrote balanced accounts of the events, but the Daily Star chose to stay true to their Islamophobic stance, giving the demonstrators free rein to say that they were "reclaiming the streets" from the extremist demonstrators.

Local anti-fascists hope that this event will lance the boil of street-level dissent over that fateful day in March. Paul Ray has signalled his determination to stage a "March for England"-style demonstration in Luton for early June, but his ham-fisted attempts at public relations will hopefully cause this venture to come off the rails. We are also mindful of the need to use language that accurately describes the nature of those taking part. Those taking part on Monday were not "BNP" and some would bristle at any "far-right" label. Negative coverage of the troop parade has clearly mobilised a number of locals to act in this manner, but it would be counterproductive to brush these individuals into the same camp as the BNP.

Eastern Region BNP Get-Together

2009-04-11T10:27:00.005+01:00

Dear All

We are holding a vital regional council meeting on saturday 11th april.Meet at 12.30 at birchanger green services on the M11 (the stanstead airport and bishops stortford turnoff)This is short notice but we have vital things to discuss before the elections get under way in earnest and this is the only free date. Every unit must be represented.

Eddy Butler, Eastern Regional Organiser

Lionheart Held At Bay

2009-04-10T18:11:00.003+01:00

On Tuesday 10th March the Royal Anglian Regiment were heckled by a fringe group of extremist Muslim demonstrators as the soldiers marched through Luton Town Centre. This predictable action frustrated and angered nearly every section of the community - above all the local mosques who had already banned the fifteen individuals. The blaze of negative publicity produced strong comment both locally and nationally, with strong condemnations from town hall politicians and a forthright debate in the letters column of local papers.

Soon afterwards it was possible to discern the comments intended to heal from those that sought to open up division and forward an entirely different agenda.

One ex-soldier, James Yeomans, started to organise a "Respect the Troops" march to take place three weeks after the original incident . Far from being a troublemaker, Yeomans intended this to be a genuine gesture to express regret at the incidents on 10th March and thus go someway towards repairing the reputation of the town. Unfortunately, individuals started to emerge from the darker corners of Facebook and other sites, chewing over the possibility of using the occasion to create a confrontation with the town’s sizeable Pakistani and Bangladeshi population. Keyboard warriors encouraged fellow group members to "bring their tools," going on to say "its going to be messy." Momentum was gathering to the extent that coaches were being booked to carry protestors from as far away from Chester and Portsmouth. Even "The Welsh Defence League" pledged attendance, although you get the feeling that their entire membership would fit snugly into a single Ford Mondeo.

Alert at every opportunity to create division the BNP hauled Peter Fehr back from retirement to do what he does best – leading the branch into oblivion. Despite telling a supporter in 2008

"I’m no longer active. I go to the occasional meeting in Biggleswade or sometimes Aylesbury and no longer organize anything,"

Fehr began to swing the 80 local members behind the march. He quickly organised a branch meeting (the first in 6 months) at the sympathetic King Harry Pub for the day after the march and rounded up 3 out-of-towners (Parish Councillor Simon Deacon, bottle-blonde Shelley Rose and Steve Sherwood from Milton Keynes.) He wrote to members on March 15th "I would therefore ask all members/patriots to attend this parade and support OUR troops. Please bring a Union Jack flag with you and fly it proudly when the troops parade. Lets all rally together and lets make this a day to remember"

Sensing events were running out of his control, James Yeomans cancelled the march. In an attack destined to feature in our leaflets for months to come, he cornered on the fascists :

"How do people make the link between respecting our troops and a fascist parade ? Its pitiful. We had invited people from all corners of the community. Including muslim leaders. These people call themselves patriotic and proud to be British but I wonder what they have ever really done for our country ? It makes me sad that they seem to have a copyright on the Union Jack. If they want to come to Luton to have a fight they need to have a look at their sad lives."

Indeed.

Despite being told that the march was off, much online sabre-rattling could be heard and pledges were made by local hooligans to ignore the police and carry on regardless. In response, Three Counties UAF decided to mobilise around our usual weekly stall in the town centre. On the day we had a good number of supporters from the trades council, Labour Party, Asian community, UAF and an elderly couple inspired by the Hope not Hate website to start their own local campaign. In a 90 minute operation we maintained a lively presence, gave out a good deal of literature and managed to deal with the few dozen football hooligans that skulked around before being moved on by police.

In the aftermath, the motley online crew of BNP supporters (and those simply up for a fight) were apoplectic. Who could blame them. In a single week the local freesheet had a banner headline "Fascists Stealing a March," the BNP meeting the next day was cancelled and their patriotic mass parade was turned into an anti-fascist rally with report on Anglia TV thrown in for good measure.

In desperation, they turned to Paul Ray aka "Lionheart" to leave his fantasy world of dragon-slaying and put together a march of their own on St George’s Day that no-one would pull at the last moment. To be fair, this idea had its merits. Ray was committed to the cause and had notoriety for producing his own long-running anti-Islamic blog. Secondly he was local – living in Dunstable, this was close enough to have influence but sufficiently far away to not have to live with the consequences. Thirdly, he acted as a lynch-pin for the various strands of nationalism in the area – from the football-orientated Luton MIGs (Men in Gear) to those drawn into BNP membership.

Thankfully, that’s where it all started to go wrong.

Mistake 1 – put the wrong people in charge
To apply for a parade, you need to make the case before a sub-group of the borough council, with representation from Community Cohesion and the police. Bad idea therefore to have the person in charge (ie Ray,) currently being investigated by the CPS for inciting racial hatred from articles on his blog. Worse still to have the number 2 in your organisation, one Laurence Jones, a declared supporter of the BNP. Final nail in the coffin to have the support of the "March for England" organisation with its links to the Portsmouth 657 hooligan element.

Mistake 2 – get everyone confused over dates
In wades Peter Fehr to announce another march on Bank Holiday Monday, 16th April. In an email to supporters he does a reasonable job of organising the event, saying :
"This Demo is being well publicised all over Great Britain and over 20,000 people are expected to descend to Luton on the 13th April to show their disgust towards Muslim extremists. So please attend and bring friends, relatives and work colleges, and show your support by bringing along a Union Jack flag. The 13th is on Easter Monday, so this is a bank holiday, so no excuses, turn-up and show your support."

On the other hand, later in the email he goes to lengths to distance the BNP from the event, saying :

"I MUST STRESS THAT THIS DEMO IS NOT BEING ORGANIZED BY THE BNP. Please do not wear any BNP badges if you plan on going to this event."

Hiding behind the false name of "Peter Fisher" in the letters column of The Luton News, Fehr is given space to state, ludicrously:

"Many of your readers will be aware that a demonstration is going to take place in Luton on Monday April 13th.... The British National Party wishes to make it clear that we will not be attending in any way, shape or form."

Who you kidding Peter.

Furthermore, a flyer for the march on the 16th was sent to the Searchlight offices on Blood and Honour notepaper. On it was a phone number, which turned out to be that of NF activist Stuart Hollingdale, the person who was jailed for 3 months in 1999 for daubing the Stephen Lawrence memorial with white paint.

Thankfully, Ray’s application for a march on St George’s Day appears to have hit the buffers. A few individuals will probably try to stir up trouble on both the 16th and the 23rd, but the police undoubtedly have contingency plans up their sleeves.

Three Counties UAF aim now to move from a defensive to offensive posture, mindful that the European and County elections are a matter of 8 weeks away. Unity between different strands of anti-fascist support in the town has been a distinct feature of our success to date and this pooling of expertise and resources gives us good reason for looking to the future with confidence.

March for Divisive St Georges Day Gathers Pace

2009-04-04T10:46:00.003+01:00

Events are moving are moving fast to the effect that a far-right activist in Dunstable is well-advanced down the route of organising a St George's Day march in Luton Town Centre with the twin themes of terrorism and immigration.

Dunstable blogger Paul Ray ( http://lionheartuk.blogspot.com/ ) was arrested last year by Bedfordshire Police for inciting racial hatred by the extreme anti-Islamic writings.

Recently he was in the forefront of a campaign to have a march in Luton Town centre on March 28th, when the organiser, James Yeomans, called it off given the evidence of far-right activists hi-jacking the event.

This time, Ray has put in a request himself for the march to take place on St Georges Day. Helping him according to the dedicated Facebook page is Dunstable BNP activist Laurence Jones.

There has been a very polite exchange of messages between police, town hall and Ray. The next move is on this coming Tuesday when Ray appears at the Safety Advisory Group - a Town Hall body with multi-agency respresentation. This body can advise on various organisational matters, but is unlikely to intervene on the wider political question of whether the march should take place.

These points need to be made :

1) This march is coming at the wrong time - given that the community needs time to return to normality after the Poachers March on March 10th

2) It is a strange situation when Dunstable activists are seeking to organise a march in Luton. Dunstable has no such event - why do they not organise one for there ? They will leave with no thought to the consequences left behind.

3) If it happens once, it is likely to become an annual event

4) The wrong people are taking the reins. If you truly wanted a family-friendly St George's Day march in Luton you don't want it being organised by a anti-muslim activist arrested for incitement backed up by the BNP.

5) It is unnecessary given the fact that Luton already has a full programme of St George's Day CULTURAL events planned for 25th of this month.

6) It is not necessary to introduce overtly extreme POLITICAL themes of terrorism and immigration into what should be a pleasant cultural celebration.

7) Of course what overrides is the fact that the organisers have the wrong motives. Using the trojan horse of St George's Day, far-right forces are instead trying once again to destabilise our community by focusing on extremely divise themes.

Paul "Lionheart" Ray Seeks Luton March (Again)

2009-04-02T23:54:00.004+01:00

You can read all you need to know about Dunstable blogger "Lionheart" from the article featured left. Sore after a big-time defeat in the town centre last Saturday, he is writing to local police to request a St George's Day march. Together with Dunstable BNP supporter Laurence Jones he is behind a Facebook campaign to whip up support amongst the keyboard warriors.

If Lionheart is so keen on a march, why does he not hold it in his own town of Dunstable ? Obviously he is looking to stir up trouble on our patch.

We believe it is fine to be proud of your country and to give support to local soldiers. A march organised by these people with a sinister alternative agenda would do more much more harm than good. Anyway, here's the letter ...

Dear Chief Superintendant Andy Frost (Divisional Commander for Luton)

I am writing to you concerning a St George’s day parade in Luton town centre that a group I am involved with are hoping to put on, to mark this special day in the calendar of the English people.As you are well aware, there was a recent demonstration in the town centre that was cancelled by many people out of respect to Luton police, a demonstration the media falsely accused of being hijacked by fascists.The paper stated that it is your responsibility to keep harmony in the town, which you achieved on Saturday 28th March. However, no disrespect to you, but you didn’t do a very good job of keeping harmony during the Poachers homecoming parade through the town on March 10th.

It seems that Luton police, of which you are divisional commander, would rather a group of Islamic militants who are aligned to Osama Bin Laden, Abu Hamza, Omar Bakri and Anjem Choudry disrupt the town and Nations harmony at will, and then persecute normal citizens who complain about this. When we, as normal citizens, seek to demonstrate against this Al Qaeda terrorist supporting group’s disgusting behaviour in Luton, you come out in force pleading for calm, with a media campaign labelling us all fascists.If you will not keep the peace and enforce the law upon Islamic militants as the police, who are paid to uphold law and order, then who will?

I hope that yourself and whoever else gets to read this, will agree that there is something seriously wrong here. If we, the common people, cannot voice our concerns on our streets about terrorists and their aims yet the Islamic militants can, it begs the question; "what has happened to our country to have sunk so low? And what does the future now hold for us?"I know that the majority of people involved in the March 28th demo in Luton were not descending on the town to cause civil disorder. They were descending from all over the country, to show their support to our armed services, to protest against Al Qaeda in Britain, and to stand in solidarity with the people of Bedfordshire over what is happening in our communities.Harmony was preserved this day in Luton because once again, we all had to stay silent about what is happening in our country and community, but next time things could turn out very differently. Not for any other reason than because the English people now have their backs firmly against the wall by the State, and are being abused and terrorised by militant Islam so there is no where else for us to turn other than to each other, and than spill out onto the streets in protest together.I hope I can safely say that that is not what the State wants, and I could also safely say that that is not what the majority of the silent majority want either.

Those who sit back watching the news with their wives and children as current events unfold outside their front doors and know they need to do something about what is going on so that their voices can be heard within society.Our forefathers fought and died for the freedoms we once enjoyed in this land that have slowly and systematically been removed from us by today’s ruling powers, but joining together on the streets is one freedom that is a God given right as English men/women in our own country that cannot be removed from us by anyone.The plea to you now is, will you give your permission and support to an organised St George’s day parade through Luton town centre this April 23rd?A day when the people of Luton can join together in unity with others from far and wide peacefully, where for a day there will be no politics within this arena that hampers modern society, or territorial differences between people. A day where we can leave all those differences behind and become one behind our national flag in honour of our patron saint St George.Every other nationality within our land is allowed to celebrate their identity as a part of the equality and multiculturalism agenda that has been enforced upon us by today’s government. However, we as the English, whose country this is, are continually refused to celebrate who we are, by these same people. We are called racists and fascists by the media if we try to.

I believe everyone reading this will agree that those words have been worn very thin now in the eyes of just about everyone. So now is the time for the State to support us as we emerge from the silent peaceful majority into the forefront of society once again, where our voices are heard.We, and you, have no other choice! Moslems are allowed to celebrate their historical religious leaders every year, sometimes with them cutting themselves to shreds with knives and bleeding profusely in our towns and cities. They are allowed to take to the streets to demonstrate against everything that offends them about British life, and her national and international policies, and they are not called racists by the media for doing so. Then when we want to unite as English men/women behind our national flag, shedding no blood upon the streets, we are labelled as racists and fascists.

Things have to change, and the hope is that Bedfordshire police will grant permission for that change to happen peacefully and within the law. If not the silent majority will have no other choice but to protest illegally. That is just the basic facts of the matter based upon the reality that now surrounds us, that cannot be changed unless people work together to bring about change.

Time is of the essence now because St George’s day is only 3 weeks away, so a swift reply would be very much appreciated and then we can present you with an outlay for the day. We have a well respected, professional organisation that are helping and advising us on how to run the parade successfully, but we just need to have your permission as the first step. There are also several guest speakers we would like to invite to speak to any people who will have gathered on the day, and being the Divisional Commander for Luton it might be nice for you to join them too if you grant permission.

This letter is coming to you on behalf of everyone already joined with the "Luton St George’s day" group who would like to celebrate this their national day for them and their families, and a hard copy will be in the post to you.We look forward to your reply.

Yours sincerely

Paul Ray