Sex, lies and outright hypocrisy

posted by: Matthew Collins | on: Monday, 30 April 2012, 20:45

Robinson: He's no "politician" allegedly

Hope Not Hate’s Nick Lowles sent out an email this morning calling on our supporters to make one last push to stop and where applicable, remove the BNP/NF/BFP/EDP etc.

For Londoners the focus is not so much the BNP’s sex-swinging, faux Falkland Islands-loving Carlos Cortiglia who is their rather amusing choice for Mayor, but Steve Squire, a Soho pornographer who heads the BNP’s list for a seat on the London Assembly. Squire’s “crime” is not selling a few fruity dramatisations about randy taxi drivers and their roadside shenanigans, but actually the sale of the date rate drug GHB.

Not bad for a party that prides itself on campaigns against grooming, eh? Still, one law for the rich and all that..

As for the “rich”, the line allegedly being driven by the BNP internally is that they have spent their filthy lucre on one million newspapers for their London campaign. That would work out at an expensive 50p per copy (if that’s true).

For the many BNP members who come onto this page to find out what is going on in their party, let me assure that it is highly unlikely that the party has printed and distributed anywhere near one million newspapers in London. My own personal estimate is that it would actually be about 250,000 copies of their “election special” that were printed and here we are three days from polling and they are still sitting on 150,000 copies of the said paper, and no Londoner that I know has actually received one. Actually, it’s an “educated” guess, but that’s a different matter... I should also point out that by using a non-unionised printer (unlike us), in say Livingston in Scotland for instance, the BNP’s newspaper would be more likely to cost about 13p per copy. A million would be down to about 9p, but hey, it’s just an educated “guess”.

Talking of education, when will the BNP ever learn? Three of the BNP’s candidates in London alone are involved in some kind of (separate) sex scandals while everywhere else they seem to be falling like the proverbial bowling pins. Armed police are kicking in doors while local newspapers getting right to grips with the true nature of the candidates that the BNP have deemed worthy to soil the electoral process.

One of them, John Hurren has even emailed to tell us “my views are not hate filled. They are just common fact.” These are his “facts”

It’s fair to say that as the BNP has shrunk to such depths they are right back to being more of a criminal conspiracy then they ever were a political party. Their leader Nick Griffin has been feeling the pressure too. He’s launched a series of attacks over the last few day’s on Britain’s other “Fuhrer” the EDL’s tin-pot Tommy Robinson. Having failed to secure a love-in with Lennon while both their gangs of thugs were trying to terrorise Hyde last month, Griffin is back attacking Robinson on twitter like some spurned lover. Lennon confirms of course that he himself is no “politician” and has offered to give Griffin a “slap”. This should be a corker should it eventuate; Griffin is a “boxing blue” and Tommy is quite nimble on his feet too.

Three days to go until polling, and there is a lot more to come...

EDL Leader Threatens Griffin With Violence

posted by: Simon Cressy | on: Monday, 30 April 2012, 18:35

Tommy threatens Griffin

Twitter has sure been a busy place these past couple of days.

Picked up this nugget earlier, posted by Tommy Robinson aka Stephen Yaxley Lennon, leader of the EDL.

I'm not sure what it is in relation to, maybe one of our hawkeyed readers can enlighten us.

One thing is for sure, after he posted it on his Twitter page at 4pm, Tommy soon thought better of it and quickly deleted the message.

He probably remembered he was on parole.

Liverpool Mayoral Candidate Arrested?

posted by: Simon Cressy | on: Monday, 30 April 2012, 17:21

Mike Whitby

According to Nick Griffin on his Twitter account, Mike Whitby, the BNP's Liverpool Mayoral candidate has been arrested for allegations of electoral fraud.

Griffin wrote " Police thugs smash down door of Mike Whitby & drag him off in hand cuffs. We have solicitor trying to find where police are holding Mike. Watch this space!"

Later Griffin again posted "Mike in Wrexham police station. Allegations of electoral fraud as a result of Liverpool Echo bullying signatories on our nomination papers. Old trick. Paper gets big money from Labour council. Corrupt.Mike has refused to cooperate with police, should be free soon."

We aren't aware if this is the real reason behind Whitby's arrest, but we will write more as and when we find out.

Let's stop the racist pornographer

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Monday, 30 April 2012, 11:25

In less than 72 hours the polls open for the election of our next Mayor and the 25 people who will sit on the Assembly. The BNP need just 5% of the vote to get someone elected.

That someone will be Steve Squire, their London organiser. He earns a living by running a sex shop in central London. A few years ago, under his other name Steve Mendoza, he was featured in the Sunday Mirror after his sex shop was caught selling date rape drugs.

It's bad enough that Squire is in the BNP. It's even worse that his sex shop sold date rape drugs. We must keep him out of City Hall.

Tomorrow we are organising leafleting sessions at over 50 tube and train stations around London. Please join us.

http://action.hopenothate.org.uk/page/event/search_simple

Our aim is to deliver over 100,000 leaflets urging Londoners to vote for HOPE over hate on Thursday. London is the best and most diverse city in the world and we can celebrate it by keeping the BNP out of City Hall.

Please help us stop Squire

http://action.hopenothate.org.uk/page/event/search_simple

The BNP need just 5% to get someone so every vote counts. The more people we can get to vote the harder it will be for the BNP.

The BNP want Steve Squire to sit in City Hall. Please join us in ensuring that the racist pornographer does not.

If you would like to leaflet a station that isn't featured then please drop Aimy an email (aimy@hopenothate.org.uk) or ring us on 020 7681 8660

Tottenham Court Road suspect a BNP candidate

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Sunday, 29 April 2012, 20:07

Michael Green arrested following siege

We have received information that leads us to believe that the man charged over the Tottenham Court Road siege on Friday previously stood as a BNP parliamentary candidate.

Michael Green, 48, from Stevenage, Hertfordshire, was arrested on Friday after the incident, during which parts of central London were evacuated.

His alleged offences include possession of a weapon for the discharge of a noxious liquid/gas or electrical incapacitating device.

Green is also accused of false imprisonment, making a bomb hoax, causing criminal damage and recklessly endangering life.

He has been remanded in custody to appear at Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court on Monday morning.

Michael Green stood for the BNP in the Stevenage constituency in the 2010 General Election.

He received 1007 votes, finishing in 5th place.

BNP Chairman Nick Griffin on Friday posted the following three messages on his Twitter account " Tottenham Court Road hostage situation. I bought my copy of the Koran there back in 2OO1."

"If hostage taker angry coz refused HGV licence then won't be a Muslim bomber. They don't work!"

"Police say hostage taker is 'mentally unstable'. No shit, Sherlock!"

Subscribe to Hope Not Hate's magazine here

Taken from the Hertfordshire Mercury 2010

More racism and homophobia from the BNP

posted by: Simon Cressy | on: Sunday, 29 April 2012, 17:46

John Hurren

We have had quite a few of these stories over the years, it seems the BNP candidates just can't help let their racist and homophobic poison spew from their mouths.

This time the candidate is John Hurren who is standing for the BNP in the Upper Stoke Ward of Coventry City Council.

Hurren who also likes to use the curious moniker "SupaJohnny" also like to post offensive videos on Youtube as well as posting his bigotry on various social networks.

Hurren also goes on to incite the murder of his political opponents, perhaps we should pass his comments to the police?

We wonder if Alwyn Deacon, the BNP's West Midlands organiser will claim that Hurren's Facebook page has been hacked?

Through rain and snow we are out there

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Sunday, 29 April 2012, 14:48

I've been feeling a bit guilty for the sitting in a warm pub drying off. The Burnley team are still out and by all accounts getting very wet. Ellie has just emailed me to say that "Jason's idea of just a little bit more is not the same as mine".

Here is a picture of some of them.

In solidarity we've decided to go out and do part of another ward in Pendle.

Soon we will set off for Nuneaton.

Singing in the rain

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Sunday, 29 April 2012, 13:20

In the pouring rain, the HOPE not hate team has been out this morning in both Hapton-with-Park, in Burnley, and Marsden ward in Pendle. Both wards were completed simultaneously after we split into two groups.

In the last 24 hours we have leafleted the Farley Hill estate in Luton, Heanor in Amber Valley and the two wards in East Lancashire where BNP councillors are standing for re-election. And all this in the pouring rain.

It's been a great, if not wet, weekend. As well as leafleting all our key areas we have also been able to catch up with some of our best activists.

We have a long drive back to London ahead of us. If we are not too wet and tired we might stop off in Nuneaton on the way.

US braced for immigration onslaught

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Saturday, 28 April 2012, 19:40

There are worrying signs in the US that the anti-immigrant movement are going to push tough laws through more States after signs that the Supreme Court will uphold large parts of the controversial Arizona immigration law.

"We're getting our national network ready to run with the ball, and saturate state legislatures with versions of the law," said William Gheen, president of Americans for Legal Immigration. "We believe we can pass it in most states."

There's an interesting article about it here:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/28/supreme-court-immigration-laws_n_1461478.html

Amber Valley finished off

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Saturday, 28 April 2012, 17:59

The HOPE not hate team has been out in Heanor this afternoon finishing off four walks with their local HnH newspaper.

It was a spontaneous decision to make the trip up here, made in the rain in Luton. On the decision to keep leafleting, Ant said: "we just couldn't get enough." Joe, quoting his idol Roy Castle, said: "that's dedication."

We are glad we did come up here. It seems that the BNP had leafleted an hour before us.

HnH leaflet EDL heartland

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Saturday, 28 April 2012, 14:01

The Parrot, Farley Hill estate

I've been out campaigning with the HOPE not hate team on the Farley Hill estate in Luton. In fairly miserable weather we did half the ward before the rain took its toll.

Leaflets for the remainder of the ward were left with the local councillors who will get them out over the next couple of days.

The Farley Hill estate is home to many of the leaders of the English Defence League. Well, actually it was home. Both Stephen Lennon and Kevin Carroll have both moved off the estate but still regularly drink at The Parrot, the pub in the centre of the estate.

Far right dominate presidential agenda

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Saturday, 28 April 2012, 10:23

French Presidential election increasingly being fought on far right agenda. Even Hollande is pitching right but still Sarkozy goes further. He claims that Marine Le Pen's views are "not incompatible" with France's Republican tradition. He promises to tighten borders and "fight multiculturalism".

• Hollande backs immigration cap before French vote

More stations getting covered

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Saturday, 28 April 2012, 07:36

Since announcing the Tube Tuesday day of action in London several people have contacted us offering to do tube and train stations that were not initially being covered. Among them are Farringdon, Upton Park and Mile End. We will also be doing a morning and afternoon session at Harrow Wealdstone.

We will now be leafleting at 53 tube and train stations across London next Tuesday.

If you are able to help, or if you would like to host an event at a station that we are not currently covering, please do contact my colleague Aimy at aimy@hopenothate.org.uk

You can find our list of stations being covered here:

http://action.hopenothate.org.uk/page/event/search_simple

EDL Activist Defends Breivik & Mass Murder of Muslims

posted by: Simon Cressy | on: Friday, 27 April 2012, 14:23

A leading activist from the English Defence League has defended Norwegian killer Anders Behring Breivik and advocated the mass murder of Muslims.

Essex based Gil Gould who also posts as Mick Wittman on Facebook claimed he understood the motives of Breivik but disagreed with his choice of victims.

Gould wrote " I understand why he did it but he picked on the wrong ppl, young brain washed kids was disgusting, if he had singled out the muslim filth causing on the troubles he would most likely be seen as a hero."

Gil Gould is a huge supporter of the EDL leader Tommy Robinson aka Stephen Yaxley Lennon and also a close friend to Essex organiser Paul Pitt aka Paul Prodromou.

Hand delivered

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Friday, 27 April 2012, 08:21

Happy reading!

Last night we received an email from one of our supporters in London. She was one of the 270 people across the capital who had volunteered to deliver our campaign newspapers in their local area.

You can imagine her great surprise when was coming out of his front door as she was about to post a newspaper through. The man was none other than BNP Mayoral candidate Carlos Cortiglia!

She smiled and took great delight in handing over the newspaper to him.

Join our leafleting of London tube stations next Tuesday

http://action.hopenothate.org.uk/page/event/search_simple

Going Underground

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Friday, 27 April 2012, 07:52

With the London and local elections less than a week away HOPE not hate is making one last push to get out the vote. There will be some campaigning over the weekend in some of our key wards acround the country and then, next Tuesday, we are having a final push for London.

Called Tube Tuesday, we will be targeting tube and train stations across the capital. We began a push for this yesterday with 47 activities planned but I've heard over night that several people have come forward to do some leafleting at other stations as well.

Several of these activities are being led by staff and members of several national trade unions, including RMT, TSSA, Unite, UNISON, PCS, UCU, Aslef, GMB and TULO.

Over the next few days I will be adding more information about what we are doing but in the meantime please visit our website to get involved in the activity closest to you.

http://action.hopenothate.org.uk/page/event/search_simple

Ruby,Ruby,Ruby

posted by: Simon Cressy | on: Thursday, 26 April 2012, 22:16

Ruby Akhtar with the delightful Roberta Moore & Tommy Robinson

We are always getting sent snippets of information, some we use, some we don't.

Just had a very interesting fact sent to us which will shake up both the BNP and EDL at the same time.

It's just been confirmed to us that the leader of The EDL's Pakistani Christian Division, Ruby Akhtar, was also a member of the BNP between 2010 and 2011, the same time she was active with the EDL.

What we haven't had confirmed is whether she is still a member or not.

Akhtar, who now claims she is actually a Pakistani Jew has been a little quiet of late. This little bit of news will probably wake her up from her slumber.

Danish Racist Diatribe

posted by: Simon Cressy | on: Thursday, 26 April 2012, 18:18

Last month, The Danish Defence league hosted the European Counter-Jihad Meeting in Denmark.

It was to say the least a bit of a damp squib with anti fascist demonstrators outnumbering the far-right by more than 20 to one.

Estimates suggested as few as 160 defence league members from several countries gathered at the inaugural far-right summit in Aarhus for the European counter-jihad meeting, devised to "send a clear message to the leaders of Europe" that Islamism would not be tolerated.

EDL leader Tommy Robinson admitted only 15 supporters from England made the trip, despite earlier speculation that hundreds might attend.

Today the Danish Defence League posted a racist diatribe on their closed Facebook group that goes to prove that when it comes to blatant racism they are in the same league as their English counterparts.

One of the admins to the group is UK based Steve Simmons aka Chris Redmond, The founder and organiser of the European Freedom Initiative and was previously Head of Media for the English Defence League but then fell out with the leadership. He is a key player in the European ‘counter-jihad’ scene and has recently re-established a relationship with the EDL leadership.

The BNP Organiser & The War Criminal

posted by: Simon Cressy | on: Thursday, 26 April 2012, 10:46

Shaun Grimsley

I wrote at the beginning of March about the new Cannock BNP organiser Shaun Grimsley and the fact that he is an unabashed hardline Neo Nazi.

Grimsley was promoted to the job of organiser by West Midlands BNP chief Alwyn Deacon after previous Cannock organiser Bill Vaughan stepped down due to ill health. You can read more about that here.

Shaun Grimsley, was also the West Midlands commander of the openly Neo Nazi British Freedom Fighters along with being a member of the National Front and associated with Blood and Honour, the Nazi skinhead organisation.

Having previously stood as a BNP candidate, Grimsley also has links to the English Defence League and post such delights on his Facebook page as “Hail the British Freedom Fighters, I am a Nazi HAHAHAHAHAHA 88 red scum”. The number 88 is in reference to the numerical position in the alphabet of "HH" – Heil Hitler.

Grimsley makes little attempt to hide his Nazi sympathies, consequently we like to keep a close eye on him, and once again Shaun never fails to let us down.

It seems one of Grimsley's biggest heroes is General Vjekoslav "Maks" Luburić.

To be honest, Luburić was a name I was unfamiliar with, so when Grimsley posted a photo of him on his Facebook page with the text "Never forgotten Nationalist Brother and comrade 88" I thought it would be worth looking him up and I was shocked with what I found.

General Luburić was a Croatian Ustaše general and commander of the Croatian Jasenovac concentration camp, the largest extermination camp in occupied Yugoslavia during World War II, and among the largest extermination camps in Europe.

From August 1941 to April 1945, hundreds of thousands of Serbs, Jews, and Romas, as well as anti-fascists, were murdered at Jasenovac. Estimates of the total numbers of men, women and children killed there range from 300,000 to 700,000.

In his role of Commander of Jasenovac, Luburić acquired a reputation for being the most bloodthirsty and brutal of all Ustaše commanders and would frequently travel to the camp to personally take part in the mass executions.

After the war, Luburić managed to escape to Hungary and later to Spain where he took refuge and helped form a terrorist organization called the "Croatian National Resistance" which was heavily involved in racketeering, attempted murder, extortion, hijacking, terrorist bombing, and other violent crimes and sought out criminal organization ties with La Cosa Nostra, the Provisional IRA, and the Croatian Mafia.

Grimsley, goes on to boast how he is friends with Luburić's grandson who is an officer in the Croatian army.

As shocked as I was to have read all this, I wasn't prepared for what happened next.

Maxim Luburić, grandson of General Luburić appeared on Grimsley's Facebook page, thanking the BNP man for his kind words about his grandfather.

Chillingly, Maxim claims his grandfather has been demonised, but then goes on to crack jokes about scaring of "reds" by showing them photos of dead Communists killed by his grandfather in the Croatian concentration camps that Luburić commanded.

Maxim Luburić, then goes on to invite Shaun Grimsley to come for a holiday in Croatia and stay at one of his apartments that he owns in the Croatian city of Split, with which Grimsley replies "Would love to but if the reds got hold of it ?"

Bad news Shaun, we have !

Just five hours to go

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Thursday, 26 April 2012, 08:00

Our survey into how we should deal with the threat of the British Freedom Party since we heard the news that EDL leader Stephen Lennon is to become its deputy leader will close at 1pm today.

We have so far received views from 1,001 people - which is pretty amazing.

If you haven't yet completed the survey you can do so by clicking the link below. It will take just a couple of minutes of your time.

http://action.hopenothate.org.uk/edl-a-political-party

The TV broadcast that hardly was....

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Wednesday, 25 April 2012, 17:12

The invisable man

There once was a time when a BNP election broadcast would have caused a stir but not anymore. Last night they had their London election broadcast and it largely went by unnoticed.

Indeed, I have only just watched it now on the Internet.

Desperately trying to convince us that all is well in the party, Nick Griffin tells viewers that it is their largest campaign to date. Really? So, what have they been doing? Not a lot from what I can see.

More amusingly, the election broadcast did not feature their Mayoral candidate, Carlos Cortiglia. The only sight we have of him is his grinning face in a leaflet.

Dare I suggest that it was because his South American heritage was at odds with their 'British jobs for British workers' message?

Because, as one man so articulately put it in the broadcast: "British jobs for British workers. When the BNP say it they mean it!"

Oh really?!

If the cap fits Tommy...

posted by: Simon Cressy | on: Wednesday, 25 April 2012, 13:12

Tommy Robinson: White Lines, Don't Do It.

EDL leader Tommy Robinson aka Stephen Yaxley-Lennon is a little bit miffed with Hope not Hate and EDL News at the moment after we revealed his secret plan to become British Freedom's deputy leader at the EDL's Luton demonstration on May 5th.

One other British Freedom official who is a little annoyed with us is Cardiff based Michael Wood, who as usual chooses to try and cram in as many swear words as possible in the 140 characters allowed on his Twitter account.

That's quite a difficult task for someone with such a limited vocabularly.

According to Lennon, he has been invited to appear on the Jeremy Kyle Show along with British Freedom leader Paul Weston.

The Jeremy Kyle Show, normally has guests on who are drunken,violent, drug taking criminals.

Tommy will fit in nicely then.

Your views

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Wednesday, 25 April 2012, 08:17

An astonishing 852 people have so far submitted their views about how we should deal with the emerging British Freedom Party threat now that English Defence League leader Stephen Lennon is about to become it's deputy leader.

But despite that the results are clear. By a margin of 12 to 1, the respondents believe that we should take on Islamist extremism as well as that of the far right. By a margin of 4.5 to 1 people agree with our strategy over demonstrating against the EDL. However, several people expressed uncertainty over question five and obviously we will take that into account when we properly evaluate the answers.

Probably more importantly, over 600 of those filled out the survey added their thoughts about what we shall do.

I will spend the next couple of days going over what you said and then we will try to bring it together into a coherent strategy.

In the meantime, if you have not filled in the survey then you can here:

http://action.hopenothate.org.uk/edl-a-political-party

You are giving us your views

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Tuesday, 24 April 2012, 19:48

Almost 750 people have so far filled in our survey about how we deal with the emerging EDL/BFP threat.

I'll be compiling some of the results tomorrow but in the meantime if you haven't already given us your views you can here:

http://action.hopenothate.org.uk/edl-a-political-party

EDL members unhappy

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Tuesday, 24 April 2012, 12:15

It seems that some within the English Defence League have been unaware that their leader was about to announce his support for the British Freedom Party - and they are not too happy.

I've been contacted by two EDL activists since we sent out our email 40 minutes ago. One said it wasn't true while the other said that there would be trouble within the EDL if it was true because many Divisions were opposed to the BFP.

Lennon and the BFP have remained tight-lipped but I guess if they deny it I will just have to release the minutes of the BFP's Executive Council meeting.

Anyway, we've asked people to let us know how to respond to this new development. 213 people have so far done so.

Can you add your thoughts here:

http://action.hopenothate.org.uk/edl-a-political-party

Breaking news: Lennon to become deputy leader of British Freedom Party

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Tuesday, 24 April 2012, 11:30

The leader of the English Defence League, Stephen Lennon, is set to join the far right British Freedom Party (BFP) and immediately become its deputy leader. This information was discovered following a joint research project between HOPE not hate and the bloggers at 'EDL News'.

Lennon's move is likely to be followed by many other EDL leaders. He wanted to announce this at the EDL rally in Luton on 5 May but we decided to blow his 'surprise' early.

The merging of the EDL into the BFP will change the face of the British far right. It also probably signals the end for the British National Party. Coming only days before the local and London elections, this is a hammer blow to Nick Griffin.

Our sources in the BFP have obtained the minutes of their last Executive Council meeting, which was held in Luton, and attended by both Stephen Lennon and his deputy, Kevin Carroll. The EDL leadership has been at great pains to deny it is a racist organisation but their demands on the BFP prove it is just that. Lennon has insisted the BFP adopts the following policies:

• Ban the Burqa/Niqab
• Stop the developments of all new mosques
• Halt new immigration except for "highly qualified positions"
• Promote Christian values
• Leave the European Union.

This sounds pretty much like the policies of the BNP. In fact, the British Freedom Party was set up by BNP members who had fallen out with Nick Griffin. Stephen Lennon used to be in the BNP.

So how should we respond? Our campaign against the BNP only succeeded because of your involvement and I fear that we'll need to come together again in the months ahead. What do you think will be most effective?

http://action.hopenothate.org.uk/edl-a-political-party

Please fill in our survey and help us develop a response to the EDL/BFP.

Coventry City report BNP Candidate to police

posted by: Simon Cressy | on: Tuesday, 24 April 2012, 11:24

Phil Kimberley

Yesterday, I wrote about the online racism from Phil Kimberley, the BNP candidate standing in the Attleborough ward of Nuneaton & Bedworth Borough Council.

A large number of his racist comments related to football and as we believe Kimberley is possibly a Coventry City season ticket holder.

As football clubs are clamping down on racism by their supporters, we referred the matter to Coventry City Football Club for an official response.

This morning, Lara Thorns, Press & Community Liaison Officer for Coventry City responded with the following statement.

“Coventry City Football Club is committed to equality within the game and ensuring that we are doing all that we can to help eradicate discrimination. We take any complaints relating to racist abuse amongst supporters seriously and will investigate any incidents reported to us.

“We have been made aware of comments posted by a supporter on Facebook and have referred the matter to the police. We are now awaiting the outcome of any subsequent investigation and will take appropriate action based on its findings.”

Hope not Hate are delighted that Coventry City Football Club have taken the matter seriously and have passed the details on to the police.

Luton arrests

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Tuesday, 24 April 2012, 10:55

Counter-terrorism police raided and arrested five followers of Al-Muhajiroun in Luton this morning.

BNP struggle in London

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Monday, 23 April 2012, 22:36

The latest opinion poll for the race for London Mayor puts the BNP candidate on just 1%.

However, the party is polling slightly higher for the Assembly section of the election.

All this points to an absolute disaster for BNP Nick Griffin as he is throwing virtually the entire party's resources into getting someone election onto the Assembly. For this they need 5%.

HOPE not hate has delivered almost 300,000 newspapers across the capital already. More will go out in the next few days and then another 100,000 Get Out the Vote leaflets will be distributed next Tuesday, when we target tube and railway stations across the capital.

Salford BNP officials foul mouthed tirade

posted by: Simon Cressy | on: Monday, 23 April 2012, 17:54

Keith Fairhurst

Normally when people talk of Salford BNP they mention Salford's prize clown organiser and Griffin sycophant Gary Tumulty.

In fact I was watching a video on Youtube just the other day where Tumulty was harassing a local Asian shopkeeper for refusing to post a BNP poster in his shop.

Tumulty gets a kick out of that sort of thing, we've heard he likes bullying women as well, but we will save that for a later blog.

Unusually it's his Salford sidekick Keith Fairhurst who is the subject of this blog.

Fairhurst is the Salford deputy organiser for the BNP and it appears he is learning his trade well from his friend Tumulty.

Here are a few comments he posted earlier on a Facebook page earlier.

Will Salford BNP ever learn? I seriously doubt it.

Nuneaton Candidates Racist Rants

posted by: Simon Cressy | on: Monday, 23 April 2012, 13:15

Phil Kimberley: With Coventry City shirt

Hope not Hate has reported lots of cases of online racism from various BNP candidates at election time.

Phil Kimberley, the BNP candidate standing in the Attleborough ward of Nuneaton & Bedworth Borough Council probably takes the record for the largest quantity of racism on his Facebook page.

I have included some of his comments, his online racism is some of the worst we have seen recently.

We believe Kimberley is a season ticket holder at his beloved Coventry City Football Club.He certainly attends their football matches on a regular basis.

Most football clubs take a very strong line regarding racism in football today and as a number of his comments relate to the sport, we have passed on his comments to Coventry City and are waiting for an official response from them.

I'll blog that when we receive it.

I've no doubt his best mate Alwyn Deacon, the West Midlands organiser will go down the usual route of explaining that Kimberley's Facebook page was hacked and that he is really a nice, wholesome kind of guy,but nobody buys that excuse anymore as it has become a bit overused by now hasn't it ?

New Europe article

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Monday, 23 April 2012, 09:44

The Brussels-based New Europe newspaper have printed an article I wrote for them. You can find it here:

http://www.neurope.eu/blog/extremists-who-influenced-breivik

Young move to Front National?

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Sunday, 22 April 2012, 19:51

The latest exit polls put Marine Le Pen down 1% to 19% - still worryingly high though.

It seems as though she attracted a large section of the working class vote and also got the support of sizeable numbers of young people.

Breaking news: Le Pen comes third in French elections

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Sunday, 22 April 2012, 19:19

The polls have closed in France and it appears that Marine Le Pen, leader of the Front National, has received 20% of the vote. She has come third, behind Hollande, who polled 27% and Sarkosy, with 25%.

Kenny's in care...

posted by: Matthew Collins | on: Sunday, 22 April 2012, 12:13

Kenny Holden

Kenny Holden who we wrote about yesterday here and here has been arrested.

I guess the BNP legal team is on their way?

Death of a party...?

posted by: Matthew Collins | on: Saturday, 21 April 2012, 21:48

Watmough & Jones in happier times

Nothing cheers us up more than knowing that Kevin Watmough is having a bad day.

“Little” Kev is the administrator of the vile ‘Redwatch’ website that harasses and threatens people he and his Nazi mates do not like, by printing their personal details on line.

These people included doctors, nurses, MP’s, actors and just about anyone that contributes to a decent and fair society.

Of course, Kev isn’t so brave himself. He once sent his Mother and sister out to confront a television news crew on his doorstep who were there to ask why it is that Kev thinks it is right to do what he does. Kev hid behind the curtains while his sister threatened to set the family dog on the reporter.

Nor is Kev brave enough to put his own face up front to stand for what it is he believes in. Kev’s been in just about every moronic Nazi grouping that has ever existed from C18, NF, the BNP and a host of other groups you have probably never heard of, but never once has he stood for election.

After more than twenty years of mediocrity, during which time it appears he has never once had a job, Kev now leads his own organisation, the BPP (British People’s Party). You may have heard of it of course, particularly if you know about the Nazi penchant for violence and paedophilia .

Kev’s party used to have three members. Even Kev’s wife, Katherine Dermody a hard line racist and neo Nazi in her own right, will not join the party in case it has a detrimental effect on her care home business that she runs in West Yorkshire.

Today, the party has only two members. Nazi boy David Jones has been expelled after Kevin had enough of him. It wasn’t the running around with a swastika you understand, that is perfectly acceptable behaviour. No, it was running around with Claire Khaw, a Chinese woman and her BNP boy friend that was the final straw.

Word reaches us (funnily enough via Khaw’s partner Jeffrey Marshall who always leaves little titbits on our blogsite) that Dave’s been kicked out of the party. I mean, she might be a vile, racist specimen herself, but she ain’t white and Kevin’s had enough.

Khaw herself seems quite happy with the result. She has high hopes for her little Nazi friend. She describes posing with guns and swastikas while out with Dave as some kind of model for far-right electioneering.

How the BNP will feel about Khaw’s boyfriend Jeffrey Marshall, the BNP’s East London organiser joining Jones and Khaw campaigning in Todmorden when the BNP were out campaigning in London today, remains a mystery.

Perhaps he'll be expelled like his friend Dave Jones?

Jones & Marshall campaigning for the BPP

Claire Khaw

Kenny's not well..

posted by: Matthew Collins | on: Saturday, 21 April 2012, 19:32

Holden: He's an angry young man...

How else could you describe Ken Holden's reaction to our earlier story about him?

Ken has a disease. It is called racism. I'm sure 'Tin Pot' Tommy Robinson will be denying the EDL is a racist organisation as soon as he is out of bed.

Holden: Doesn't quite defend the English language..

Dave's election pledge..

posted by: Matthew Collins | on: Saturday, 21 April 2012, 14:16

Jones & Khaw: Doing our job for us?

We've written about David Jones quite a few times before. By all accounts, having armed police raid his home and photographs of him appearing in his back garden waving a swastika while holding a rifle may, just may, have damaged his bid to elected to Todmorden council. God forbid!

We've also written about his strange alliance with Claire Khaw, an alliance that has obviously upset his hard line neo-Nazis buddies in the tiny Hitler cult that is the British People's Party.

Still, not to be outdone by being disowned by long lost family, a girlfriend and other neo-Nazis, Dave was delighted that Claire could come all the way up from London to help repair some of the damage to his public reputation.

In one article about Jones, I described him as a "Village Idiot" to which he complained; Todmorden he wrote, "is not a village"...

Having convinced (in his tiny mind), the people of Todmorden that he was not really some kind of madman, Dave took Claire back to his home for a bit of R&R.

And then it was Ground Hog Day all over again

Jones: Repairing the damage?

Great turnout in Rotherham

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Saturday, 21 April 2012, 13:29

Just heard that we had a great turnout this morning in Rotherham for the HOPE not hate day of action.

Back in London we are beginning to plan for Tube Tuesday, on 1 May, when we will be leafleting at tube and train stations across London. We have people committed to covering at least 50 stations across London already.

We'll be sending out details of how people can be involved in Tube Tuesday on Monday.

You get judged by the company you keep..

posted by: Matthew Collins | on: Saturday, 21 April 2012, 11:07

Infidels Facebook page: Is this just "free speech"?

Nick Griffin descrbes this sort of thing as "free speech" when he's trying to defend the "Infidels" from being arrested by the police.

More work for Griffin's legal team?

posted by: Matthew Collins | on: Saturday, 21 April 2012, 10:09

Holden: The BNP love blokes like this

I do hope that Nick Griffin's offer to a variety of naughty neo-Nazis to "get in touch" when they're refusing to be "Zionist puppets" was genuine.

Heavens knows there's dozens of racist attacks up and down the country almost every day where some little old Asian lady gets her head kicked in or kids get attacked because of their colour in this fight against the mysterous powers of ZOG (the supposed 'Zionist Occupied Government.) One only has to look at how many BNP members get sent to jail for such "revolutionary" acts of defiance to know, that it is best that such cases really do get dealt with by the BNP's legal team. Just ask Marmite how good the BNP legal team is.

I guess Kenny Holden will be the next cab off the rank for the BNP's legal beagles. Kenny is just another one of those people that Griffin thinks is just another decent chap, the sort that this country's fine reputation is built on.

is it any wonder decent people from across the political spectrum refuse to share platforms with the BNP?

Kenny: A "patriot", apparently

Far right pose bigger terror threat in US

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Friday, 20 April 2012, 12:24

Oklahoma City bombing memorial

Some research in the United States shows that the far right pose more of a domestic terrorist threat than Islamist groups. Since 1995, 56% of domestic terrorist incidents in US by right-wing extremists, only 12% are from Islamist extremists.

The report can be found here:

http://thinkprogress.org/security/2012/04/19/467384/chart-right-wing-extremism-terror-threat-oklahoma-city/

BNP lose Goresbrook by-election

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Thursday, 19 April 2012, 23:50

The BNP failed in its attempt to win back Goresbrook ward in a council by-election tonight. It what was once its strongest ward in the borough, the BNP vote was almost half that of Labour.

Lab 1,113, BNP 593, UKIP 91, C 81, L Dem 48. Lab hold. New cllr Simon Bremner.

Hope not Hate to blame !

posted by: Simon Cressy | on: Thursday, 19 April 2012, 17:33

According to our sources, Hope not Hate is widely being blamed by the far right for the Infidel arrests that took place this morning.

Now we have no way of knowing if the speculation is correct, however if Hope not Hate is to blame, be sure of this, we will wear it as a badge of pride.

So far we can confirm that North East Infidel leader Paul Duffy from Seaham was arrested along with his friend Darren Yateley who is from the North Tyneside area.

Also, we believe Aaron Snow from Birkenhead, a 21-year-old from Barnsley and a 56-year-old from Holloway, north London are being held at police stations near their homes.

Hope not Hate will continue with our investigations, because we are the best in the business.

Don't want arresting ? Don't be a racist. It is that easy.

Anjem Choudary agrees with Breivik

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Thursday, 19 April 2012, 15:40

Britain's most high profile Islamist extremist, Anjem Choudary, has come out in support of Anders Breivik's view that there is a war going on between "Islam and non-Islam" in Europe.

In a series of tweets that only confirm our long-held view that there is a symbiotic relationship between the two extremes, Choudary views the world in a similar - but diametrically opposite - viewpoint as Breivk.

Tweet #1

"Anders Breivik is right that there is a war taking place between Islam & non-Islam (on every level) though that does not justify his actions."

Tweet #2

"The two camps of Islam & non-Islam are fighting militarily, economically, socially, morally, ideologically/politically (as in Luton) etc..."

Tweet #3

"It's time that people in Europe woke up to the reality of the conflict between the two camps rather than pushing the matter under the carpet."

It is also clear that the two extremes need one another to justify their own existance.

Griffin backs hardline racists and antisemites

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Thursday, 19 April 2012, 14:30

BNP leader Nick Griffin has shown his true colours by backing members of the Infidels who were raided by police this morning. This includes John 'Snowy' Shaw, who recently came out with an antisemitic tirade.

My colleagues in our research group have just put up the details here

http://www.hopenothate.org.uk/blog/article/1783/griffin-jumps-on-the-bandwagon

Griffin jumps on the bandwagon

posted by: Simon Cressy | on: Thursday, 19 April 2012, 14:20

Always prepared to jump on any available bandwagon, Nick Griffin has been posting on Twitter offering his full support to the Infidel racists claiming that their arrests are 'Zionist' inspired.

He even goes as far to offer them the use of his solicitor.

Remember, he has previous experience of solicitors prepared to defend racists, let's not forget he is a convicted racist himself !

Infidels arrested

posted by: Simon Cressy | on: Thursday, 19 April 2012, 10:11

John "Snowy" Shaw

We are hearing that a number of Infidels have been raided by the police this morning, with several being arrested for what it appears to be incitement to commit racial hatred.

Details are still patchy, but it appears John "Snowy" Shaw, the leader of the North West Infidels is one of those arrested along with Infidels from South Yorkshire and Merseyside.

The various Infidel groups around the country have hit full scale panic mode, as they claim the police have seized a number of computers.

Rumours are rife that there is likely to be a high profile police informant in their ranks.

Some rather nervous bigots are even pointing the finger at Shaw himself.

Breivik's German girlfriend

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Thursday, 19 April 2012, 09:19

The German tabloid Bild has run a photo of a woman who claims to be Anders Breivik's girlfriend. She turned up at the court in Oslo but was refused entry.

Apparently she is from Stuttgart.

Any information on her would be greatly appreciated.

nick@hopenothate.org.uk

14 days to go...let's step it up

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Thursday, 19 April 2012, 08:27

The local and London Mayoral elections are just 14 days away so it is time to step up our activities.

Hundreds of people have already got involved in HOPE not hate activities around the country and there have been several other events organised by local anti-fascist groups which we have supported.

The BNP is struggling across the country, with little activity being reported. Our focus is on the wards that the BNP is defending. We have delivered a leaflet and a newspaper in many of these wards and we have another two bits of material to go out between now and polling day.

London is more of a worry. While the party has done virtually nothing in the capital, the PR nature of the election means that they only need to get 5% of the vote to secure a seat on the Assembly.

That's why it's vital to turn out the anti-BNP vote.

With just 14 days to go we will be organising a rolling programme of daily activities across London between now and polling day. Today we also begin the process of dropping off bundles of newspapers at the 262 people who have volunteered to deliver them in their area.

If you live in London and want to give out newspapers or leaflets in your local area you can do so here:

https://donate.hopenothate.org.uk/page/signup/my-street-and-one-more

Or, if you would just prefer to join me and the HOPE not hate team please drop me a line at nick@hopenothate.org.uk

I'll be posting up more details of our 14-day rolling programme later today

Pick 'n Mix politics

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Wednesday, 18 April 2012, 20:15

I've just written a piece for the Guardian on Anders Breivik

http://m.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/apr/18/anders-behring-breivik-modern-far-right?cat=world&type=article

Swedish minister "feeds blacked up artist"

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Wednesday, 18 April 2012, 11:38

There's an interesting article on the Guardian's Comment is Free site today about Sweden's Cultural Minister, Lena Adelsohn Liljeroth, celebrating the country's World Art Day by feeding cake to an artist who had "blacked up".

According to the article, written by Jallow Momodou, "the exclusively white audience cheered as the minister laughingly cut the cake around the "clitoris", and fed it to the artist."

Lena Adelsohn Liljeroth has defended her actions by saying "that art was meant to be provocative, and that the pictures of the event are misunderstood."

I'm not so convinced. I have no idea about what she is like as a person but at the very least she is a politician and should have been acutely aware of how her actions would be portrayed. What do you think?

You can read the full article here:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/apr/18/racism-becoming-the-norm-sweden

Lennon's looking rather stupid today

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Wednesday, 18 April 2012, 11:13

Lennon tells Norwegian TV that he believes the Templars exist

Yesterday, outside the Home Office, EDL leader Stephen Lennon, gave an interview to a Norwegian TV crew where he claimed that the Knights Templars existed.

This is a story that Lennon has peddled ever since Breivik released his manifesto. He has also pointed the finger at fellow EDL founder Paul Ray as being Breivik's mentor. Paul Ray - for those readers who don't know - runs the Lionheart blogsite but fell out with Lennon and others soon after the EDL was formed.

In the immediate aftermath of the killings last July, the EDL claimed Paul Ray was Breivik's inspiration while Ray pointed the finger at Alan Ayling, aka Alan Lake.

While Lennon is continuing to hold the position that the Templar's exist, Breivik's increasingly daft testimony is pointing to it being nothing more than a figment of his imagination.

And here's some more from Roberta!

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Wednesday, 18 April 2012, 11:04

In reply to someone who objected to her comment about Breivik, Roberta Moore, EDL supporter, said:

“Roxanne, the ‘geezer’ is no nut job. He is smart, educated, a hard worker, a businessman, intelligent etc this guy is no nutjob no matter how badly you wish to ‘JUDGE’ him. I know most people are under pressure to condemn Breivik but I for one do not cede under LEFTIST pressure without knowing the full facts.

"Prove to me that Breivik is an extremist. Prove to me that he committed any crimes before this. The media call the EDL extremists …so are YOU an extremist then? ;) Oh please!!! Quit the crap."

Roberta Moore backs the killer

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Wednesday, 18 April 2012, 10:52

I have to say that I'm getting pretty bored with Breivik's nonsense so I thought I would upload Roberta Moore's thoughts on the killing of young people by Breivik.

"There isn't ever reason to kill innocent civilians .... They were not innocent."

For those who don't know Roberta, she has been a leading figure in the English Defence League for a couple of years. Last summer she fell out with some of them over their open antisemitism. However, she remains close to several of the leading figures and others like Alan Ayling.

I think that this quote from Roberta Moore just about sums her up.

Breivik contradicts himself ....again

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Wednesday, 18 April 2012, 10:20

Breivik claimed in his 1,500 page manifesto that he came to London in 2002 for a founding meeting of the Knights Templars. He claimed that a Serbian was one of nine people there. Now, in court today, he says the Serb was not there and in fact there were just three others.

Pressed on more details, Breivik simply asks the prosecutor to refer to the statement he gave police rather than ask him any more questions.

The BBC's Steve Rosenberg, told BBC News that "a contradictory picture of Breivik is emerging - a man who hates Muslims, but admired Osama Bin Laden and al-Qaeda.

"Breivik sees himself as a great Crusader, when in fact he was a high school drop out, a failed businessman and an addict of computer war games."

Breivik avoids question

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Wednesday, 18 April 2012, 10:12

Anders Breivik is being particularly evasive about his links to other extremists, including the supposed meeting in London in 2002. Perhaps he is being so evasive because they didn't happen and he made it all up

Griffin "put out" of Antrim

posted by: Matthew Collins | on: Tuesday, 17 April 2012, 15:22

UVF: Not great fans of the BNP..

This morning's bizarre tweets by Nick Griffin have now been explained.

According to the local paper in Antrim, Griffin's little trip to Northern Ireland at the weekend did not end so well after all.

It would appear that having gate crahsed a private party on the Steeple Estate where a local "battle of the bands" contest (where Loyalist flute bands compete as to who "kicks the Pope" the hardest) was taking place, some people took exception to him being there.

Griffin was strolling around like he owned the place when a local representitive of the Progressive Unionist Party (PUP) which is closely liked to the paramilitary UVF, asked him to leave.

Apparently Griffin and his cronies had no idea who they were telling to "get stuffed" until one local made a somewhat firmer demand that Griffin and the BNP left.

Griffin is blaming us, but the truth is that Loyalist Paramilitaries have a long standing debt they would like to claim from the BNP.

Tweeting "Ulster is British forever" does not help much, when you owe the "defenders of the faith" their dues.

Griffin: Only himself to blame..

EDL leader predicts bloodshed

posted by: Matthew Collins | on: Tuesday, 17 April 2012, 14:45

Robinson: Already has blood on his hands

Tommy Robinson and a small number of his followers are outside the Home Office.

He's told a Swedish TV crew that there will be bloodshed in this counhtry in 30 years.

Once more we see the sort of language by those who inspire the likes of Anders Brievik.

Robinson has also told Swedish TV that he believes that the Knights Templars are "out there".

Poor numbers

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Tuesday, 17 April 2012, 13:38

The EDL demo outside the Home Office could hardly be any smaller

More additions to Counter-Jihad report

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Tuesday, 17 April 2012, 13:32

We are putting the finishing touches to the printed version of our report. There will be far more information on here than what is currently on our website, including another 50+ organisations and individuals profiles.

Several people have written in with information since we went live and I will be including much of this - at least what can be stood up - on our website.

Dumb & Dumber

posted by: Matthew Collins | on: Tuesday, 17 April 2012, 13:20

Posh: Paul Weston

Nick Griffin is probably one of the world’s most amusing twitters. Often hes’s not sure if he’s tweeting or texting, which is why we often hear that he wants cabbage for dinner or perhaps that Apple (the company, not the fruit) is party to some kind of “groming” (sic) scandal that has prevailed in his rather strange mind.

This morning Nick was up on twitter again in his usual classic way exhibiting what happens when a “great” mind like his, becomes over taxed.

Earlier this month I slipped in an interesting nugget of information in a piece about London BNP, where I mentioned the BNP’s £500,000 windfall. Horrified, the BNP then sent out an email to their members announcing said windfall. I may have even alleged (who knows) that they probably were never going to acknowledge the money.

This morning Nick Griffin is angrily claiming that there are suggestions or rumours that the £500,000 came from the IRA. There is actually no such rumour, though to be fair, the damage that the BNP has done to the Unionist/Loyalist community in the last few years could be described as tantamount to a bomb going off. The IRA themselves however, would hardly be likely to give money to a party like the BNP, would they?

So why the IRA? People may cast their minds back to the activities of Mr David Copeland, who in 1999 planted a bomb in Brixton, London. The bomber, Copeland, was well known to the BNP and its leadership. Instead of helping the police track down the bomber the BNP rather bizarrely pointed the finger at the IRA who were at the time on ceasefire. The BNP gave absolutely no help to the police in apprehending their former member who went onto bomb and kill two more times.

So what is Griffin actually hiding? What is there to hide about Albert Edward Starmore who left the BNP’s treasurer a house in Chingford, North East London? Perhaps he wants to throw the family off the scent? It wouldn’t be the first time the NF or the BNP has done such a thing.

And then Griffin tweets “Ulster is British forever” which is of course not technically accurate, let alone true. Six counties of Ulster are currently under British rule/administration as part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, but the other three counties of Ulster remain (happily) part of Ireland. And as part of the Good Friday Agreement, the six counties will remain part of the United Kingdom for only as long as the people who live there, want it to remain.

Of course, Nick wouldn’t know that as his party managed to score some of the lowest results ever when it stood in the province, so has absolutely no idea about Northern Ireland, other than how he and his party can screw a few more quid out of people there.

Still, if Griffin is struggling with his grey matter, spare a thought for his rival Paul Weston who heads up the EDL’s almost moribund political wing the British Freedom party (BFP).

Weston is so posh, he makes Oxbridge educated Griffin sound positively common. Weston gave an interview the other day to a sympathetic news team from “Just Right” media who were trying to build the failed former UKIP candidate up as some kind of Statesman. During the almost one hour long bore-fest (to be fair, he has an admirable selection of tipples on display) Weston waxed lyrical about his new party and about what wonders they would achieve after these coming elections.

So far so good (if not a little boring.) . Weston then claims that the BFP are going to achieve all kinds of wondrous things including standing in every seat at the next General Elections and of course, the next set of European Elections too. The problem is though, Weston is unsure of how many seats there are at Westminster as he finds it “so hard to keep up” with such important things.

But rest assured, he might not know how many seats there are at Westminster, but he will be standing candidates for the House of Lords, that’s if people do stand for election to the house, right? Or, as the interviewer asks “under their system or proportional representation”.

“To be honest, I don’t know anything about that at all” answers the defender of our supposed Christian, moral, country.

BFP officer backs Breivik's killings

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Tuesday, 17 April 2012, 10:42

As if we needed proof that the British Freedom Party was no different from the other rag bag organisations on the far right, one of their officers tweeted in support of Norwegian killer Anders Breivik.

Michael Wood, the party's IT officer posted the following on Twitter:

"Couldn't care less that #Breivik went radio rental on leftist youths. He knew they would grow up to betray Norway #EDL"

I think I might give BFP leader Paul Weston a ring and ask him for his comments. The BFP is standing six candidates in the forthcoming local elections.

The BNP & Breivik's shared language.

posted by: Matthew Collins | on: Monday, 16 April 2012, 14:07

Donna Treanor with Nick Griffin

The BNP currently has five candidates standing for election this May who were on the mailing list of Norwegian terrorist Anders Behring Breivik .

It is no exaggeration to say that many of Breivik’s warped views are shared by the BNP. Last night I blogged how the BNP and their supporters really find it difficult to actually condemn outright the behaviour of Norwegian terrorist Anders Breivik.

Indeed, Nick Griffin himself is always on about a supposedly inevitable civil war in this country between people he describes as “Christians” (but I would prefer the term racists) and British Muslims.

Today on the internet, BNP supporters themselves are echoing similar sentiment to not just Griffin but to Breivik also. Commenting on an article that first appeared on their London Facebook page about the Breivik trial, the party even writes that “Insanity and extremism” are becoming “the norm”. In the case of many of their members, this may be so, but Breivik has been deemed sane and of course his very actions echoed the thoughts of many BNP members and supporters. One poster writes that there is no “justification” for the use of the word extreme to justify Breivik’s actions: “because in a fight all your actions must be extreme ones”.

The BNP just seems absolutely incapable of condemning the murder as anything other than the result of racism and extremism; the two key tenets of BNP policy.

Last month the BNP’s Donna Treanor even wrote on the party’s main website about the “growing menace of militant Islam in Britain” and how “Free speech in Britain is a Marxist myth” and how “Britain is awash with those that fear and hate the indigenous British people”.

Of course, there is no proof or facts in any of this, so Treanor changed the name of the writer to “Vince BNP”. It could as well have been “Anders Breivik”.

Particularly when she finishes her ranting article with “There is a war coming! But it won’t be to turn Britain into an Islamic republic, it will be a war to jettison Islam from Britain altogether. And if the Marxist Left physically assault you, then you can invoke the universally recognised common-law right of self-defence and retaliate—regardless of what the secular law says!”

The BNP candidates found on Breivik's list are:

Peter Clayton St Helens Council Sutton Ward

Danny Cook Barnsley Council Kingstone Ward

Phil Kimberley Nuneaton Council Attleborough Ward

Lee Millard Nuneaton Council Abbey Ward

John Clark BNP GLA candidate

Breivik's video ....not on this site!

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Monday, 16 April 2012, 11:31

The court has watched a 12-minute video Breivik has made on the danger of Islam and multiculturalism. I was going to post up the link but I've decided not to because this just plays into Breivik's desire to use the trial as a platform to spread his warped and dangerous ideas.

There is a fine line between reporting on the trial and giving Breivik a platform. I wonder how the British media will deal with this?

Breivik's defence witnesses

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Monday, 16 April 2012, 10:19

I've been given this list of people Breivik's legal team is wanting to call as witnesses. Under Norwegian law it is a criminal offence to refuse to testify in court.

Interesting to see all of those we feature in the Norwegian section of the 'Counter-Jihad' report are being called by his defence.

This is the witness list to Breivik:

* Bjarne Dahl, a politician who is excluded from Fremskrittspariet with a past from White Electoral Alliance and Fredrelandspartiet.

* Mattias Gardell, Swedish professor at Uppsala University.

* Thomas Hylland Eriksen, Norwegian professor, anthropologist, author and social commentator.

* Hans Rustad, editor and general manager of the right-wing site Document.no

* Ron Alte, with the management team of the Islam hostile organization Norwegian Defence League.

* Bruce Bawer, an American citizen and 'counter-Jihadist' writer

* Brynjar Lia, a historian and senior researcher at the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment.

* Øyvind Stream, Norwegian journalist and expert on the extreme-right on the internet.

* Stein Lillevolden violence, longstanding activist affiliated with Blitz.

* Rita Karlsen, co-founded the Islam-critical organization Human Rights Service in 2000.

* Walid Alkubasi, Norwegian Iraqi writer and editor living in Norway.

* Lars Ostby, Norwegian demographer.

* Hanne Nabintu Nerland, religion historian who has expressed skepticism about the concept of "multiculturalism."

* Einar Øverenget, philosopher and author. Working on the question of ethics, values, cultural development and corruption.

* Hilde Haugsgjerd, editor of Aftenposten. Has previously been leader of Red Electoral Alliance.

* Frank Aarebrot, election researcher and professor of comparative politics.

* Ole Jørgen Anfindsen, Norwegian writer and editor for the website HonestThinking.

* Vidar Kleppe, the party founded Democrats when he was thrown out of the Progress Party in 2001.

* Raymond Johansen, Labour Party Secretary.

* Mullah Krekar, the radical Islamist leader who was recently sentenced to 5 years in prison for threats.

* Jan Simonsen, a former Member of Parliament for the Progress Party.

* Lars Gule, social commentator and expert on Islam.

* Peder Nøstvold Jensen, blogger "Fjordman,"

* Tore Tvedt, founder of the neo-Nazi organization Vigrid.

* Carl I. Hagen, a former leader of the Progressive Party.

* Thorbjørn Berntsen, Labor Chief and Member of Parliament for 20 years. Environment Minister from 1990 to 1997.

* Paul Grondahl, psychiatrist.

* Arne Tumyr, former editor and director of the organization Stop the Islamization of Norway.

* Arnhild Flikke, psychiatrist from Sandvika community mental health center. Has led several discussions with Breivik.

Read backgrounds on many of those called here: http://www.hopenothate.org.uk/counter-jihad/country/Norway

More attacks from the 'Counter-Jihadists'

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Monday, 16 April 2012, 09:43

Yesterday far right 'Counter-Jihadist' blogger Fjordman attacked me as being part of the "totalitarian left". Today, Alan Ayling, better known as Alan Lake, describes me as one of the "oh-so-caring Leftist useful idiots."

To be attacked by people like this means I must be doing something right.

Breivik doesn't recognise the court

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Monday, 16 April 2012, 08:50

In a sign of the way this court case is going to go, Anders Breivik told the judge as the trial got under way:

"I do not recognise the Norwegian courts. You have received your mandate from political parties which support multiculturalism. I do not acknowledge the authority of the court."

Breivik has been waiting for this day to come. He has allegedly written a second Manifesto which was he hoping to read out as part of his testimony this week but this seems likely to refused.

When Breivik comes into the courtroom on Monday, he will be allowed to carry his notes, a pen and paper, and nothing more.

"If he starts reading I think he will be stopped pretty soon," Mr Gron told the Daily Telegraph. "But after that, if he speaks he's going to talk for five days. And if he talks about the things the police want him to talk about, they will allow him to do so."

Marit Nybakk, a senior member of Norway's ruling Labour Party on Friday told the paper of her government's fears that Breivik would use the trial to promote his anti-Islamic ideology.

"People now are very taken back by what they see as a kind of manipulation by Mr Breivik," she said. "What people are really afraid of is that he's getting a show."

Journalists keep out victim families

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Monday, 16 April 2012, 08:43

The trial of Anders Behring Breivik is underway. He arrived in court giving a clenched fist salute. Of course it was always going to be media circus, Breivik after all killed 77 people, but there must be a balance with the families of those who died wanting to attend and it seems that this has not been reached.

There are 800 journalists accredited to attend, though only 200 can get inside the court room. There is a second room allotted to journalists within the building and the authorities have turned a nearby hotel into another media centre.

Hundreds of journalists began queuing from early this morning to grab the 200 places available. Helen Pidd, the Guardian, took the attached photo. She says that many of the victim families are upset that their places are restricted to allow room for the large number of journalists.

I'm part of the "totalitarian left" says man who inspired Breivik!

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Sunday, 15 April 2012, 22:58

Since launching our report into the 'Counter-jihad' movement this morning I have been sent several abusive emails and comments by supporters of some of the organisations we feature. That is not surprising and is par for the course in my job.

I usually ignore these emails but I will take up one central charge, namely that we are picking on groups who are simply concerned about Islamist extremists. Shelley, from Canada, adds "It is fascinating that of all the groups and individuals that you have designated as Muslim haters, not one has actually committed a crime, not to mention a violent crime. In stark contrast to this fact, it is misguided Muslims who have been found guilty of committing violent crimes against their fellow citizens in Europe and North America."

I wish that was the case but given my own first-hand experience of the thuggery and racism of the English Defence League I know that not to be true. I have no problem with concern and criticism of Islamist extremists. Indeed, I have actively campaigned against groups such as Muslims Against Crusades and the hate preacher Haitham al-Haddad. However, those in the Counter-Jihad movement go way beyond that. They target all Muslims and much of it borders blatant racism.

I was particularly interested in Shelley's comments given the fact that it was sent to me on the eve of the Breivik trial. Breivik's mind was warped and twisted by what he had read on the Internet and in books. He targeted Government buildings and young members of the ruling Labour Party because he blamed them for the rise of Islam in Europe. He blamed them because this is what he had read from some of the very 'Counter-Jihadists' we identify.

One of our researchers has done an analysis of Breivik's manifesto. Of the 1,500 pages Breivik used 375 quoting other people. Of these 375 pages, 50% - 186 - were devoted to the work of Peder Nøstvold Jensen aka Fjordman.

Now our report cites Fjordman as the single most important influence on Breivik and this is not just with the quantity of quotes but the contents too. Fjordman believed that immigration and multiculturalism were to blame for allowing Islam to take hold in Europe and as a result he focused most of his anger at social democratic governments. He also predicted civil war within a generation and in one blog urged people to take up arms. (for a profile on Fjordman: http://www.hopenothate.org.uk/counter-jihad/country/Norway)

Now Norwegian TV (TV2) ran this story last night and it seemed to cause quite a stir. It even got a reaction from Fjordman himself, who bombarded the TV station with claims that I was "part of the totalitarian left". I was then contacted to comment on this claim!

So anyway, the line that some in the 'Counter-Jihadist' movement does not encourage violence and is simply raising a legitimate concern just doesn't wash with me.

What they really think

posted by: Matthew Collins | on: Sunday, 15 April 2012, 22:27

"Hero": King with Griffin, another "hero" of his

Peter King is one of those "troubled" racists. In and out of the BNP and prison, he made a bit of a name for himself in the North East for allegedly beating up anyone that comes near his ex-partner. In between prison, he used to organise for the BNP while his partner was the North East Organiser.

He even travelled down to London a couple of years ago while BNP chief Nick Griffin was defiling the cenotaph, to attack former BNP golden boy Kieran Trent who was hiding around the corner.

Still, that has not stopped perpetual bore and BNP press officer Simon Darby recently posting up pics of King on his blog like he is some kind of wholesome individual.

One of King's current heroes is the Norwegian Terrorist Anders Behring Breivik who is currently on trial for the murder of 77 innocent Norwegians. King and Breivik were even Facebook friends.

Tonight, King's been watching a documentary about Breivik on the BBC2. He and others of his ilk are stumped in their living rooms re-living the good old days and chatting on Facebook together. "Shame wasn't here in Bradford" wrote King, referring to what Breivik did on the Island of Utoya.

This is of course what the BNP and their ilk really think.

They are all sick, not just King.

King & Friends: English optional

King: Super shot?

The world's media picks up on our report

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Sunday, 15 April 2012, 21:09

It has been some weekend. In fact, it has been some month. Today's launch of our 'Counter-Jihad' monitoring website comes at the same time as our HOPE not hate election effort really took off. There have been dozens of events around the country, both in the key wards where we are seeking to win seats back from the BNP and across London, where we are working to prevent the BNP from getting the 5% they need to get onto the London Assembly.

Our report into the Counter-Jihad movement was the main story on page 2 of today's Observer and we have also had media interest from Norway, Sweden, Belgium, France, Austria and India.

There's more to come this week. We will be adding more information to our website during week and from tomorrow we'll be having regular blogs from the Breivik trial, some of which I hope will be from our friends at Vepsen. As a taster I've just uploaded an article they have written about the forthcoming Breivik trial.

Entitled 'The Commander on Trial', the article can be found here:

http://www.hopenothate.org.uk/counter-jihad/blog/

Phenomenal response

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Sunday, 15 April 2012, 21:02

We have had a phenomenal response to our website, with media interest from the UK, Norway, Sweden, France, the Netherlands, Austria, Belgium and India. Over the next few days we will be filling in some of the gaps in our Directory and we will be beginning the Breivik trial blog in earnest. In the meantime I thought I would put up this contribution sent in by Tor Bach, of our sister organisation in Norway, Vepsen.

Vepsen is at the forefront of monitoring extremism in Norway and I would recommend everyone follows their website, some of which is in English (vepsen.org).

"The Commander” on trial

A comment by Tor Bach of vepsen in Norway

We have a culprit, who apart the monstrous deeds he has done, is emerging as a wretch, with no ability to think a single original thought, that dreams away in nightmarish fantasies.

The terrorist – Breivik – has declared that his killings should serve to promote his big project, a ragged cut and paste job concocted from thoughts he has not produced himself. His ideas of national rebirth are taken from the classic fascist ideas box. The rest, including the commander’s degree, is also borrowed plumes that the inflated peacock in his fantasy uniforms prances around in.

In the real world a commander is a person who has charge of a military vessel, of other military personnel or alternatively a degree in some kind of honorary order. Some vessels, perhaps more than a rubber dinghy, the mass murderer never had command over, and his “Knights” were just lies and deception, perhaps inspired by some crackpot British right-wing extremists who played with Templar symbols.

Those of us who have read books by the top-selling Swedish author Jan Guillou about Commander Hamilton, then his series about the Templar knight Arn, recognise the similarity: a one-dimensional "hero" that kills by the dozen, always because it is necessary, “for king or country”. Like the self-appointed Commander from Utøya , Commander Hamilton gets a range of fantastic, gaudy medals and gongs, while the bodies are strewn all over in the wake of the killing machine’s raids.

The reading of the terrorist's so-called manifesto gives us insight into a little person who is consumed by his own ambitions and by the lack of his own ideas. He does what he does best: he lifts from others what he cannot write himself. This is actually the only thing the Oslo terrorist has done with some success, namely to forge success. He has allegedly made millions by selling fake certificates that help others to the progress they have not been able to create through good advice, coaching or their own efforts, but through simple fakes, easily bought solutions where one can bluff one’s way through the world.

In his childhood bedroom, the lonely terrorist sat forging his own success. He drew symbols, and finds gold and glitter that he could use to create his glittering orders. That these orders and medals in the real world stood for something completely different and represent real deeds, completely escaped him.

He cut and pasted, borrowing from others and built a facade big enough for the enormous self-image he was unable to fill. He went to photographers and portraits were taken. He dispensed advice to his fans that they should go to a stylist; maybe, even, use a little makeup before they have taken pictures of themselves. All this to build an image that he intellectually could not live up to.

World history has been full of little people with big egos, people who have sometimes had power, and whose actions have had disastrous consequences. Historical circumstances have meant that some of them – whether a Hitler or a Stalin – have had great movements behind them.

Our domestic terrorist had no movement; he had to fabricate it, along with grade systems, rank and stolen thoughts. He was not able to carry out the Holocaust, the Moscow Trials, or the Great Leap. All he did was to swagger around in his fantasy braided costume and kill children who begged for their life. That's what he should be remembered as, a primitive child killer and not a political leader or thinker.

The void in the terrorist's own ability to create political ideology shows us the danger in the hatred that is spread by the extreme right- wing. The terrorist borrowed their thoughts and few of them can be held morally or legally responsible for his actions – none of them urging open violence and armament – with the exception of the cowardly blogger Jensen who, from his desk and hiding behind his “Fjordman” alias, did call for the arming of Western people and the eradication of those responsible for multi-culturalism.

What they can be blamed for, however, are the embers of evil and hatred they blow on, for filling empty souls who find meaning in the fear and the struggle against "the others" and antiquated ideas of national re-birth that they obsessively promote.

The trial, which is now starting, is a lawful assize against the mass murderer of Oslo and Utøya, but in our minds it should be more than that: a tribunal to condemn the criminal thoughts that turned an insignificant young man into a mass killer.

'Counter-Jihad' website goes live

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Sunday, 15 April 2012, 08:11

Our 'Counter-Jihad' Report website has just gone live. You can find it at www.hopenothate.org.uk

We profile several hundred organisations and individuals that make up what is called the 'Counter-Jihad' movement, which is best described as a loose network of anti-Muslim organisations, political parties, bloggers and individuals.

The Report and the website have been a huge undertaking and indeed we are still uploading the profiles into the website. During the course of today and tomorrow we will be adding dozens more profiles so please stick with us and re-visit the site. I'm sure there are a few glitches and mistakes but our designer has put this site together in just 36 hours so a special thank you must go to him.

We say that this 'Counter-Jihad' movement represents the new face of the far right and as a result we are establishing a permanent 'Counter-Jihad' Monitoring Unit to monitor, analysis and report on these groups and individuals. Just as importantly, we will be striving to find ways to counter their messages and activities.

This website and the accompanying report kicks off this work but it is only the beginning.

'Counter-Jihad' report coming soon

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Saturday, 14 April 2012, 21:40

Over the last few months the HOPE not hate research team have been busy working on a new report on the 'Counter-Jihad' movement. It profiles hundreds of anti-Muslim organisations and individuals and looks at the interwoven links between them.

I think it will be the most comprehensive report into anti-Muslim groups, which, in the introduction, I can the new face of the far right.

Called: The 'Counter-Jihad' movement: Anti-Muslim hatred and the ideas that inspired Anders Behring Breivik there will be a special website and a printed report.

We have already received some good coverage in tomorrow's Observer and there was the first of two features on Norwegian TV.

We will be launching the website tomorrow.

HOPE not hate in action

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Saturday, 14 April 2012, 14:08

Anti-fascists are out all over the country this weekend as part of the HOPE not hate weekend of action. We had almost 20 people out in Nuneaton and 17 in Amber Valley. I've also just spoken to one of our campaign team who tells me that there were between 20-25 out in Walthamstow, north London.

I'm attaching a photo of the campaign room in Amber Valley, shortly before the campaigning kicked off.

I'll add more news as and when I get it during the day.

Lovely day for campaigning

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Saturday, 14 April 2012, 09:43

HOPE not hate day of action today. Find an event near you http://action.hopenothate.org.uk/page/event/search_simple

More far-right threats and lies..

posted by: Matthew Collins | on: Thursday, 12 April 2012, 20:50

Threats: How the "Infidels feel about the EDL

No great surprise to hear that Tommy Robinson has now denied praising Norwegian terrorist Anders Behring Breivik during an interview with a Norwegian newspaper. What with 77 people dead as a result of Breivik’s sickening hatred, you’d probably give Robinson the benefit of the doubt if he didn’t already have a bit of a history for praising the murderer.

Talking to a Norwegian a journalist today, I was told that Tommy has also allegedly claimed that the British government are “breeding Christian terrorists”. I’m not sure whether that’s Robinson’s take on the current NHS reforms or whether he actually does believe that he is Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Still, rather like with Islam, there’s not much Christian about terrorism Tommy, perhaps you should pass that on to your troops.

Up in Liverpool (one of the few places to actually have EDL aligned candidates for the May elections), the local “crack Nazis” that make up the rival tearaway “Infidels” are plotting violence against their EDL rivals. I guess that should give the decent people of Liverpool some respite for a while. The Infidels continue to take issue with EDL leader Tommy Robinson’s alleged Catholicism. Death threats, sectarianism, white powder, violence and anti-Irish racism have become the key reoccurring themes of that falling out.

The EDL/BFP might not be taking their politics very seriously, but the BNP most certainly are. Nick Griffin’s been tweeting away this afternoon about “Muslim groming [sic] gangs” targeting “young white girls at apple shops”. As he produces no evidenced of such stupid claims, I guess the good (and very rich) people at Apple will be getting in touch with Mr Grififn about this in the near future. In his defence, Griffin will probably say that an “apple shop” is auld English for the greengrocers. Either way, it’s desperate and dangerous nonsense from the BNP, a party itself of bad babysitters’.

By all accounts there is some growing disquiet in the BNP over just how the campaign for a seat on the London Assembly is progressing. With the leadership having toured the country raising money from the regions to pay for the London campaign, some branches are struggling to pay for their own local election leaflets. Blackburn in particular suffered with seven of those who pledged to stand for the party in May refusing to stand once told they would have to pay for their own leaflets.

Of course, it has not gone unnoticed that the party is desperately pushing their Mayoral (no hope) candidate Carlos “I swing for London” Cortiglia over their real hope, Steve “stud” Squire who heads the party’s list. I guess that someone with potentially damaging (for the BNP) views on the fate of the Falkland Islands is better than whatever it is Squire has to hide.

Dirty tricks are never far away when the BNP is around and their views on postal voting are well known. Still, I’ll make no further comment on this sickening example of the threats and lies that have 'mysteriously' been pushed through doors of BME residents in Goresbrook ward in Barking, where there is a by-election next Thursday.

Desperate: Another big lie

Liverpool Infidels threaten their EDL counterparts

Highlight of the day.

posted by: Simon Cressy | on: Thursday, 12 April 2012, 15:18

Studying the far right in this country can be quite a depressing job, all the hatred and bigotry on a daily basis can leave me feeling gloomy and just a little depressed on an evening.

Never fear, the CxF and their associated buffoons are here to lighten my day and amuse me.

I've just seen this on Facebook and it made me fall off my chair with laughter.

For those unfamiliar with the CxF, they are a splinter of the EDL, who like to dress in military attire complete with berets and regimental badges, whilst shouting orders at one another.

In their short lived history, the CxF have themselves split into two groups, the CxF and the new and improved "Combined Ex Services Intel & Security".

The CxS, as they now like to be known have "ventured" out into the world of security, which is a little bizarre as their leader Mike Rafferty is currently on bail himself for resisting a police officer following a violent incident that took place in Plymouth last year.

They have taken to offering their services online, with the rather bold introduction " Combined Ex services Intel & Security are offering the best self defence/anti terrorist training in the world."

They continue "Combined Ex services Intel & Security are offering the best self defence/anti terrorist training in the world, to all staff, members and partners."

They then qualify that statement by a couple of endorsements " Whoever developed this system is a genius” This is allegedly a statement from a senior serving officer in the SAS and "The best counter terrorist in the world” Apparently a statement from a senior serving officer in the Special Services Squadron 777 in Egypt.

As a disclaimer they finish by stating " Due to the nature and high level of skills taught, only those with a stable healthy mind will qualify for training."

Surely that disqualifies the CxS from taking part in their own training ?

Ouch, I've just fallen off my chair again...

A rival to Jason?

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Thursday, 12 April 2012, 10:54

Anyone reading my blog over the last few years would have heard me talk about Jason Hunter, our super activist from Burnley. He leads the HOPE not hate group there and has delivered a large chunk of the 296,000 newspapers and leaflets we have put out in Burnley since 2002 himself.

He is an absolute superstar.

But now it appears that he might have a rival, and again our new hero is to be found in the North West. I've just heard from joe, our campaign organiser, that our HnH co-ordinator in Stockport has already delivered 3,600 leaflets in four wards in the past week. He promises to deliver the remaining few thousand within the next few days.

He has got a few others involved and they have already ordered another 5,000 leaflets, on top of the 5 or 7,000 they originally took.

Not content with making sure Stockport is BNP-free, our new leaflet champion will be joining Jason on Sunday for our Burnley day of action. Asked why he was going to Burnley, he replied: "Burnley always a good day out." Let's hope the weather stays dry for the weekend.

It is people like these that make working for HOPE not hate such a great experience.

A fantastic response

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Wednesday, 11 April 2012, 19:51

This morning I sent out an email to our supporters in about half of the London boroughs asking for their help in distributing newspapers in their local area. We have had a fantastic response with 179 people offering their services.

Some are just taking a couple of hundred newspapers but others are committing to many more. We've even had a few people offering to cover whole council wards for us.

We have had a particularly good uptake in Islington, Harrow and Ilford.

We will be contacting everyone individually over the next few days to arrange dropping off the newspapers, but in the meantime, if you live in London and can spare an hour or two please sign up to deliver our newspaper in your area.

https://donate.hopenothate.org.uk/page/signup/my-street-and-one-more

Campaigning gets under way

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Wednesday, 11 April 2012, 10:50

The anti-fascist campaign for the 2012 elections is well and truly under way with leafleting going on around the country.

We are out of our initial run of 100,000 general anti-BNP leaflets so we have just got another batch printed. We also have leaflets targeting the National Front and English Democrats available for local people to order.

To find out if a far right candidate is standing near you, click here:

http://www.hopenothate.org.uk/2012/elections/

If you would like to get together with other HOPE not hate activists to distribute some where the far right are standing, please sign up here:
http://action.hopenothate.org.uk/HnH-organiser-2012

We are asking those people who live in London to donate an hour of their time to deliver 200 newspapers in their local area. Over 100 people have volunteered in the first 30 minutes after the email went out.

If you live in London and want to give out newspapers or leaflets in your local area you can do so here:

https://donate.hopenothate.org.uk/page/signup/my-street-and-one-more

The Death Match proves too controversial for release

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Wednesday, 11 April 2012, 09:23

The release of a new film telling the story of a football match between German soldiers and Ukrainians has been delayed because the authorities deem it "controversial".

The Death Match charts the story of a football match in Kiev, in 1942, between a team made up of employees of a local industrial bakery — many former professional footballers from Dynamo Kiev, and German soldiers. By winning the match the Ukrainian players were sent to a labour camp and several were killed.

The story has been graphically described in a number of books, including Dynamo: Defending the Honour of Kiev by Andy Dougan; and Death Match by Andy Croft. I can certainly recommend Andy Dougan's excellent book.

But it seems that not everyone is happy about the new film. Some people have questioned the authenticity of the story while others are worried about how it portrays Ukrainian collaborators. With the 2012 football championships fast approaching, which will be co-hosted by Ukraine, it seems that the authorities have pushed to have the release delayed. A final decision over the release date will now be made on 1 May.

Inter Film spokeswoman Yulia Yatsenko said the movie was not aimed at dividing people and had been well received by some Dynamo Kiev players who had attended a private screening.

"I think it is relevant on the eve of the championship as Dynamo players make up the core of Ukraine's national team," she said.

Here's a BBC report on the film:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-17674222

Our Britain, Not theirs

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Tuesday, 10 April 2012, 18:19

We finalised the deal for a mixture of billboards and advans for the election campaign. Here is a draft of how the poster looks.

If you would like to help us get even more advertising space you can do so here:

http://action.hopenothate.org.uk/put-up-the-poster

Breivik declared 'sane'

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Tuesday, 10 April 2012, 11:31

Norwegian killer Anders Breivik has just been declared 'sane' enough to face trial and a jail term.

A BBC website report says: "The findings contradict a previous evaluation, published in November, that found him legally insane.

"The question of his sanity decides whether he will be sent to a psychiatric ward or jail."

Breivik killed 77 people after setting off a bomb outside Government buildings in central Oslo and shooting young people at a Labour Party youth camp. His defence is that he was forced to carry out these attacks in order to prevent Norway, and the rest of Europe, going under Islamic control.

The trial starts next Monday and is due to last until 22 June.

New leaflets available

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Tuesday, 10 April 2012, 11:21

We have a new range of leaflets available, targetting the British National Party, the National Front and the English Democrats.

The general anti-BNP leaflet is in fact a reprint, after our first 100,000 have already gone out.

To get copies of any of these leaflets please email my colleague Joe at Joe@hopenothate.org.uk

To find out which far right candidates are standing where, please go to:

http://www.hopenothate.org.uk/2012/elections/

Of truths and bizarre self criticisms

posted by: Matthew Collins | on: Monday, 9 April 2012, 21:19

David Orr: Unconvincing..

It's been another difficult week for the BNP. Up in Cumbria, the party's latest round of factional infighting has seen desks shifted around the party's offices so as to avoid further confrontations and job losses.

Clive Jefferson appears to have the party on some kind of "lock down" a convenient way some would say, of keeping as much of his own incompetence out of reach of those nasty antifascist journalists who poke fun at his "Rodney the plonker" persona.

Oh well, when it suits Clive he even has the power to stop controversial candidates that he does not like from standing. Others it seems, he either does not know about or would perhaps be better not care about .

So How did Jefferson manage to stop a whole country of BNP activists from standing? Astonishingly, there is not one BNP candidate in Scotland! The BNP splinter group managed to get four candidates onto the ballot papers in Scotland, but the mighty BNP have none! And Clive was not happy...

Luckily for Clive the BNP's Scotland organiser has taken full responsibility for this. "I missed the date to get our candidate in, the date had been brought forward from the 5th of May to the 3rd so I missed it by 1 day, so I have let the people of Scotland down" writes David Orr.

Far be in for me to put him straight, but this election, like all others, was always going to be on a Thursday. It was never going to be on a Saturday.

"If people wish to complain about this then I accept full responsibility and will answer all questions and complaints" he concludes his grovelling address to the members.

It just doesn't add up. Forced self-criticisms rarely do. Shouldn't the idiot who told him the elections were on the Saturday get the blame, or more honestly, the person who wrote and told him that the elections were on the 5th of May, get the blame?

And why did somebody not ring around and check that the work was being done? As we understand it, all electoral materials have to go via Jefferson in the first place. Had he taken his eye off the ball again??

I'm guessing that he did. Trusting David Orr was probably not a very good idea in the first place, but at least David now has the undying loyalty of Clive Jefferson for at least another ten days...

Jefferson: Loves to purge, allegedly

BNP candidate's sex-shop and date rape drug shame

posted by: Matthew Collins | on: Monday, 9 April 2012, 18:39

Mirror: Confronted a youthful Squire

Nick Grififn has had his begging bowl out at the Elm Park Hotel in Hornchurch this afternoon, trying to add to the £50,000 (we hear it's actually £27,000) he says his party has raised for their London election campaign.

The BNP has been pushing very heavily their (no hope) Mayoral Candidate Carlos Cartiglia, the renowned sex-swinger with allegedly dodgy views on the Falklands War.

The real threat to London however will come from the BNP's "List", from where BNP members are hoping to get elected onto the Assembly. Number one on such list being Steve Squire, the BNP's London Organiser.

Squire is currently suffering from a broken heart after his former partner Claudia Dalgleish left him and sold a sordid story to the newspapers regarding Nick Griffin's peculiar way of enjoying an Indian meal. He recently had to report to his local police station over allegations he had been harassing his ex partner.

But worse has come for poor Squire (or Mendoza as he prefers to be known in the business world). He may have his yacht up for sale to try and bolster the campaign to get him on the GLA, but he has not mentioned his sordid history in the sex industry. On 24th March of last year Squire’s shop was raided by the police and 1,065 pornographic DVDs were seized. They were unclassified and illegal.

Squire, who is the BNP's largest financial donor finances the BNP through his business of running unlicensed sex shops in Soho in central London.

In 2001 the Sunday Mirror came across Squire (using the name Mendoza) selling the date rape drug "GHB" at his shop. Despite buying the illegal drug from Squire himself, when he was later confronted (the next day) he denied remembering selling it.

There is a lot more of this to come, but it seems swinging, rape drugs, racism and fascism are just a taster of what the BNP could have in store for unsuspecting Londoners.

Dalgleish & Griffin: Curry buddies

Squire: Another dubious defender of Christian morality

Hate campaign against Norwegian Muslim

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Monday, 9 April 2012, 18:19

I have just received this from Vepsen, our partner organisation in Norway:

After participating in the demonstration against the demonstration against the anti-Islamic flop in Århus on 31 March, Yousef Assidiq, a young Norwegian who has converted to Islam, has felt the true nature of the counter-Jihadist movement.

Since his trip to Denmark, Assidiq has become a symbol of hate amongst right wing extremists.

It began when Assidiq received a message, both on Facebook and hand delivered to his letter box at home. The message started calling Assidiq a fu**ing Ar*rsehole, and telling him to stop his “lying” about the “heroes of the NDL and SIAN” before promising to have anal intercourse with him long and hard before throwing him to the pigs. It ended with “it is a pity you were not killed on 22 July”, referring to the terrorist attacks committed by Anders B. Breivik.

Right after the message was delivered Assidiq's picture was used in a video made by the Norwegian Defence League to show the alleged dangers of Islam.

Mr. Assidiq, not being afraid, has answered with declaring why he fights what the extreme right stands for and has published this in an article that a lot of people have shared on Facebook. While Assidiq has pointed out the need to fight hatred with non-violent means, the so-called defenders of European culture and civilization are trying to silence him.

Obviously the Norwegian Defence League are too scared of a single young man, and they have run to their bigger brother in England for help. Andy Ren from the English Defence league has put up a message on his Facebook wall, calling for people to “mass report report this convert hes causing trouble for some defence leagues” in order to have Assidiq silenced.

Assidiq has reported all the threats to him to the police and, hopefully, we will soon see someone close to the Norwegian Defence League assisting the police in their inquiries.

The Mersey Morons ?

posted by: Simon Cressy | on: Monday, 9 April 2012, 18:16

Joe Killen in the white vest

Now that the nominations are in for the various elections taking place next month, I thought I would take a closer look at one area that made me raise an eyebrow more than once over the past week.

What was once a very active branch, Liverpool BNP has become the laughing stock of the far right and has splintered into a number of smaller and far weaker groups.

At its peak, they achieved a couple of respectable second places in the council elections back in 2008. How they wish for such heady days now.

In 2012 the BNP can only manage to field two candidates, one of them Mike Whitby doesn't even live in Liverpool, in fact he doesn't even live in England, living 40 miles south over the Welsh border in Coedpoeth near Wrexham.The same Mike Whitby is also standing as a BNP candidate in his home town for Wrexham Borough Council and as the BNP candidate in the Liverpool mayoral election.

According to some reports Whitby has had a major bust up with a number of Liverpool BNP activists, causing them to defect to the National Front. One defection of note is the convicted thug Peter Tierney aka Peter Quiggins. Antique dealer Tierney was convicted in 2010 for ABH after attacking a local antifascist with a camera tripod.

Tierney, who is now the official mayoral candidate for the NF in the city has become increasingly extreme over the past few years, ramping up his online anti semitism at the same time. The NF will have no doubt welcomed Tierney and his disciples into their party, boosting their tiny numbers and Tierney's huge ego at the same time.The NF will also enjoy the fact that Tierney is a millionaire.

Tierney has also imported the help of the imbecilic Paul James along with his motley crew of booze addled nobodies from the CxF.

Some people predicted that 2012 would see the rise of British Freedom, the BNP splinter that is for the moment closely aligned to the English Defence League. Liverpool has five BFP candidates standing for election which looks fairly healthy at first glance, however, as the BFP can only muster six candidates nationally the fortunes of British Freedom look stillborn. As three of the candidates are all members of the same family, British Freedom starts to look like a modern day version of the The Emperor's New Clothes.

Matching the BFP, The English Democrats field five of their own candidates, with three of them being former BNP activists in the city.Of interest is the mayoral candidate Dr Paul Rimmer who has travelled from Militant Labour to The English Democrats, via The Conservative Party,UKIP and the BNP. That's quite a journey for someone who claims to have studied politics at Cambridge University.

Moving out of the city of Liverpool to Knowsley,Andrew Brennus is the solitary far right candidate for the National Front.

Brennus aka Andrew Tierney is the brother of Peter Tierney and is also a convicted thug and ex BNP activist, being convicted of assault and electronically tagged for three months last year.This might go some way to explain why he has chosen to be his own election agent under the name Andrew Tierney.

Just when you thought the BNP couldn't be embarrassed any further, we cross the River Mersey over to Wirral Council, where the BNP field a single candidate in the Birkenhead & Tranmere ward, one Joseph Killen.

The local newspaper The Wirral Globe ran an article describing Killen and The BNP as "Ultra Right Wing", something that Simon Darby described as "Good News" on his tedious blog.

The problem for Darby and the BNP is that Killen, a close associate of the rabid Neo Nazi Liam Pinkham likes to have his photo taken, particularly with his right arm in the air.

Still think that's good news Simon ?

Peter Tierney

Cromie's back

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Monday, 9 April 2012, 11:00

My colleague Matthew Collins slipped in an interesting bit of information into a blog he wrote last week that I think is worth repeating. Paul Cromie, an 'independent' councillor in Bradford, appears to be back in the BNP fold after he attended a recent party fundraiser in Yorkshire.

Paul Cromie was for a long time a councillor for the BNP but last year he left the party and became an Independent. He and his wife Linda, also a local councillor, had found God and as a result turned their backs on racist politics. They were pictured together with their black priest in the local newspaper.

Perhaps they meant it at the time. Perhaps it was just a ploy to appear more respectable. Who knows. What is clear is that Paul appears to have gone back over to the BNP.

The BNP is standing just one candidate in Bradford in the forthcoming local elections and that happens to be in Queensbury, the same ward where Paul and Linda are councillors. Linda Cromie was re-elected as a councillor last year, polling 34% of the vote. With their return to the BNP this makes Queensbury a key seat again this year.

English Democrats in our sights

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Saturday, 7 April 2012, 21:10

I have been asked by a couple of people to explain why we are also targeting certain English Democrat candidates in these elections as it isn't a traditional far right party. That is true, the English Democratic Party (EDP) is not a far right party but so many BNP members have gone over to them in the last few months that the very composition of the party has changed and so now it has become a legitimate target.

It has been claimed that almost 43% of their candidates in the forthcoming local elections have recently been in the BNP (http://www.facebook.com/groups/97541711484/). I don't know if this is the correct figure but it could well be true. Whole swathes of EDP candidates in Essex, Hertfordshire, Yorkshire, the North West and the West Midlands have previously stood for the BNP.

EDP leader Robin Tilbrook has repeatedly said that in joining the EDP these people have accepted their new party's policies and political outlook. He might believe that and if we were talking about one or two people then he might be right. But we are talking about dozens, perhaps hundreds. If 40 former BNP members are prepared to stand as EDP candidates there must be many more who have made the switch without wanting to go public.

Two of those standing still work for Andrew Brons, the BNP's Yorkshire and Humber MEP.

Tilbrook thinks he can control these people and just use their enthusiasm to build up the EDP. I think he's wrong. I simply don't believe that all these people have changed their politics overnight and I think that at some stage in the future - probably after the two years membership EDP members need to have before they can vote in the officer's elections - this BNP grouping will flex their muscles.

And it won't be too difficult. There were just 50 EDP members at last month's AGM so a takeover would not be difficult.

HOPE not hate is producing a new leaflet focusing on the EDP. This will be available from Thursday so please do get in touch with us if you want some for your local area.

Election map updated

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Saturday, 7 April 2012, 14:20

We've just updated our 2012 election map so it has all the candidates publicly announced so far. We are waiting for a few councils to declare candidates but the vast majority have and these are recorded here:

http://www.hopenothate.org.uk/2012/elections/

So far we have 125 BNP candidates standing, 91 from the English Democrats, 31 National Front, six British Freedom Party, four Democratic Nationalists and one candidate each for the British People's Party and the England First Party.

Even with the few councils outstanding, the number of BNP candidates is well down on previous years. Over the next few days we will be profiling some of the 'at risk' wards.

In addition to the local elections in England, Wales and Scotland, the BNP also poses a threat in the London elections where they only need to get 5% to get someone elected onto the Assembly.

In the meantime we would ask our supporters to let us know if they come across any BNP campaigning and to send in copies of any leaflets that are distributed.

http://www.hopenothate.org.uk/2012/elections/

Holiday competition - a few more photos

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Saturday, 7 April 2012, 09:58

Yesterday we announced the launch of our Holiday competition, with a fortnight for up to nine people in luxury accommodation in the Caribbean as a prize. All money raised will go to the Searchlight Educational Trust.

You can read more here: http://www.hopenothate.org.uk/competition/

We will be announcing more details of the holiday soon, but in the meantime I would like to add a few more photos of the wonderful beach house that could be yours...

The draw will be made on Monday 21 May and the winner will have 11 months to take the holiday, subject to availability.

The raffle is being conducted under licence and is compliant with the Part 5 of Schedule 11 of the Gambling Act 2005.

http://www.hopenothate.org.uk/competition/

Many unhappy returns

posted by: Simon Cressy | on: Saturday, 7 April 2012, 09:30

BNP founder John Tyndall (Left)

The BNP is thirty years old today.

My colleague Matthew Collins has written an interesting piece about them here

Win a holiday of a lifetime

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Friday, 6 April 2012, 20:49

HOPE not hate is giving its supporters a chance to win a holiday of a lifetime with a fortnight at a private beachfront villa in one of the most unspoilt natural islands in the Caribbean. In the process you will be helping us deliver our community work.

The villa, which sleeps 9 people, enjoys around 100ft of beachfront with coconut palms and thick powder soft sand and whilst the main house will be your base, it also comes with a beach hut and a large BBQ and beach terrace area. The villa comes with a cook, cleaner and gardener.

We are raffling off this amazing holiday and you can buy tickets for just £20 each. The draw will be made on 21 May by one of our new HOPE not hate patrons. The winner will have exclusive use of the villa for a fortnight.

All proceeds will go to our charitable arm, Searchlight Educational Trust, and its work to bring communities together.

You can read more here: http://www.hopenothate.org.uk/competition/

Terms and conditions apply.

Clive keeps upsetting people

posted by: Matthew Collins | on: Friday, 6 April 2012, 17:02

LInda Kitchen: Her films are not Clive's cup of tea

Say what you want about Clive "Rodney" Jefferson and his extraordinary talent for not getting much done at the BNP, but fresh from getting rid of Mark Walker, he's also apparently stopped two people from standing as candidates for the party.

Former Yorkshire regional organiser Ian Kitchen and his wife Linda have not always been the most popular in the party. Linda was being lined up to help organise the BNP "family festival" the RWB (Red, White and Blue) last year when we exclusively revealed Linda had other interests .

One organiser stormed off out of the party citing her and her husband's activities as the "final straw" for them.

Having recently slipped quietly back into BNP life (they musty have made donation) the Kitchens' were by all accounts surprisingly absent from the recent BNP fundraiser in Leeds.

We understand that they are none too happy with being told by Clive that they could not stand in the forthcoming council elections in Wakefield as they would be "ammunition for Hope Not Hate". (How nice!)

They will have missed sitting next to Paul Cromie (the former BNP councillor in Bradford who now sits as an independent) who made a surprise appearance at the fundraiser. Probably best that they did not sit next to Cromie anyway, he's not the safest pair of hands with "sensitive" material according to sources in the BNP security team who also like to film themselves in flagrante

Jefferson: Dresses like 'Noddy' but didn't give the nod.

New HOPE not hate film for the NUT

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Thursday, 5 April 2012, 17:07

We have just produced this five minute film for the National Union of Teachers which will be played at their national conference over the weekend. The NUT have supported the HOPE not hate campaign for several years and we are delighted to have made this film for them.

Old friends & new enemies

posted by: Matthew Collins | on: Thursday, 5 April 2012, 14:02

For those old enough to recall, the name Derek Beackon should be famliar.

Back in 1993 Beackon shocked the country (and indeed some parts of the world) when he was elected on to Tower Hamlets council for the BNP with 33.9% of the vote in a by-election in Millwall ward. It was the culmination of years of aggressive and racist campaigning and division by the hardline of what was at the time, an openly neo-Nazi party, backed up by the thugs of their "security wing" C18.

Since then Beackon has been in and out of the spotlight. He was never very good at his short lived job, remembered mainly for his short period on the council for standing in front of the world's media mumbling to the TV cameras before kicking out at a woman journalist.

Beackon is now standing in Thurrock in Essex but this time for the rival National Front, the party where he has been for a while now,where perhaps his intellectual capabilities are more suited and appreciated. He's probably about as close to a councillor as the NF have ever had!

Up in Nuneaton, former pub Landlord Alwyn Deacon is standing for the BNP in the same ward as Martyn Russell Findley who is now an ex-BNP member stading for re-election in Barpool Ward. There's obviously no love lost between those two.

Elsewhere in the BNP reports are coming through of a major clash developing at the head office between two now very distinct factions. There's even allegations of spying...!

I'll bring more on that tomorrow.

Is Mark Walker a victim of BNP feuding?

Candidate update Thursday 2.10pm

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Wednesday, 4 April 2012, 20:24

So this is what we know now at 2.10pm:

4 BP = Britannica Party

5 BFP = British Freedom Party

76 BNP = British National Party

1 BPP = British Peoples Party

4 DN = Democratic Nationalists

51 ED = English Democrats

1 EFP = England First Party

35 NF = National Front

East Midlands

Amber Valley BNP 3

Daventry ED 2

Eastern

Epping Forest BNP 2, ED 2

Maldon BNP 3

Rochford ED 4

Peterborough ED 1

Southend 10 ED, 1 NF

St Albans ED 1

Three Rivers ED 3

Thurrock NF 4, BNP 1

North East

Gateshead NF 1

Hartlepool BNP 1

Newcastle BNP 2

North Tyneside NF 1

South Tyneside BNP 8

Sunderland NF 1

North West

Bolton BNP 1

Blackburn BNP 2

Burnley BNP 6

Bury ED 2

Carlisle BNP 1

Knowsley NF 1

Liverpool BFP 5, ED 5, BNP 2

Pendle BNP 3, ED 2, DN 1

Preston EFP 1

Rochdale NF 1, ED 1

Rossendale NF 1

Salford BNP 8

Stockport BNP 7

Tameside ED 3, BNP 2

Wigan BNP 5

Wirral BNP 1

South East

Crawley BNP 1

West Midlands

Cannock Chase BNP 1

Sandwell BNP 2 NF 1

Solihull ED 5, BNP 1

Walsall ED 3, BNP 2

Wolverhampton BNP 3

Yorkshire

Barnsley BNP 4

Bradford DN 2, BNP 1

Calderdale BPP 1

Doncaster ED 7, DN 1

Kirklees ED 1

Rotherham BNP 5

Sheffield ED 1

Wakefield ED 1

Scotland

Aberdeen NF 6

Glasgow BP 4

West Lothian NF 2

Wales

Bridgend NF 1

Swansea NF 1

Wrexham BNP 1

I will be updating this list throughout the day and then we will produce a list of all the wards far right candidates are contesting.

A surprise in Broxbourne

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Wednesday, 4 April 2012, 19:43

There are no right wing candidates standing in Broxbourne, which is a real surprise. This is probably the first time in 10 years that it has not been contested by a group to the right of the Conservative Party.

Also in the Eastern region, there are two BNP candidates and two English Democrats standing in Epping Forest. Pat Richardson will be defending her seat in Loughton Broadway, while Tom Richardson is standing in Loughton St Mary's. English Democrat leader Robin Tilbrook is contesting High Ongar, Willingale and the Rodings while former BNP national organiser Eddy Butler is standing in Loughton Fairmead.

7.35pm candidate update

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Wednesday, 4 April 2012, 18:11

So this is what we know now at 7.35pm:

BFP = British Freedom Party

BNP = British National Party

BPP = British Peoples Party

DN = Democratic Nationalists

ED = English Democrats

NF = National Front

East Midlands

Daventry ED 2

Eastern

Epping Forest BNP 2, ED 2

Maldon BNP 3

Rochford ED 4

Three Rivers ED 3

Thurrock NF 4, BNP 1

North East

Gateshead NF 1

Hartlepool BNP 1

Newcastle BNP 2

North Tyneside NF 1

South Tyneside BNP 8

Sunderland NF 1

North West

Bolton BNP 1

Blackburn BNP 2

Burnley BNP 6

Knowsley NF 1

Liverpool BFP 5, ED 5, BNP 2

Preston EFP 1

Salford BNP 8

Stockport BNP 7

Wigan BNP 5

Wirral BNP 1

West Midlands

Sandwell BNP 2

Wolverhampton BNP 3

Yorkshire

Barnsley BNP 4

Calderdale BPP 1

Doncaster ED 7, DN 1

Kirklees ED 1

Rotherham BNP 5

Sheffield ED 1

We will be updating this list again at 9pm tonight

And now for something hilarious!

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Wednesday, 4 April 2012, 17:40

The BNP is not standing a single candidate in Calderdale. But David Jones, of the British People's Party, is standing in Todmorden. Let us just hope he doesn't plan to go canvassing with his gun and swastika flag.

Former BNP councillor Tom Bates, who became an Independent, is defending his Illingworth and Mixendon ward as an Independent.

Candidates update

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Wednesday, 4 April 2012, 17:12

There BNP is standing seven candidates in Stockport, six in Burnley and three in Wolverhampton.

But they are standing no candidates in Bassetlaw, Stratford-upon-Avon and Basingstoke.

In Doncaster, where the BNP is standing no candidates, former BNP organiser David Owens is standing for the Democratic Nationalists.

At 6pm I shall try to do a complete list of where we are up to across the country.

Big fat Zero

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Wednesday, 4 April 2012, 16:45

This is turning out to be a grim day for the BNP and Nick Griffin's leadership. There are no BNP candidates in Doncaster, Sheffield, Three Rivers or North East Lincolnshire.

There is just one BNP candidate in Thurrock, another area where the BNP has stood a full slate in the past. By contrast, there are four National Front candidates. In Newcastle there are just two candidates.

In Three Rivers, where there are no BNP candidates, there are three English Democrats standing - all former BNP members.

One council which breaks the trend is South Tyneside, where there are eight BNP candidates.

BNP struggle for candidates

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Wednesday, 4 April 2012, 16:25

News is beginning to filter through of council candidates around the country. The key headline is that the BNP has struggled to find candidates and its numbers are way down almost everywhere in the country.

In Kirklees, once a BNP stronghold, there are none. In Sandwell, where the the BNP averaged 33% of the vote in the nine wards it contested in 2006, there are only two. In Barnsley there are just four BNP candidates.

The BNP has hardly found any candidates in the North East. There are no candidates in Gateshead and North Tyneside and only one in Sunderland, a council where for many years they stood full slates.

Liverpool is particularly interesting, with only two BNP candidates contesting wards but there are five British Freedom Party candidates standing. The Mayoral race in Liverpool should be a circus. In addition to a BNP, there will also be a candidate for UKIP, National Front and the English Democrats.

In fact the National Front are standing far more candidates than they have done in recent years.

The lack of candidates is a disaster for Nick Griffin and appears yet another nail in his political coffin. One of the few bright spots this year is Salford, where the BNP is standing eight candidates for the local council and a Mayoral candidate.

Unsurprisingly Salford is the only place Griffin seems to be mentioning on twitter.

The British National Party go into these elections in a demoralised mood. Their membership is haemorrhaging and they have large debts. But rather than sit back and watch their decline with amusement we must seize this opportunity to defeat them. In these elections we have the chance to wipe them out in virtually every council they still have representation. It is too good an opportunity to miss.

I'll be updating news about BNP candidates during the rest of the day but in the meantime please sign up for one of our Days of Action over the weekend of 14 and 15 April.

http://action.hopenothate.org.uk/page/event/search_simple

Let's deliver a message of HOPE

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Wednesday, 4 April 2012, 13:55

In exactly a month's time we will know the results of the local and London elections. We will know which party will be running our councils, who will be our local councillor and, in the case of London, who will be Mayor and who will be the 25 members of the London Assembly.

The question will also be whether the BNP will win any seats?

The British National Party go into these elections in a demoralised mood. Their membership is haemorrhaging and they have large debts. But rather than sit back and watch their decline with amusement we must seize this opportunity to defeat them. In these elections we have the chance to wipe them out in virtually every council they still have representation. It is too good an opportunity to miss.

In London our main danger is complacency.

Disillusionment with the main political parties, plus the unique nature of the voting system, are the real risks in this election, rather than any love of Nick Griffin or his party. The BNP need only 5% of the vote in the London elections to get a representative on the London Assembly. This would allow them to intervene at every level of London politics and give them a platform to spread their racist politics.

We have produced a fantastic tabloid newspaper which we believe will help warn voters of the dangers of the BNP.

The newspaper is packed with positive stories which show that people can work together.

The newspaper contains a great article by former footballer Robbie Savage. Discussing the Olympics, Euro 2012 and the outpouring of support for Fabrice Muamba, he concludes: "For racists, the Olympics must seem like a nightmare, all those athletes of different ethnic backgrounds united behind our flag. Because it's not their flag - it's ours."

We have lots of events across England over the weekend of 14 and 15 April. I hope you will consider joining us and stopping the BNP in the elections.

Click here to find an event near you.

From Fatwa to Jihad

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Tuesday, 3 April 2012, 16:29

I've just got a copy of Kenan Malik's book, From Fatwa to Jihad, which looks at the rise of radical Islam within the British Muslim community. The book focuses on the impact the Salman Rushdie affair had on the Muslim community and how multiculturalism contributed to the rise of religious fundamentalism in this country.

I'm sure it is going to be a provocative book but important none the less.

I'm particularly interested in the chapter, From street-fighters to book-burners, about the collapse of the Asian Youth Movement, which was such a secular, progressive force in the late 1970s.

It's three years old but I'm really looking forward to reading it and hopefully it will help me gather my thoughts about the balance between secularism and religious diversity.

The rush is on

posted by: Matthew Collins | on: Tuesday, 3 April 2012, 10:22

Clive Jefferson: The brains behind the BNP's dwindling electoral ambitions

Lots of Nazis will have been up early today rushing around to try and get their nominations in in time to stand in the May elections before the deadline tomorrow.

Traditionally, there is always one (or two) who lie and cheat on their nomination papers, using the names of others without their consent and forging signatures. And then there is of course, the ongoing allegations that they cheat on their election expenses..

For the BNP the major challenge will be how they spin the dramatic drop in candidates they are putting up. In Yorkshire it seems likely that the rival English Democrats could have as many as double the number of candidates. Many will be former BNP members.

You can keep the pressure on them all by checking every nomination and keep us up to date with what is going on in your area, then join us for our national days of action, delivering Hope not Hate.

NUT calls on its members to support the HnH Days of Action

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Monday, 2 April 2012, 23:15

The HOPE not hate team has been busy working towards our weekend of action on 14/15 April. So far we have 25 events organised, with some more being added tomorrow.

Reports are starting to come in of far right candidates, with the National Front (NF) seemingly standing in more places than they have done for many years. As the number of NF, British National Party and British Freedom Party candidates become known I'm sure more people will want to organise something locally.

In addition to putting the final touches to our campaign newspapers I have been working on a video we are producing for the National Union of Teachers. They have kindly agreed to sponsor our newspapers again this year and they are encouraging their members to get involved in our Days of Action. We interviewed Christine Blower, the NUT General Secretary, and she spoke highly of our campaign.

She spoke at length about our 2010 campaign in Barking & Dagenham and the impact it had on NUT members. "I must say, in terms of that election, it was the highlight for lots of NUT members and they still talk about it. People had a sense that they were part of a major campaign to oppose racism and fascism and it was of course successful.

"The National Union of Teachers stands for HOPE not hate," she added. "It stands for working together and not setting some people apart."

You can find our campaign events here:

http://action.hopenothate.org.uk/page/event/search_simple

Yet another racist on Twitter

posted by: Simon Cressy | on: Monday, 2 April 2012, 22:10

You'd think these idiots would learn their lesson fairly quickly wouldn't you.

Yesterday's Twitter racist that we reported on here is already being investigated by the police, I've no doubt this one will interest them as well.

London or bust for the BNP?

posted by: Matthew Collins | on: Monday, 2 April 2012, 15:46

Clive Jefferson: Man about town ?

Despite the £500,000 the BNP had to admit receiving yesterday, there seems to be no let up in the internal bickering in the party.

Yesterday I wrote how Mark Walker, the disgraced former schoolteacher, had been removed from his post within the party. Our phone has not stopped ringing since..

Walker would appear to have been the meat in the sandwich between Clive “Rodney” Jefferson, the fast rising star of the BNP incompetence and elections department, and Patrick Harrington who is the non-party member who represents the BNP (poorly) in numerous tribunal appearances and heads up the scab faux Trade Union Solidarity.

Patrick has now jumped on his legendary (white no doubt) steed to come to the defence of his chum Mark and has now begun an internal appeal against Mark’s dismissal. We’re pretty certain this has all the hallmarks of another great BNP internal dustup at a time when they could well do without it. It’s a shame that renowned gambler Martin Wingfield no longer works from the offices of the BNP because of a rift with Jefferson, because I’m sure he’d be taking bets on it too.

Internal arguments do tend to surface in the BNP at election times, who can forget that in 2010 the BNP’s webmaster Simon Bennett pulled the plug on the party’s website on election eve? You can read more here.

Few in the BNP seem surprised or particularly distressed by Walker’s dismissal, more are interested in the news that Clive Jefferson is allegedly the sole executor of £500,000 left to the party. As well as trying to crush all dissent and opposition to his role as party treasurer and elections officer, Jefferson has been hitting branches hard to cough up for the BNP’s London campaign, leaving many organisers exasperated at just how much money party centre has been sucking out of the regions, leaving virtually nothing for anyone else.

Last night the BNP emailed people telling them that yes it was true, the party has been left £500,000 and apparently, they’re going to spend it on a newspaper for the London elections. Cue more angst from the rest of the party. Clive Jefferson it appears has set himself the target of winning back the seat the party lost on the GLA when Richard Barnbrook got up and staggered out of the BNP last year forcing his expulsion from the party later.You can read about Barnbrook here

Jefferson will be desperate to win this one. If he doesn’t Harrington, Walker, Wingfield and more than a few others will be ready to pounce on Rodney's back.

Patrick Harrington

Pie wars

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Monday, 2 April 2012, 08:50

Dave Myers and fellow chef Andrew Nutter at the HOPE not hate food festival in Manchester

I see David Cameron has got himself burnt over the new pastry tax...

My advice to him would have been steer well clear of anything pastry. I remember when I remarked that the pies at Rotherham Football Club were among the best I had tasted I was inundated with complaints, particularly from people in the North West.

When our HOPE not hate bus arrived in Wigan a couple of days later I was presented with a tray of their local pies. While myself and the rest of the HnH bus crew happily tucked in I still felt the Rotherham pie was better - though I accept I ate it on a freezing day so the heat alone was most welcome.

A couple of days later we hosted a food festival in Manchester's Albert Square. Top chef Dave Myers, one of the hairy bikers, decided to drive up from London to join us. And he knows a thing or two about pies, but of course I would like to think that our food festival, with several types of local pies, was the inspiration for his book, Perfect Pies.

I fear it wasn't but one can only dream.

You asked for proof !

posted by: Simon Cressy | on: Sunday, 1 April 2012, 22:18

Dale Oakley's Facebook Page

Following Tommy Robinson aka Stephen Yaxley Lennon's rather embarrassing appearance on the BBC's "The Big Questions" this morning, one of the guests accused the EDL of being a violent organisation and brought up the recent court case, where Hope not Hate revealed that the four youths guilty of a violent attack on four Asian teenagers were in fact EDL members.

You can read our coverage here.

The four thugs were all jailed after they attacked the two Asians in Dewsbury. One of the attackers, Melvin Watts slashed one of the victims face with a knife.

We also wrote how one of the attackers, Dale Oakley comes from a background of Neo Nazism, with both of his parents being sent to prison in the past for stirring up racial hatred on a far right website.

Lennon demanded proof that Oakley and his violent mates were EDL supporters,Well we are always happy to oblige Tommy, so here you go.

Enjoy.

A long way to go until we kick it out

posted by: Matthew Collins | on: Sunday, 1 April 2012, 21:05

Sad: another football "fan" idiot

However, this is one Liverpool "supporter" we could do with keeping away from our beautiful game.

Curry goat anyone?

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Sunday, 1 April 2012, 20:51

I've just been browsing through the Guardian in a bid to find inspiration for an article I'm struggling with and came across a report of Newcastle's two-nil victory over Liverpool today.

Anyway, I was fascinated the read the final paragraph of the match report: "Pardew attributed Cissé's excellent performance to diet. The striker's two goals here took his Premier League total to seven since his debut in February – two more than Carroll has managed in the league in 14 months at Liverpool. "We had Africa day at the training ground on Friday," Pardew said. "We made him feel at home by having curried goat for lunch. It was lovely."

Not sure how many other teams serve up curry goat to their players but it certainly seems to have worked here!

Another Facebook landmark passed

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Sunday, 1 April 2012, 19:52

This afternoon the number of supporters we have on Facebook has just passed 52,000. We have added almost 1,200 in the past week alone.

I think this is a reflection of the imaginative way our Facebook site is run and the continually updating content. A particular favourite of our Facebook supporters is our 'Goodnight song', which is sometimes looked at and listened to by thousands every night.

Over 36,000 people visit our facebook site every week, over 2,000 are 'talking about us' and 54% of our supporters are women. The largest age group are 25-44.

It rounds off a busy week for the HOPE not hate campaign. Over 1,300 people have sent in photographs for the Our Britain, Not Theirs campaign and over £2,600 has been received for our appeal to buy billboard space for the forthcoming elections.

The finishing touches are being put to our campaign newspapers, which will be delivered over our weekend of action on 14/15 April. So far we have 25 events planned for that weekend, with more likely to be announced this week.

While I think we should be pleased with our supporter base on Facebook there is a lot more to do. If you add together all the Facebook friends of our 52,000 supporters there are over 13 million people. Spreading the word amongst these people should be our goal!

If you are not already a HOPE not hate facebook friend can you join up here: http://www.facebook.com/hope.n.hate

BNP’s eye on the cash but not on the ball?

posted by: Matthew Collins | on: Sunday, 1 April 2012, 18:14

Clive "Rodney" Jefferson strikes again !

It’s been a busy week for Nick Griffin. He was up and down the country trying to raise money for the BNP’s London election campaign. In the middle of it, the BNP managed to tell another one of their massive whoppers when they claimed that they were on 7% in the polls. It’s an old trick obviously, trying to get the members feeling confident whilst their pockets are picked.

One person who probably will not be putting his hand in his pocket is Mark Walker. Not only has he been banned from classrooms up and down the country, it would appear he has also lost his job with the BNP. Apparently he preferred the animals in his wife’s pet shop to the animals he had to work with and was “let go” once the party apparently discovered what he’d been up to.

Even with one Walker gone, the party still shows no signs of improving administratively. Nominations for the May elections close next Wednesday and it was only yesterday that the party remembered to appeal to its members to stand. Well done Clive “Rodney” Jefferson the party’s elections officer. Getting rid of Mark Walker has done wonders for the party’s efficiency..

Perhaps Clive’s eye was off the ball due to a large amount of money that sadly appears to be worming its way to the BNP. A recent death in North East London appears to put the “Treasurer of the BNP” as the sole executor of an estate that includes a three bedroom house. It’s believed as much as £500,000 could be winging its way to the party.

I’m sure the BNP were going to announce this large bequest as soon as possible and not allow it to disappear as some internal detractors seem to be suggesting.

Mark Walker Oh dear, how sad, never mind.

Robbie Savage speaks up for HOPE not hate

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Sunday, 1 April 2012, 12:06

I'm currently putting the finishing touches to this year's campaign newspapers. Once again several Daily Mirror writers are helping out. One of them is former footballer-turned pundit (and dancer) Robbie Savage. He has written an article for the newspaper which includes this great line:

"For racists, the Olympics must seem like a nightmare, all those athletes of different ethnic backgrounds united behind our flag. Because it's not their flag - it's ours."

I will be revealing more from our newspapers over the next few days and I'll also be telling people how they can get involved in distributing them.

An air of desperation?

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Sunday, 1 April 2012, 10:35

We know that the BNP is in dire trouble but yesterday it posted an appeal on its website for candidates to come forward for the forthcoming local elections in what is obviously a sign of desperation. With just five days to go until all council nominations have to be in, the BNP is only now asking its members to stand and it is clearly a result that so far very few have put their hat into the ring.

In fact, there will be several councils in the country where the BNP normally stand more than ten candidates but where this year they will stand none.

The question is whether the English Democrats, where many BNP activists have fled, stand more.

Nominations close on Thursday 4 April but most councils will not be releasing the full list of candidates until Tuesday 10 April. As soon as we hear about who is standing where we shall let you know.

An event near you

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Sunday, 1 April 2012, 07:47

As we enter April our attention turns firmly to the forthcoming local and London elections. While the British National Party is not the threat it once was this year there is an opportunity to wipe out their representation on several countries around the country - including Burnley, Rotherham and Amber Valley. They are also defending a number of other council seats where their councillors either defected to a rival far right party, became independents or simply dropped out altogether.

In fact, if we play our cards right this year we could leave the BNP with just two borough councillors and one county councillor. This will be an amazing achievement given where the BNP was after it won two MEPs in 2009.

I think the BNP is really going to struggle to get anywhere near the number of candidates it contested in previous years. In fact, in some parts of the country - particularly Yorkshire, Essex and Hertfordshire - we will probably see the English Democrats contest more council wards.

The main battle is going to be in London, where the BNP need just 5% to get someone elected onto the London Assembly. While London BNP is in utter disarray, they party still has the brand name and most voters will be blissfully unaware of the shambles it is in.

The HOPE not hate is holding a national weekend of action on 14/15 April. So far we have 25 events planned around the country, with the majority being in London. In each of our key areas we have produced a HOPE not hate tabloid newspaper.

You can find your nearest event here:

http://action.hopenothate.org.uk/page/event/search_simple

If there is no event near you but you are keen to organise an event, you can do so here:

http://action.hopenothate.org.uk/page/event/create

We have produced a general anti-BNP, which can be ordered from us, and we are currently putting together a leaflet against the English Democrats and the British Freedom Party. These will be available soon.

Finally, we are hoping to buy six billboards for the final fortnight of the elections and have two mobile advans on the road. Our positive message to get out and vote will be seen by hundreds of thousands in our key areas. This advertising campaign will cost us £4,000. So far we have £2,480, so please do help us raise the rest:

http://action.hopenothate.org.uk/put-up-the-poster