The rise of the BNP in Scotland: We want blood on streets

By Allan Caldwell | Monday, 5 July 2004 | Click here for original article

Chilling message of Scots neo-Nazis

HARDLINE BNP members are preparing for racial violence in Scotland, the Record can reveal.

A leading member bragged the party in Scotland were a 'revolution ready to happen'.

And he welcomed the prospect of bloodshed on the streets.

The views of Scottish vice-chairman Scott McLean disclosed to an undercover Record reporter fly in the face of BNP propaganda that the party have rid themselves of extremist thugs.

They claim to be standing on policies and campaigns free of racism. But a special investigation by the Daily Record reveals a different story.

I infiltrated the party's only organised branch in Scotland and, for more than two months, mixed with activists who hold extreme views and are prepared to put them into practice.

I was recruited by McLean,who stood as a candidate for the recent Euro elections.

He summoned me to a secret meeting with his lieutenant, Walter 'Hammy' Hamilton, a former carpet layer who now boasts of being a rich property developer.

Asylum At the meeting to vet me as a new member McLean boasted: 'We are more than a party we are a revolution ready to happen.'

He said violent action against Asians in English cities would soon spread to Scotland adding: 'Hopefully that will be the case. We'll be ready.'

McLean handed me a BNP Euro campaign leaflet printed and published by the party's branch in Glasgow which focused on asylum issues stating: 'Scotland has had enough.'

Warning that more immigrants are on the way as England 'is full up', they say 'Scotland can't take any more'.

The party were forced to drop references to the death of Glasgow teenager Kriss Donald from their first TV political broadcast for the Euro elections.

But McLean and his small band of hardliners plan to stir up racial tensions by distributing leaflets in Glasgow's Sighthill area home to many asylum seekers.

They also plan to spread their twisted message through the predominately Asian community in Pollokshields, where Kriss Donald was attacked.

McLean said: 'These Asians with attitude, and just about every other immigrant, have more rights than wedo.

'We blame the state and we want our rights and our country back. They're literally getting away with murder. Things are going to change. If we have to meet them head-on, we will.'

McLean and his sidekick claimed Kriss's death led to more than 80 new members signing up.

Hamilton said: 'Our membership is up 70 per cent in the past year and growing. We are meeting more new people in pubs and homes throughout the country.

'They want to join us to secure our race and build a future for white children.'

McLean added: 'We are the minority and we have to fight back. But we can't with violence now, we can't beat them that way. They are too well organised and there are too many of them. We have to use underhand methods and upfront politics just now to tackle them. They are known as 'Asians with attitude' and it's getting violent down south.

'It will happen here soon. Hopefully that will be the case.We'll be ready.

'We watch for those we think are dodging tax or VAT and report them. The same goes for any other crime we can pin on them.

Pressure 'Even paedophiles have more rights than BNP members. Like Asians and other ethnic groups they are allowed meetings in council halls.We're not allowed to book rooms.

'Blacks, gays and lesbians can get a meeting room once a month.

'That's 12 meetings a year. Try asking for 12 whites-only lunch meetings.'

McLean, 33, is a former Glasgow City Council joiner who quit under pressure after his views were revealed. He told me his hatred of Asians came when he was beaten up by a group of them at school.

He became involved in gang fights between whites and Asians while attending Bellahouston Academy and joined the BNP aged 18. He has mixed with BNP extremists and others throughout Europe, including members of the notorious Combat 18 Nazi gang.

Hamilton claims to be a former member of the Parachute Regiment and a teacher of Thai kick-boxing.

The 5ft 5ins Glaswegian drives a top-ofthe-range, 7-series, silver BMW which is less than a year old and cost £55,000.

Hamilton also claims to mix in football circles and know several SPL club bosses. He mentioned people at Partick Thistle and Livingston. No one we spoke to at the clubs recalled him.

He does, however, have connections with Glasgow gangster Frankie 'Donuts' Donaldson.

Hamilton organises the members, arranging for activists to meet early on some Saturday mornings for the door-to door distribution of BNP leaflets.

He seldom gives more than 36 hours notice for the hardcore group to assemble.

I met up with 12 of them outside a pub in Paisley Road West in the south side of Glasgow on one Saturday morning at 8am for a leaflet drop nearby.

The odd assortment came from various parts of the city and one had travelled by bus from East Kilbride.

We were all known only by our first names. One of the pack, a jumpy character who admitted to having spent time in jail and giving up drink because it made him violent, lived in Sighthill.

Another new start was a 17-year-old schoolboy. A couple were unemployed, some were semi-skilled workers and two were involved in their own businesses.

Hamilton and McLean turned up together and the operation swung into action.

First came the briefing. Always work in pairs; if in flats always start from the top and work down in case someone gets upset with the leaflet and confronts you.

They also urged activists to look out for each other in case of violence; not to wander from the given area without being ordered to and to avoid putting leaflets into obvious Asian or black homes.

The latter instruction was often ignored by several of the activists.

We were then split into units. McLean joined us while Hamilton drove around 'surveying' the area for any trouble spots.

He stayed in touch with McLean by mobile phone and directed the operation. After nearly three hours more than 4000 leaflets had been delivered.

One of the activists, the extremist from Sighthill, shoved flyers through letterboxes with Asian names on them.

He said: 'I'm doing it. Why shouldn't we? F*** the b******s. If they want an argument with me I'll give the mone.'

The debriefing venue was a MacDonald's in Tradeston where Hamilton and McLean treated the activists to burgers and milkshakes while they discussed their extreme and racist views.

Hamilton reminded some that another leaflet drop would happen soon in Sighthill, but added that they would target 'whites only'. He also revealed that the BNP would target Pollokshields to 'get our message across'.

McLean caused uproar shortly after the Kriss Donald death by inviting party chairman Nick Griffin to Glasgow with a view to visiting Pollokshields. The meeting took place in secret outwith the community.

Hamilton admitted it would be illegal to leaflet the area, saying that one BNP member was jailed for three months for trying but he added: 'We will do it.'

Hatred Mohammed Naveen Asif, spokesman for asylum seekers and refugees in Glasgow, condemned the BNP's actions.

He said: 'Their only aim is to provoke hatred among communities and instigate violence against asylum seekers and refugees.'

Strathclyde Police are aware of the potential for violence.

One officer said: 'We will act if we believe there is a threat of anyone inciting racial hatred or causing public disorder.'

l Strathclyde Police are probing claims BNP Euro election leaflets delivered by the Royal Mail are racist.

They have had a number of complaints that the literature is insulting and abusive'.

A police spokesman said: 'We are currently awaiting instruction from the fiscal regarding allegations relating to these leaflets.'

The BNP denied that the leaflets broke the law.

Scottish spokesman Kenny Smith said: 'The party have had all leaflets checked by a legal team. We do not believe they're racist or inflammatory.'