Horror at youth leader's website

| Wednesday, 16 May 2007 Source: The Bath Chronicle

Videos apparently inciting anti-Semitism were posted on the internet by a youth leader who was last year commended for his work with teenagers.

The films entitled Raceland and What Is White Nationalism? were added to the Bebo site, which is used by millions of teenagers, by air cadet unit leader Mike Howson.

Mr Howson, who leads a unit at Rudloe, is also the British National Party regional organiser for the mid-west, and two months ago launched a community patrol in Corsham to provide what he described as a "calming influence on local yobs".

One of the films added by Mr Howson included text promoting white nationals as "ordinary white people who want to protect themselves from being mugged by multi-culturalism and raped by multi-racialism".

Another depicted a police officer being attacked on a public highway, images of the Israeli flag pierced by a dagger, American president George Bush taking a bite out of the neck of the Statue of Liberty and messages saying "wake up, white people".

The majority of Mr Howson's friends listed on his Bebo page are between the ages of 16 and 20 and are also listed on the Bebo page for the Rudloe Air Training Corps.

The National Union of Teachers' area secretary for Bath, Rob Henderson, said he thought the idea of a youth leader placing videos of this kind on the internet was appalling.

Mr Henderson said: "I am horrified that a person with those views could have an influence on youngsters."

Mr Howson had stood as a candidate in the North Wiltshire Council elections on May 3 but was well beaten in the Pickwick ward by Tory Elaine Marston and Labour's Christine Reid. Less than an hour after the Chronicle had spoken to a BNP colleague, the videos were removed from Mr Howson's personal Bebo site but remained accessible through a Bebo TV channel to which the films had also been added for viewing.

Mr Howson said his Bebo site was an information portal and if internet users did not like the content they did not have to watch it.

He said: "If there is something on there that you disagree with, tell me and I will remove it.

"There are a lot of things in this world that are offensive and it is people's choice to watch them or not.

"My Bebo site is a private site and people on that site are friends and it is their choice to be so. My political views have never been a part of the Air Training Corps and never will be."

Mr Howson's site is also linked to information about a group known as Unite Against Anti-White Racism which supports the re-introduction of corporal punishment for petty criminals and vandals and claims native British people will be an ethnic minority within 60 years.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said it was looking at the issue.

He said: "The core values of the air cadet organisation - respect, integrity, service and excellence - are of paramount importance. Our duty of care to all young people engaged in air cadet activities is of utmost importance.

"Should any evidence exist which would bring into doubt the welfare and protection of cadets and staff at a squadron, as a consequence of an individual's political activities, an investigation would be initiated."

This week BNP member Michael Simpkins took his party's first seat in the south west in the Corsham Town Council ward of Rudloe.

Protests greeted him as he entered his first town council meeting on Monday and he was flanked by four BNP security men.

Mr Simpkins said he was not interested in what he called cyberpolitics and said nobody had been forced to access Mr Howson's site.

He said: "I know Mike Howson is a very well-respected youth leader and he keeps his political life and his youth work completely separate."

Corsham Town Council chairman Allan Bosley said although the BNP now held the Rudloe seat, party politics had no place on the town council.

"Michael Simpkins is on the town council quite legitimately and he got his position within the terms of the democratic process."