Fighting for Queen and Lennon

posted by: Matthew Collins | on: Thursday, 31 May 2012, 14:03

Steve Hewitt

Much has been written already about the dubious political aspirations of the EDL and in particular their leader, Stephen Lennon.

One is most grateful that Stephen has not turned his attention to joining the fire brigade, what with his stated propensity for fighting fire with fire.

Elsewhere in Stephen’s patriotic mob and monoculture, people who want a more fair and just society are deemed to be worthless radicals who can only be silenced by violence and victimisation, and people who groom or and rape young women are entirely evil, unless of course, they are EDL members and supporters.

Part of the EDL’s ongoing moaning and whining is of course, that they are denied free speech. I dunno, what came first? The silencing of these poor white lambs, or their attempts to violently assault those they do not agree with?

This weekend in Newcastle a bunch of good hearted people are getting together to celebrate the Jubilee. It’s light hearted, they’ve called it “Stuff the Jubilee” as like me, and a few others I’m sure, they think there are probably more important reasons to clean streets, talk to one’s neighbour, break bread and show a moment of tolerance and respect.

It’s a democracy still, you see. And perhaps we can thank the Queen for that, if that’s your way of seeing things. But it is also a little bit of a protest. Unlike the EDL’s protests, no-one (not even the Queen) is being maligned, threatened, assaulted, urinated on, battered, persecuted or accused of being a paedophile. It is in fact, a perfectly British way to spend the day, in polite and congenial surroundings. They may even have cakes, a few biscuits and some friendly chatter.

Unsurprisingly, the EDL are bitterly opposed to this get together. Not that they are decking the bunting outside their own homes or sweeping the broken glass, mattresses and empty cans of foreign lager away from their front doors and front gardens to honour her Majesty in their own way you understand. No, they’re doing it the EDL way. To honour Her Majesty, the EDL up in Newcastle are going to attack these people with violence. “God save the Queen” they declare.

Bizarrely, given that most of them have served time at Her Majesty’s pleasure, they probably think they’re repaying her some kind of favour!

The EDL and the BFP? They really just are not British.

Paul McKenzie with Tommy Robinson

This could be yours!

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Thursday, 31 May 2012, 07:32

We are offering our supporters the chance to win a fortnight at a private beachfront villa in one of the most unspoilt natural islands in the Grenadines - and in the process help HOPE not hate.

Since we launched the raffle yesterday, over 150 tickets have been sold.

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. In the grounds there are banana, mango, pineapple and coconut trees.

This once in a life time holiday provides a private tropical paradise, terraced gardens, a private sun garden and direct access to the Caribbean Sea, as well as a team of staff based at the villa who will make this a perfect and unique getaway.

A ticket for our raffle costs just £20 and the draw will be made on Friday 8 June.

Snap up a ticket
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Facing the new threat

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Thursday, 31 May 2012, 07:22

A woman emailed me a couple of days ago and asked why we had not published the results of our survey into dealing with the news that Stephen Lennnon had become joint vice-chairman of the British Freedom Party.

Well, in fact we had published it. Not on the website but it the latest issue of the HOPE not hate magazine. I'm re-producing it here (though it sat alongside an analysis of the BFP), so to read the full feature I would suggest that people subscribe to our magazine.

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

So here is the article about our survey. Thanks to the 1,138 people who took part:

Facing the new threat

In response to the news that Stephen Yaxley-Lennon (aka Tommy Robinson) was to become deputy leader of the British Freedom Party (BFP), HOPE not hate asked its supporters how it should respond. A total of 1,138 people did just that.

Almost everyone believed that we should take on the BFP, with over 85% believing that this new party could potentially pose an equal or even greater threat than the British National Party (BNP).

Our supporters were fairly evenly split about which was the best strategy to defeating the BFP. 82% of respondents believed that we needed to focus on the violent extremism of the EDL supporters within the BFP and the threats they posed to community cohesion. This chimed with our own Fear and HOPE report, published last year, which found that the British public were overwhelmingly put off by violent extremism, including those who sympathise with anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim rhetoric.

However, there was also an appetite for a broader approach to tackling the BFP/EDL alliance. Many people also believed it was important to challenge the myths and lies around immigration and Islam as well as positively highlighting role models and the mainstream moderate voices within the Muslim community.

Both approaches are clearly necessary. We need to expose the violent extremism of the EDL within the BFP but we must also challenge myths and help give moderate Muslims a greater voice.

Almost everyone, however, believed that it was important for us to speak out against Islamist extremists. Only 4% believed that we should not.

This opinion was in line with two previous survey’s we have conducted over the past 18 months. Over the next few months we will be developing a much bigger and vocal campaign against Islamist extremists. This will seek to develop partnerships with mainstream Muslim voices and organisations and work with them to clearly define where the ‘red lines’ of acceptable and unacceptable views are.

Some of those who believed we should not tackle Islamist extremism were worried that we would be playing into the hands of Islamophobes. While we have to be careful in the use of language and clearly differentiate ourselves from those who use anti-Islamist rhetoric to spread wider anti-Muslim views it is also clear that staying silent on clearly unacceptable intolerance and extremism is even more dangerous.

We also asked if people agreed with our current position of not promoting anti-EDL demonstrations. While 82% agreed with our alternative approach of developing more positive community approaches, some were slightly confused with the question.

Over the coming months we will be developing a new range of material to counter the BFP and EDL, both in elections and more generally in the community. This will be backed up by an updated community toolkit which will help develop more positive community approaches to EDL activity and marches. This will accommodate many of the views and opinions sent in by our supporters.

The true cost of racism

posted by: Matthew Collins | on: Wednesday, 30 May 2012, 22:12

Marsden: A sad shaggy dog tale

A few weeks ago I found myself indoors on a Saturday night watching the final of "Britain's Got Talent".

I guess that having just turned forty, Saturday nights indoors watching endless hours of nonsense is something I shall just have to get used to. I found myself even turning to twitter to express my surprise that not only was I indoors on a Saturday night, but that it would seem apparent that the most "talented" person in Britain according to the viewing/voting public (of "Britain's got Talent"), was in fact a dog called Pudsey trained by a 17 year old girl from Northampton.

How was the dog going to record an album of cover versions, I wondered. Would it end up doing a version of "Sheep" by the Housemartins, too?

Now here comes the shaggy dog story, as it were. Meet Gary Marsden. He's never been on "Britain's Got Talent". It's almost three years since he got the sack from his job with West Yorkshire Police over his links to the BNP. In fact, he was arrested before he was sacked after a two-year investigation by West Yorkshire Police. In a statement issued at the time, the police said that Marsden was dismissed for the "excessive amount of working time he used to compile music CDs and DVDs and for his association with and contribution to BNP funds which is incompatible with values of West Yorkshire Police."

In 2010, Marsden, who was still unemployed, lost his claim for unfair dismissal. He claimed it was a "sad day for freedom of speech, artictic expression, liberty, democracy and human rights. It is a good day for political correctness."

Many of us thought it was actually a good day for good taste and common sense, and further evidence that the BNP's legal team is little more than a ruse to try and get members to cough up cash on get rich quick schemes to sue their employers.

Marsden you see, is better known as "Anglo Saxon", a rather dire one- man and a guitar- and drum machine, Karaoke act who has been banging out cover versions of "cult" punk classics to both the BNP and now the EDL for a good five years.

He even sings the Angelic Upstarts classic "England", without actually understanding the lyrical content of the cult lefty classic.

Those of us who attend the odd (yes, very odd ) EDL demonstrations often have to cover our ears when Marsden warms up the crowd with his "songs".

Sadly for Marsden, the EDL is not paying him for his efforts. Marsden has now resorted to begging EDL members and supporters to buy his wares so that he can get "pissed". He's not even going to go up to the attic and write a classic. For Marsden, there is no crossing his bridge over troubled water. The mighty has fallen. The king, as it were, is dead skint.

So let that be a listen to Pudsey the pooch. If you lay down with dogs, you'll get fleas. I doubt he will, though. Because it seems that unlike Marsden, Pudsey's got talent.

Marsden: Money's too tight to mention

Sad: Desperate for cash

Marsden: Johnny Cashless.

Griffinochio

posted by: Simon Cressy | on: Wednesday, 30 May 2012, 21:16

Hands up who uses Twitter?

For those that don't know, Twitter is the hugely popular social network where you can communicate with the world using no more than 140 characters.

That doesn't sound a great deal, and it can be a challenge trying to get across your message without running out of space.

One fan of Twitter is the BNP chairman Nick Griffin.

Griffin has huge problems using Twitter. He also has huge problems telling the truth. The two combined regularly catch him out.

Just today, Griffin posted the following message on his Twitter account: "Romanian at Tesco suppliers Vion Broxbourne plant in hospital with TB. All workers having jabs today."

Now I like to deal with facts so I thought I'd give Vion a ring and try to establish what was the truth.

I spoke to Robert Smith, Group Communications Controller for Vion UK and he confirmed that most of Griffin's message was incorrect.

So let's look at the facts:

Griffin claimed that the victim was a Romanian.He wasn't, he is actually Polish and has already returned to his native Poland.

Griffin claimed that the location of the plant was Broxbourne, which is in Hertfordshire. Wrong again, the plant is located in Broxburn, close to Edinburgh in Scotland.

Griffin claimed the Vion plant supplies Tesco. Whilst it is true that Vion supply meat products to most of the UK's supermarkets, the Broxburn plant does not deal with Tesco.

Griffin claimed that the victim is in hospital with TB. Vion confirmed that the Pole was thought to be suffering from TB and it was believed he was in hospital in Poland, only discovering his illness on his return to Poland.

Griffin claimed that all Vion workers at the plant were to receive anti-TB jabs today. Vion's Robert Smith said this was "complete nonsense". Vion was closely working with the authorities to establish who had been in contact with the Pole. Once this was ascertained, screening would be offered to those potentially at risk. However, this was non compulsory.

Vion is a large employer with up to 14,000 staff in the UK. Robert Smith and Vion were understandably annoyed with Griffin's irresponsible posting and immediately wrote to Griffin, informing him of his numerous errors. Smith invited the North West MEP to contact Vion so that the correct version of events could be relayed to him.

It's unlikely that Griffin will take up their offer.

Win an exclusive holiday and help HOPE not hate in the process

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Wednesday, 30 May 2012, 17:53

HOPE not hate is giving its supporters the chance to win a holiday of a lifetime and in the process support the work of HOPE not hate.

We are offering a fortnight at a private beachfront villa in one of the most unspoilt natural islands in the Grenadines. 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. In the grounds there are banana, mango, pineapple and coconut trees.

This once in a life time holiday provides a private tropical paradise, terraced gardens, a private sun garden and direct access to the Caribbean Sea, as well as a team of staff based at the villa who will make this a perfect and unique getaway.

A ticket for our raffle costs just £20 and the draw will be made on Friday 8 June.

Snap up a ticket
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The winner of the raffle will be able to take up to eight friends with them. Or they might prefer to go alone or with just one other person. It is the ideal location for a family holiday of a lifetime or the most romantic getaway for a couple. It will be your choice.

Just as importantly, you will be helping the work of HOPE not hate and in particular its charitable wing. The money raised will enable us to continue to help bring communities together and go toward our Britain Tastes Great initiative, which seeks to use food to diversity of our society and as a way to bring people together.

See more photos of this amazing holiday villa
http://www.hopenothate.org.uk/competition/

The holiday draw will be made on Friday 8 June by one of our HOPE not hate patrons. Terms and conditions apply and are stated on the sign up page.

I hope you will enter the draw of a lifetime and in the process help us do our work

Guess who came to dinner?

posted by: Matthew Collins | on: Wednesday, 30 May 2012, 17:08

Khaw: All Brons needs now is the kiss of death?

Such a good job does Claire Khaw do at ruining the political careers of even the most ardent of those left in the tiny British Nazi scene, some people have written to us questioning whether she is somehow in our secret employment.

Not that we would ever comment on such things either way, but it does make one wonder whether it is worth starting an irregular column about the dining and social habits of the far-right?

Claire's appearance at a function in Newcastle last week so soon after the demise of her former best friend David "lonesome Nazi" Jones, has ruffled a few feathers.

Indeed, the Nick Griffin camp inside the BNP are absolutely delighted that Khaw chose to support Griffin's bitter rival, the MEP Andrew Brons, the man who came within a whisker of beating Griffin in last year's bitter leadership battle to become the leader of Britain's fastest shrinking political party.

Khaw attended and was (coincidentally) photographed next to the rather uncomfortable looking Brons at another of his ill attended "Unity" meetings. These "Unity" meetings are in reality a get together for those who can still be bothered with hating Nick Griffin instead of getting a real life. They were all there too; Holocaust deniers, perverts, race haters and violent thugs. In fact, it was pretty much an exact mirror of a "mainstream" BNP meeting.

Brons has been relatively quiet of late, fearing he is facing the same fate of the BNP's founder and former leader John Tyndall, who was feted in pretty much the same way by the same bunch of Jew hating cranks once he fell out of favour with Nick Griffin too. Even in death Tyndall cannot escape them.

So here he is, the man who could not save the BNP from Nasty Nick, sitting next to a woman who is basically the kiss of death to any Nazi she throws her weight behind. She wrote earlier today how she sometimes feels "like some Old Testament prophet." Nice job, Claire.

So, join us next week, when Claire dines with Tommy Robinson in Nando's...

Hooligan’s worthless Worthing secret revealed.

posted by: Matthew Collins | on: Wednesday, 30 May 2012, 11:48

Jeff Marsh

Despite rumours that he had fallen off his perch as it were ‘Casuals United’ supremo Jeff Marsh continues to think he is one step ahead of the game as he and his ilk plot to attack a UK Uncut event in Brighton this weekend.

However, we can reveal the plans by far-right thugs to attack progressives in Brighton on June 2nd.

The Cardiff City football hooligan has been playing a game of cat and mouse, even publishing false meet up details for his venture to the South Coast from where March For England and their fans in the EDL were chased away last month.

Unfortunately for Marsh, a fake account on various internet forums to garnish details about the UK Uncut event has provided him with only some very minor details and his main concern is that he and his “crew” could be outnumbered.

Not only does Marsh have absolutely no intention at all of meeting up at the Yates Wine Lodge in Brighton, he and his closest and moronic followers have booked themselves in for a long weekend in nearby (and cheaper) Worthing from the Friday night, which is where they are planning on actually staying and causing most of their misery and mayhem for the weekend. So far he and six others are booked into a hotel in the sleepy town. He’s been desperately ringing around to get others to join him.

Any actual soiree into nearby Brighton by Marsh and co will be decided by local hooligan “spotters” employed by Marsh to make sure that the numbers are in his favour should he actually decide to go ahead with the attack.

Marsh’s gang are planning to leave Worthing early on Saturday morning after a curry [I kid ye not] the night before, making their way to Brighton and to a different venue than advertised to meet up with their fellow gang members.

Another six fascist hooligans from Manchester will join Marsh and co in Brighton on Saturday morning and London and Essex EDL’s will bolster their numbers by travelling from London Bridge and Victoria train stations.

The south London EDL team, notorious for battering pensioners, will be discussing their battle plans in a meeting on Thursday night in the Charlie Chaplin pub at the Elephant and Castle after first redirecting their hooligans from nearby Borough Tube Station.

Marsh is even bragging this morning that he has pulled the wool over everyone's eyes. Well, not any longer.

FA tie up with Holocaust Educational Trust

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Tuesday, 29 May 2012, 12:23

I'm really pleased to see that the Football Association has decided to take the England team to Auschwitz on a trip organised by the Holocaust Educational Trust.

As the FA report, this is the start of what will be a lasting relationship.

Well done Karen and the rest of the HET team. They really are a fantastic organisation

http://www.thefa.com/England/News/2012/england-squad-auschwitz-visit.aspx

Lennon's only answer is violence

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Tuesday, 29 May 2012, 12:20

EDL leader Stephen Lennon has suggested a way to deal with the racists and antisemitics in Ukraine. Writing on twitter, he says: "Take the 3000 plus lads football bans of [sic] and let them go Ukraine and see what these nazi mugs have to say."

Hmmm, well that's ok then!

Never Again

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Monday, 28 May 2012, 22:48

Tonight I've obviously been very critical of the football authorities but I should make a positive mention about the Polish anti-racist organisation, Never Again.

With the support of Football Against Racism in Europe (FARE), they are doing some tremendous work trying to tackle racism and antisemitism in Polish football. Over the past six months they have trained 7,000 football stewards and spoken to thousands of young people.

While there is clearly a lot of work to do - as we saw so graphically tonight on Panorama - Never Again are doing a great job in sometimes very hostile conditions.

To read about the work of Never Again and for our report into racism and antisemitism in Polish football, read HOPE not hate

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

UEFA in la la land

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Monday, 28 May 2012, 22:18

A UEFA official has told the BBC tonight that they are now just crossing their fingers and hoping all will be ok in the Ukraine.

Not good enough I'm afraid. Tonight's Panorama was just simply shocking. Racism and antisemitism openly displayed in Polish and Ukrainian football.

This is a huge organisation who clearly hadn't thought about the consequences - or risks - of holding the tournament in the Ukraine. A poor transport system, lack of accommodation and a risk to foreign fans.

I just feel sorry for the many good people trying to do something about it in Poland and the Ukraine. There have been improvements in Poland over the past year but there is still a long way to go.

Get the HOPE not hate special report into racism and antisemitism in Poland and Ukraine:

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

Racism in Polish and Ukrainian football

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Monday, 28 May 2012, 21:37

Tonight Panorama produced a fantastic programme on the state of racism and antisemitism in Polish and Ukrainian football.

It was truly shocking.

HOPE not hate has produced a special report into the problems of racism and antisemitism in Polish and Ukrainian football. It contains an eyewitness account of trouble inside a Polish stadium and a full report into racist and antisemitic incidents in both countries in 2011.

You can get a copy here:

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

And here's the view from the press box!

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Monday, 28 May 2012, 21:29

Here is the bloke giving a nazi salute from the press box. No-one did a thing

Having given the salute the 'press' man sits down to watch the match

Panorama

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Monday, 28 May 2012, 21:03

So what did you think?

Stadiums of hate

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Monday, 28 May 2012, 20:28

BBC Panorama goes undercover in Poland and the Ukraine.

About to start now on BBC1

EDL Activist admits threatening to kill Asian family.

posted by: Simon Cressy | on: Monday, 28 May 2012, 15:21

Daniel Smith

An EDL activist has admitted threatening to kill his neighbours and forcing his way into their home in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire.

Daniel Smith, 39, was told that he should expect a long jail term when he returns to Leeds Crown Court for sentencing on June 22.

Smith has admitted 10 offences including burglary, common assault, affray, four counts of making threats to kill and two counts of possessing a knife linked to events that took place on August 26, 2011.

He denied aggravated burglary and possessing a screwdriver as an offensive weapon – charges which he had faced at an earlier trial where a jury could not reach a verdict.

A re-trial had been ordered and was expected to start at the court on Wednesday morning.

But when Smith entered guilty pleas to the majority of charges, the prosecution decided a second trial was not in the public interest.

Judge Guy Kearl QC told Smith: “This is going to result in a long sentence of imprisonment. I do, however, think it will be helpful to me if I can have the assistance and benefit of a pre-sentence report upon you.”

He said it would be in Smith’s interest to co-operate with the probation service while they prepared the report.

Smith was remanded into custody until his sentencing.

Smith on an EDL demo

PFA backs Sol Campbell

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Monday, 28 May 2012, 11:13

Sol Campbell has the support of the Professional Footballers' Association after warning of the danger of racist abuse and violence at Euro 2012.

The former England defender said that UEFA was wrong to choose Poland and Ukraine to host this summer's tournament as it put supporters in danger. The ex-Arsenal and Tottenham man told BBC Panorama: "Stay at home, watch it on TV. Don't even risk it... because you could end up coming back in a coffin."

PFA deputy chief executive Bobby Barnes, who will be at the tournament with UEFA, told BBC Radio Five Live: "I think he's being a little bit cautious but fans are obviously going to be at risk and it's a case of how the authorities actually impose the force that they are going to need to."

He added: "As Sol said, we've seen the footage and there have been problems, not just from these countries but around eastern Europe over a number of years now.

"It probably gives a little bit of concern over the fact they were actually awarded these particular games but they have been and indeed you look at Russia 2018 coming up, where there are known, documented problems there as well.

"What you hope is that the countries will take this opportunity, with the eyes of the world on them, to try and present a much better face and make sure that the things they're being criticised for, they do their damnedest to make sure they don't happen."

It is away from the stadiums - and so the TV cameras and armies of police - that I believe any real problems will emerge. I'm not trying to play down the impact of racist chanting inside the ground but I'm more concerned about Enlgish fans being attacked down side streets and in bars. I made this point to the Panorama team when they interviewed me in Poland last month.

I would, however, stress that there has been a lot of great work from groups such as Never Again in order to make the championships as peaceful and freindly as possible. Never Again, backed by FARE, have been doing some great work to rid the game of racism and this has led to an improvement inside grounds over the last few months.

You can find out what both organisations are doing here: www.nigdywiecej.org www.farenet.org

BBC Panorama investigates racism in Polish and Ukrainian football

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Monday, 28 May 2012, 08:05

Tonight's BBC Panorama reports on racism and antisemitism within Polish and Ukrainian football. With the European championships less than a fortnight away the BBC team investigates the level of violence and extremism within Polish and Ukrainian football, asks whether English fans will be safe and questions whether UEFA were right to award the tournament to these countries.

I've seen myself quoted in a couple of newspaper articles about the programme and apparently some of my words have been used on Radio Five this morning. Perhaps I'm even going to make an appearance in the programme, who knows.

What I do know is that many viewers will find some of the images quite disturbing, and I know from our own research into extremism into Polish football it remains a very real problem.

I would encourage everyone to watch the programme tonight and also to buy our latest issue of HOPE not hate, which includes a special eight-page report into racism and antisemitism in Polish and Ukrainian football.

You can get it here: http://www.hopenothate.org.uk/subscribe/

Right wing Polish fans taunt an Israeli team in an Europa Cup match last September

Horrific antisemitic banner displayed at Polish league game

Griffin's Faux Pas

posted by: Simon Cressy | on: Wednesday, 23 May 2012, 17:46

BNP leader Nick Griffin has just posted a rather interesting message on his Twitter account.

He has a lot of experience on this matter.

That would be convicted criminal and elected politician Nick Griffin.

London students compete on an international stage

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Wednesday, 23 May 2012, 13:53

HOPE not hate and Searchlight Educational Trust (SET) continue to work with communities across Barking & Dagenham. In 2009 and 2010 we ran the HOPE cup with local young people and this year we are supporting 2 schools from within the borough to participate in the Schools Linking Network, Model United Nations for London. Yesterday was the culmination of the project as 13 & 14 year olds from 5 schools across the capital came together at Waltham Forest Town Hall to debate the international refugee crisis.

It was a privilege to see such positive teamwork from the 19 international delegations, who were in character to represent countries as diverse as Australia and Yemen as they tried to work together to solve a bug international issue. The feedback from the young people was great and we hope that the schools will continue this great initiative.

A special thanks must go to the Dinam foundation who have supported SET's work in this area.

Exclusive!! EDL's paedophile pictured with Nazi paramilitaries

posted by: Matthew Collins | on: Tuesday, 22 May 2012, 23:22

Woodward (Left): Another Nazi Paedophile

After revealing over the weekend about another paedophile in the ranks of the English Defence League, our message box was predictably full of abuse, threats and denials from the EDL and their friends.

One EDL member even complained that we had no evidence that Matthew Woodward had been an EDL member. We were apparently, "deflecting" from other stories concerning the vile practice of grooming and raping young women.

As you will be aware, not only has the EDL been incredibly silent on the issue of another in a long list of child abusers in their ranks, Nick Griffin has desperately been trying to promote the EDL's rivals, the "Infidels", and of course, the loony brigade that go by the name "Combined ex-Forces".

Here is said paedophile Matthew Woodward in the uniform of the Combined ex-Forces, where until recently he was leader of their Deeside Division.

The CxF never said a word about his quiet departure. It's believed that Woodward was even to address one of their meetings about the dangers of paedophiles in society, 'Muslim' paedophiles of course!

Paedophilia is disgusting. So is trying to profit from the misery it causes. So is covering it up. The far-right in this country are experts at both.

Leading Infidel Arrested

posted by: Simon Cressy | on: Monday, 21 May 2012, 21:24

Shane Calvert

Leading member of the North West Infidels Shane "Diddyman" Calvert was arrested over the weekend Hope not Hate has learnt.

Calvert from Blackburn was charged with domestic related criminal damage at a house in the Hartlepool area.

It is thought the property belongs to that of Calvert's heavily pregnant ex girlfriend Sami Pearson, who is due to give birth to Calvert's baby in just over one month.

Calvert is very close to Infidel leader John "Snowy" Shaw but has grown ever more extreme over recent months, taking part in various activities with the National Front and the miniscule CxF.

Shane Calvert has been charged and bailed to appear in court on June 7th.

Breivik declared 'sane'

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Monday, 21 May 2012, 15:57

The Commission set up to look at the state of Anders Breivik's mind have accepted the second psychiatric report which declared the Norwegian killer as "of sound mind".

Why did the EDL not protest this paedophile case?

posted by: Matthew Collins | on: Sunday, 20 May 2012, 18:25

A member of the EDL was in court on Friday charged with possession of Level 1 images of children as young as ten years old, and a video recording of another child that was rated as Level 4.

Matthew Woodward had been living in Derby, but had also lived in Doncaster as well as Deeside.

You may not have heard about this case, as the EDL and the BNP decided not to protest against this man.

According to embarrassed EDL members who are desperately trying to keep this case quiet, Matthew Woodward was a well known member of the EDL and a regular at their demonstrations. He was a keen user of internet aliases to also attack Muslims and antifascists too.

He was given 120 hours community service and a five year residential order. Other information relating to this case we are unable to publish at the moment, but we shall be bringing you the story as soon as possible.

Anger: But almost complete silence

The Tea Party is back in the conversation

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Thursday, 17 May 2012, 20:09

The US elections are less than six months away and while much of the UK media reports are focused on the Presidential race, the other contests, for Congress, the Senate and local State races are often more interesting and fiercely contested. And it is here that the Tea Party have much more influence.

The recent victory of Indiana State Treasurer Richard Mourdock over six-term Senator Richard Lugar in the Indiana Republican primary resurrected the Tea Party movement as a potent force in much of the public discourse.

Here's a really interesting account of the Tea Party role in Mourdock's election victory by the Institute for Research & Education on Human Rights:

http://www.irehr.org/issue-areas/tea-party-nationalism/tea-party-news-and-analysis/item/412-the-tea-party-impact-in-indiana

While some commentators have claimed Mourdock's success was a victory for big money, the IREHR's analysis looks at the role played by the various Tea Parties, including "the Tea Parties' unanimous choice to support Mourdock; a decision by the Tea Party to begin campaigning more than twelve months before the election date; and the movement's choice of a ground game rather than an air war significantly impacted the low-turnout election.

"In short, a year of coordinated efforts between national and local Tea Party groups organizing around a set of Tea Party ideas led to a primary victory and put them back into the center of the national conversation," the IREHR conclude.

Walcott family refuse to travel to the Ukraine

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Thursday, 17 May 2012, 18:12

The family of England soccer international Theo Walcott has decided not to travel to Euro 2012 after voicing fears they may be targeted for racist abuse by hooligans in Ukraine.

Walcott's brother Ashley tweeted that he and his father Don would attended the England group matches in Kiev and Donetsk because of concerns for their safety.

"Unfortunately my dad and I have taken the decision not to travel to the Ukraine because of the fear of possible racist attacks confrontations (sic)..."

"Somethings aren't worth risking, but begs the question why hold a competition of this magnitude in a place that can not police itself for foreigners of any creed to feel safe, but I'll be watching every minute.

"Racism has no place in the modern world."

The latest HOPE not hate magazine carries an extensive report on racism and antisemitism in Ukraine and Poland. It catalogues all known incidents in both countries during 2011, making it the most extensive study to date.

You can obtain a copy here http://www.hopenothate.org.uk/gethope/

The English Defence League branch out into Holocaust Denial

posted by: Simon Cressy | on: Thursday, 17 May 2012, 16:18

This just taken from the Liverpool EDL Facebook page.

I Spy Joel Titus !

posted by: Simon Cressy | on: Thursday, 17 May 2012, 13:48

Joel Titus ( far right) in Brighton last month

I was just flicking through some photographs taken at the recent March for England St Georges Day march held last month in Brighton and a familiar face caught my eye.

In the photos was our old friend the very violent EDL youth leader Joel Titus.

Titus has actually been banned from attending any event of this kind after he received an Anti Social Behavioural Order at Uxbridge Magistrates Court in 2011.

He received the order following his involvement in a string of incidents between 2009 and 2010, which police say were overwhelmingly related to EDL protests.

The conditions of the order are that Titus is barred from entering or loitering outside mosques or Islamic prayer rooms, attending any EDL demonstration, or visiting an area of Whitechapel for three years.

He is not allowed to be part of a group of ten or more people, whose actions could cause alarm or distress, display a sign or placard, or use defamatory or insulting language which could cause alarm or distress.

Titus was also jailed for nine months last year for his part in a brawl involving up to 40 football hooligans outside Liverpool Street Station.

Brentford fan Joel Titus was part of a mob which fought with rivals from Leyton Orient. Bottles and other missiles were hurled and passers-by were lucky not to be injured, the Old Bailey was told.

I wonder what the police might say if they got to hear that Joel was in Brighton ?

Chicken Fight

posted by: Matthew Collins | on: Thursday, 17 May 2012, 00:25

Griffin: Loves to get it on around Halal food

I'm not sure what Nick Griffin's doing for lunch tomorrow, but it seems that EDL leader Stephen Lennon has decided he wants to fight the world (or as he eloquently puts it, those people "giving it" to him about his latest social networking mishap).

Lennon, who still persists in calling himself Tommy Robinson snapped late tonight-probably once he'd got home from the pub.

He's invited all of his (many) detractors to be at Nandos tomorrow at midday so he can no doubt have another one of his highly publicised public brawls.

I suggest he extends the invite to Griffin personally, having threatened to give the BNP leader a "slap" for "giving it" to him last month too.

It should be a great day. Nandos in Luton is a Halal restaurant, and we all know how much Nick Griffin likes a Halal meal too.

Robinson: Practice for Question Time?

Violent BNP Activist banned from Euro's

posted by: Simon Cressy | on: Wednesday, 16 May 2012, 16:54

Harwood with BNP Leader Nick Griffin

With the European Championships fast approaching, most football supporters can't wait until the tournament kicks off next month.

One person who isn't quite as enthusiastic is Hartlepool BNP activist Ashley Harwood.

Harwood, who is also an EDL supporter would quite like to travel to the continent to watch England take on the likes of France,Sweden and hosts Ukraine. Unfortunately he can't.

The reason he can't is that Harwood is a violent football hooligan who is currently on a 4 year banning order following violence which left a rival supporter fighting for his life, leaving him with injuries from which he may never recover.

A group of Hartlepool hooligans including Harwood attacked Sheffield Wednesday supporter Kevin Taylor in 2010 leaving him with multiple skull fractures and brain swelling.

Taylor had to be airlifted to hospital and was left in a coma for ten days needing round-the-clock care in a rehabilitation unit.

Harwood admitted affray for his part in the attack and received an 8 month suspended sentence along with a four year football banning order. His friend Paul Bennett, also from Hartlepool was jailed for three years for GBH,Affray and Unlawful Wounding.

Love is blind

posted by: Matthew Collins | on: Tuesday, 15 May 2012, 18:29

Love: ain't it tweet?

Is there hope for Stephen Lennon, leader of the mighty naughty, nutty, neo-Nazi EDL?

Well, it may be illegal because of her age, but that has never stopped EDL members before.

Perhaps with time, "Tommy" will see that love has no colour. I think I'll ask our Facebook guys to dedicate a song tonight to Stephen. Or alternatively, ring the police about him grooming a teenager.

The Red Orchestra

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Tuesday, 15 May 2012, 14:09

Hans Coppi Jr joined HOPE not hate campaigners at Liverpool Street station during Tube Tuesday Photo: Oliver Wolters

The heroic stories of the French Resistance during the Second World War have entered the public consciousness through well-known books and films. Yet the remarkable story of their counterparts in Nazi Germany, which operated directly under the watchful eye of the Third Reich’s secret police, the Gestapo, has not received the same recognition.

Following two evenings in the company of Hans Coppi Jr., a German historian and leading member of the VVN-BdA (Society of People Persecuted by the Nazi Regime -League of Anti-Fascists), it became clear how important it is to remember the German Resistance. His parents were part of the Red Orchestra and were killed on the orders of Adolf Hitler.

Read the latest HOPE not hate magazine for the amazing story of the Red Orchestra. http://www.hopenothate.org.uk/gethope/

The Beautiful game?

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Monday, 14 May 2012, 11:44

Next month Poland and the Ukraine co-host the 2012 European Championship finals. It is Europe's premier football competition and UEFA is hoping that it will act as a catalyst to develop football in Eastern Europe. In a exclusive report into racism and antisemitism in Polish and Ukrainian football, HOPE not hate asks if the competition will be overshadowed by racism or whether the tournament can be used by anti-racists to rid the game of this problem? This is explored in the new edition of HOPE not hate magazine.

Issue Two of HOPE not hate is now out.

HOPE not hate is the bi-monthly magazine of the HOPE not hate campaign. 48 pages in full colour, it investigates, reports and discusses the key issues facing anti-extremists both in the UK and beyond. This issue analyses the recent local election results, discusses the EDL leader's decision to join the British Freedom Party and investigates how junk science is used to justify homophobia in the United States.

Get your copy here http://www.hopenothate.org.uk/gethope/

Sara Khan, from Inspire, writes on the growing number of Muslim women willing to speak out against inequality and for womens rights. French political scientist Jean-Yves Camus analyses the French Presidential elections and the future for Marine Le Pen. And German historian Hans Coppi Jr tells the story of the Red Orchestra and how Hitler ordered the death of his parents.

HOPE not hate reports on hate but also promotes more positive stories about people bringing communities together. Get your copy here http://www.hopenothate.org.uk/gethope/

Over the last few months HOPE not hate has expanded its remit from beyond the far right to tackle elements of Islamist extremism, Christian evangelicals, the 'Counter-Jihadist' movement and, in the recent elections, more moderate nationalist groups like the English Democrats. In Drawing The Red Lines, we begin a discussion about where acceptable behaviour and legitimate criticism cross over into hatred and discrimination.

HOPE not hate has all this and a lot more. I hope you will get a copy, subscribe or even becoming a Friend of HOPE not hate. By doing the latter you will be helping us with our ongoing work.

British police fear Euro 2012 racism

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Thursday, 10 May 2012, 17:57

There is an interesting article in today's London Evening Standard about the fears of British police about the risk of racism in the Ukraine during Euro 2012.

Asst Ch Const Andy Holt told the Evening Standard, “If there is a substantial amount of racist abuse that could prompt retaliation. It may be a flashpoint for some sort of disorder if fans feel they are being unfairly treated.”

He added:”I think football hooliganism is more of a problem in the Ukraine than perhaps it is at home.”

“I don’t think they are as advanced in dealing with racism.”

Having just finished a report into racism and antisemitism in Polish and Ukrainian football for the next issue of the HOPE not hate magazine I can wholeheartedly agree with that view. There are certainly attempts to stop open nazi and antisemtic banners in Poland, and there is some great work being down by Never Again, our sister organisation out there, but the Ukraine is a real problem.

Not only is there quite open displays of racism, ultra-nationalism and antisemitism with football stadiums but the authorities are failing to recognise it is a problem.

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/london/police-warn-over-racist-ukrainian-thugs-at-euro-2012-championships-7733436.html

Pamela Gellar froths at the mouth

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Thursday, 10 May 2012, 14:38

US 'Counter-Jihadist' and Islamophobe Pamela Geller has jumped on the Rochdale grooming convictions as proof of the real danger of Islam. In a clearly bonkers blog, she has today written:

"Not a day goes by in the UK where islamization is much further along, that these monstrous news stories sexpolitation of non-Muslims by Islamic supremacists. The Brits have 20 years on us but Obama is working hard to catch up. Expect a lot more of these cases to start popping up in the US."

She asserts that grooming is the result of Sharia.

Oh, yes. Rochdale, the home of Sharia. You learn something everyday. That and Obama is involved in a plot to bring "sexpolitation of non-Muslims by Islamic suremacists."

Next she will be saying that Obama is a Muslim. Oh, I forgot, she does. She also says that he birth certificate is forged.

Here are some interesting links to Geller's views on Obama's background

http://www.sodahead.com/united-states/birther-wars-revenge-of-the-sith-pam-geller-obama-illegitimate-because-parents-had-sham-marriag/question-1771589/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIkePAGLUqg

http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Pamela_Geller

Vidal Sassoon dies

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Wednesday, 9 May 2012, 21:58

It is with great sadness that we heard the news this evening that Vidal Sassoon has died, at the age of 84. Sassoon is regarded as one of the best-known hairdressers of his generation.

He is credited with revolutionising haircuts in the 1960s, and developed a popular line of hair products under his name.

Vidal was obviously best known as celebrity hairdresser, but what is less known is his early life as an anti-fascist. At the age of 17 he became active with the 43 group, an anti-fascist group established by Jewish ex-servicemen at the end of World War II.

A few years ago HOPE not hate ran a fantastic article about Vidal Sassoon and his street fighting days, you can read it here.

What Channel Four did not say tonight

posted by: Matthew Collins | on: Wednesday, 9 May 2012, 21:40

Dowson: "Christian"?

Channel Four tonight gave over two minutes airtime to a man with strong recent links to the BNP and with a history of violence, intimidation and extreme anti-abortion activities. '4thought' was aware of the true nature of James Dowson, but decided not to inform their viewer as much.

What makes it all the more interesting and disturbing, is that Dowson could be about to make a dramatic comeback to the BNP!

Shortly before the elections last week we had a tip off that Nick Griffin was seriously considering asking his former concigleri to return to the beleagured party.

The word was that Griffin was tearing his hair out at the way the BNP's London campaign had descended into sectarian late night drinking binges by key personnel while 150,000 election newspapers were in a lock up undelivered.

There were other problems weighing on his mind too. Since Dowson's acrimonious departure the party had sunk into desperate financial trouble and were becoming extremely persona non grata in Northern Ireland, from where Dowson had run the party's offices and where the BNP had run up almost deadly unpaid debts.

Looking at his campaign team, Griffin knew that he had chosen sides badly. He backed the wrong horses after his party's 2010 election nightmare and he had refused to listen to Dowson who had suggested Griffin dumped the likes of Clive Jefferson and Patrick Harrington. The party was already heading for meltdown and a damaging split

Dowson may had been an expensive and often controversial fundraiser, but he had helped the party get two MEPs elected to Brussels in 2009 by running a large and professional call centre for the BNP for next to nothing.

Two nights before last week's elections, Griffin rung his Press Officer and de-facto deputy Simon Darby to discuss contacting Dowson and asking him to run his quest to be re-elected to Brussels as an MEP next year. Darby was by all accounts non-committal. Dowson had been very unpopular when he was with the BNP, but after his departure the party haemorrhaged both cash and members.

Darby was charged with going on line and now talking down the BNP's chances of winning back their seat on the London Assembly, a huge climb down.

Reappointing Dowson would mean that Griffin would have to dump almost all of the party's current senior management team who had formed a gang against Dowson in the dying days of 2010. The problem with dumping Clive Jefferson would be that Clive not only knows where more than a few BNP bodies are buried, but also that Clive as treasurer, was the sole beneficiary of £500,000 recently left to the party.

People close to Griffin also state that he would appear to suffer separation anxiety when away from Harrington for any period time. Driving back to his home in Wales and not even bothering to attend the count at City Hall Griffin is said to have spoken to at least four senior people to sound out whether they could work with Dowson.

Last week, Dowson was thrown out of an office in Chichester Street in downtown Belfast after an investigation by antifascists into his ongoing business and political activities in Belfast. Like Griffin, we're fully aware that Dowson is not somebody to rub up the wrong way

Tonight Dowson was on Channel Four tonight arguing against "designer babies" at a time when the BNP complain they get no airtime themselves. Channel Four labelled Dowson a "Christian" despite knowing in advance his past and present involvement in the far-right as a virulent, sectarian extremist as well as an extreme anti-abortionist. They may have also just given him his way back into the leadership of the BNP.

Breaking the silence on grooming

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Wednesday, 9 May 2012, 15:42

Yesterday afternoon a court in Liverpool convicted nine Asian men for grooming young white girls in Rochdale. During the 11 week trial, the court heard harrowing and sickening stories of how these vulnerable young women were systematically abused, raped and trafficked by this gang.

The court was told how very young and vulnerable young women were let down by social services, the police and the law.

As a progressive organisation that seeks to bring communities together we cannot shy away from talking about difficult issues, especially when a racial element is being exploited by the far right.

Maybe the word ‘grooming’ is too good for this crime. Perhaps it sanitises it slightly. What we are talking about here is orchestrated paedophilia of young women and even girls. And we wholeheartedly condemn the perpetrators and we criticise all those who have let these women down.

By the same respect, we also condemn the BNP and their ilk, who have sought to further exploit this terrible situation. A failure to tackle head on both the BNP and the issue of grooming would be to allow the BNP carte blanche on these issues. This has become sadly, a race issue.

The statement by The Ramadhan Foundation and its spokesman Mohammed Shafiq is a most welcome and brave statement about what has happened in Rochdale and elsewhere. Shafiq says that “there should be no silence in addressing the issue of race as this is central to the actions of these criminals.

“They think that white teenage girls are worthless and can be abused without a second thought”.

He went on: “In the early days the Asian community thought the exploitation was all made up, just BNP propaganda. Then they realised that it was actually going on and they found it abhorrent.

“But they’ve still tended to ignore it in the hope that it would go away. I hope now that they’re beginning to realise that they have to engage and there has to be more education about the whole issue.

“I think the case at Liverpool could be a catalyst.”

I hope he is right.

The Rochdale case is the latest in a series of court cases involving grooming involving Asian men.

Paedophilia and sex abuse reaches across all communities and involves men from all ethnic backgrounds. Indeed, we have repeatedly highlighted BNP and EDL supporters who have recently been convicted for child abuse. However, no-one can deny that a significant number of recent ‘grooming’ trials do involve men of Pakistani origin and young white women. Rather than pretend this is not the case we must confront this issue, understand why it is going on and then do something about it. If we don’t then the far right will have a field day and more importantly we will be letting the young women down.

In 2004 we were faced with a similar problem in Keighley, West Yorkshire. The BNP won four council seats across Bradford on the back of the grooming issue largely because they were the only political party making it an issue. Of course they distorted it and racialised it but they filled the vacuum left by others who preferred to stay silent.

A year later we took the issue head on when we made it central to our 2005 General Election campaign in Keighley, where Nick Griffin was standing. We got the mother of one of the abused girls to speak out on the issue, both to throw some light on the issue of grooming but also to accuse the BNP of exploiting the issue for their own racial ends. She denounced Griffin for exploiting her daughter, who was 12 when she was groomed and later abused by 29 men, in a similar way that she did condemn the actual perpetrators.

Confronting the issue head on had an immediate impact. Suddenly there were others talking about it and some of the BNP lies and myths could be challenged. Nick Griffin ended up with just 9% of the vote, quite appalling given that they had been polling four times higher a year before.

It was an uncomfortable and difficult campaign, but it was the right thing to do. Together with the local MP Ann Cryer we were speaking up for the whole community, including the Muslim community who were being attacked and vilified by the BNP. Ann’s work, backed up by our campaign, also helped give confidence to those in the Muslim community who knew it was wrong but had been too slow to speak out themselves.

We were vilified from some quarters for addressing the issue of grooming. I was even publicly accused of being a racist for taking this stand but we did what was morally right. My only regret was not speaking out publicly about grooming earlier.

It was to be a watershed for the way that HOPE Not Hate would go onto campaign and defeat the BNP. It was about confronting difficult issues and being willing to speak out against wrong doing – from wherever it came from.

I want to end by addressing the alleged racial aspect of this crime. The BNP and the EDL would like us to believe that Muslim men commit grooming precisely because they are Muslims and that's what Muslims do. This is just racist nonsense. Of course there is a culture factor to all this in that these paedophiles pick on vulnerable white girls because they think they can get away with this behaviour as it is being perpetrated against people who are outside their community. In this I believe that Mohammed Shafiq is absolutely correct. However, the very fact that it is happening ‘outside’ their community proves that they knew it is wrong.

Let us hope that everyone – from whatever community they come from – are quicker to speak out in in their condemnation and encourage people to shop paedophiles and child abusers.

But let us remember that grooming is criminality and the perpetrators have simply exploited a vulnerable group in society. While other groups of paedophiles might gravitate towards certain jobs or public spaces where potential victims will be found, these people have used their family and community networks to their own advantage.

This must stop and we, as anti-fascists and progressives, should not be afraid to speak out.

Child Exploitation Continues

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Wednesday, 9 May 2012, 12:10

Jefferson: Arrested

News is coming through that BNP members are being arrested outside of Liverpool Crown Court where nine men are to be sentenced for grooming.

The BNP are there to further exploit the grooming scandal that has been ongoing in the north west of the country. It is important to point out that the BNP are only there to protest against Muslims and not the many, many other people in the area and up and down the country who are also facing sentencing for crimes against young people or women.

This is further exploitation of the victims, a sickening exercise by the BNP to create division among all decent people of all faiths, who are appalled by what they will have already read in the newspapers today about Rochdale. It is further exploitation, plain and simply.

The BNP are being arrested for refusing to move to a designated protest spot. They are instead trying to make themselves martyrs by breaking the law.

The BNP leader Nick Griffin was himself almost responsible for the Rochdale case being thrown out of court after his gloating on twitter.

It is not justice that the BNP seeks; it is hatred and it is exploitive.

All signed off

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Tuesday, 8 May 2012, 16:17

This morning we finished the second issue of our HOPE not hate magazine and I would like to think it is even better than the first.

We delayed sending it to the printers so we could incorporate the results of last Thursday's local and London elections. As a consequence we have also been able to cover the elections in France and Greece and Saturday's EDL march in Luton.

We lead with a special report into racism and antisemitism in Polish and Ukrainian football.

Griffin's porn problem.

posted by: Matthew Collins | on: Monday, 7 May 2012, 16:39

Twit: Griffin should look closer to home for porn problem

Fresh from keeping us up to date about a cuckoo in his back garden on the very day the BNP were getting wiped out across the country, there's more comedy gold today from the BNP's leader Nick Griffin.

In the run up to the elections, his candidate for mayor was exposed as a sex swinger. Nothing wrong with that (if that's your thing) except of course, he wanted to attend couples swinging parties on his own.

Then the BNP's London Organiser Steve Squire, who topped the BNP's London list was exposed as a sex shop owner who had previously sold date rape drugs and unlicensed sex films. The hatrick as it were, was then how another one of the BNP's London list was then exposed in some rather adult (not tasteful) poses on a series of anti-BNP websites a week before polling.

Add to that the BNP's own "Granny" Porn-star in Yorkshire and the porn activities of Griffin's own bodyguard, you'd think Griffin the pig farmer would try and avoid all mention of the subject.

Not at all. It appear that porn has rotted his brain. According to Griffin, it's teenagers who are downloading porn on a wet bank holiday and not his own diminished membership.

Griffin really should not judge the youth of this fine nation by his party's own poor standards. The country has already rejected Griffin and co on the very basis that the BNP is morally flawed.

Where's the honour?

posted by: Matthew Collins | on: Monday, 7 May 2012, 12:02

Al Francis: Surrendered his mobile phone

Plenty of EDL members have spent the last two days complaining about their near wash-out in Luton.

Still, even if the EDL is becoming a smaller organisation, it most certainly isn't perfectly formed.

Al Francis works hard for the "cause". When he's not helping out the EDL or his party the BNP, he's marching with the National Front. Al does these things no doubt because he feels the white man is some sort of superior being; the sort of person one can trust.

Far be it for me to tell Al he's wrong, he could just ask himself this morning about how he feels about his mates in the EDL's Essex division.

One of his fellow "Crusaders" pinched the mobile phone of Al's wife, Shirley when they were on the Essex Division's coash. That's very uncomradely of them, particularly as an HTC Wildfire mobile phone weighs in at over £100!

Despite appeals for its return, it appears not only was the phone not returned to Al and Shirley, the cheeky bugger who stole it then went and used Shirley's internet too!

Not only is there no honour among thieves, it appears there is very little among thugs either.

Calm down Gil, it's only Facebook

posted by: Sam King | on: Sunday, 6 May 2012, 23:46

Gould: Not happy

Gil Gould joins Alan Snipers in wondering who exactly we are on his Facebook page.

Gil, I'm a 27 year old chef with the entire collection of Star Wars episodes on VHS.

xx

Calm down dear, it's just Facebook.

posted by: Matthew Collins | on: Saturday, 5 May 2012, 20:19

Snipers: Cheer up old boy, it could be worse..

Poor old Andy Snipers is not a happy bunny. You'd think he would be grateful that we thought his words were worth repeating.

I guess not. I apologise for that, Andy. I am the "Hot Swedish blond" on your friend list. Please do not delete me.

HOPE wall nears 1,000 comments

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Saturday, 5 May 2012, 19:23

“Almost 950 people have so far sent in messages for our HOPE wall - and more are coming in all the time.

Here are a few of those sent in:

“It makes me prouder than ever to be British, especially as a one-time Kindertransport German Jewish refugee. And proud to be a part of Hope not Hate.

“Good on you for energising us all, for there is no room for complacency in any society.”

Kate, South East London

“My family is so happy the BNP are beaten and we can live in peace. Thank you all so much for your work in making the future better for all.”

The Bright family, Bournemouth.

“Brilliant! We can make a difference and halt the hate within our communities. We can go forward in hope.”

Margaret, North Yorkshire

“I am very pleased to see the back of the BNP in mainstream politics. Hopefully their policies and style will be discredited forever. Here in Hackney we have strongly opposed them through Hackney Unites which I hope will continue to strengthen the alliance within our diverse community and build new alliances and friendships to reflect the beautifully diverse and multi-cultural world we now live in.”

Ian, Hackney

“I think it's fantastic that the People of Hope not Hate work so tirelessly to ensure BNP defeat. None of this success would have been achieved without Hope not Hate. This country can continue to be the best country in the world without the negative influence of the BNP. Well done!!!!!!”

Ronnie, Watford

You can add your comment here:

http://action.hopenothate.org.uk/bnp-beaten

Penguins & Fascists.

posted by: Simon Cressy | on: Saturday, 5 May 2012, 16:57

Professor Pongoo

This is Professor Pongoo, a man dressed as a penguin.

He stood as an election candidate in one solitary election in Scotland.

That is one more candidate than the BNP put up in the whole of Scotland as their feckless Scottish organiser Davie Orr Jr forgot the date of the elections.

1-0 to Professor Pongoo.

Professor Pongoo received 444 votes in the one election he stood in.

The National Front stood 8 candidates in Scotland, unlike the BNP they marked election day in their diary. Their combined vote was just 369, 71 votes fewer than the penguin on his own.

2-0 to Professor Pongoo.

The BNP splinter group "Britannica" led by former Glasgow Organiser Charlie Baillie managed to scrape together just 73 votes over 4 wards in Glasgow, 369 votes short of the penguin.

3-0 to Professor Pongoo.

Professor Pongo received more votes than the combined far right vote in the whole of Scotland.

4-0 to Professor Pongoo.

Conclusion: The good people of Scotland prefer penguins to fascists.

Violent Danish racist at Luton Demo

posted by: Simon Cressy | on: Saturday, 5 May 2012, 15:46

Mortensen (middle) Mark Carlton (right)

Kasper Mortensen photographed at today's EDL demo in Luton.

Mortensen was recently sacked as head of The Danish Defence League after he was jailed for 28 days after he launched a violent attack against a night club bouncer in his native Denmark.

Here he is photographed with Mark Carlton, an EDL activist from Huddersfield

Kevin the "Christian"

posted by: Matthew Collins | on: Saturday, 5 May 2012, 14:36

AS well as wanting to hang democratically elected MPs, the EDL's Kevin Carroll also wants EDL members to make their children wear Christian crosses.

Perhaps it would be better if they actually acted like Christians?

Carroll issues a threat?

posted by: Matthew Collins | on: Saturday, 5 May 2012, 14:18

EDL deputy Kevin Carroll has announced to the crowd in Luton that Bradford MP George Galloway should "be hung for treason".

Obviously, we look forward to Kevin and the rest of the EDL standing for election themselves so they can put their "patriotism" to the electorate, who will be able to judge them on their criminality and violence.

Kevin's now describing the fascist British Freedom Party as the EDL's "political wing". Not bad is it, the EDL have linked up with a party that intends to stand candidates for the House of Lords...

Not everyone is "EDL Happy"

posted by: Matthew Collins | on: Saturday, 5 May 2012, 13:51

Giving it a good count, it looks like it is closer to 1000 EDL in Luton. Many could not be bothered to listen to the speeches. Andy Snipers is not happy. He went to Luton from his home in Northampton expecting a lot more members to be there.

Many didn't even stay around for the speeches. Tommy Robinson has attacked the local media as "apologists for extremist culture in Luton". Someone needs to remind Tommy, that he leads one half of that extremist culture.

He certainly does not represent the answer to Luton's problems. He is part of the problem...

Approx 1200 EDL?

posted by: Matthew Collins | on: Saturday, 5 May 2012, 13:30

Mixed figures coming in. Some are saying there are about 12-1500 EDL. The EDL will no doubt say it was 15,000

They're continuing to attack police officers. Lots of very drunk EDL supporters on the march too. Police now starting to make some arrests.

EDL starting to throw objects

posted by: Matthew Collins | on: Saturday, 5 May 2012, 13:17

Thugs: "Ingerland" expects

Tommy Robinson is in Luton with a badly scratched face, his cousin Kevin is in a suit.

The police are being pelted by the EDL with bottles, fireworks and beer cans. "Tommy" was announced formally as the deputy of the British Freedom Party this morning.

I guess this is how his politics pan out

Gil's not feeling too happy...

posted by: Matthew Collins | on: Saturday, 5 May 2012, 10:12

Gould: Not happy

It might be all lager and fun for the North East EDL, but Anders Breivik supporter Gil Gould from Essex EDL has not had a good start to the day. Gil prefers to use the internet under the name Mick Wittman who I'm told was a famous tank driver for the Nazis during the second world war..

It would seem quite a few EDL around the country have cried off from going to Luton already...

I think we'll be seeing quite a few less EDL today than in previous national demonstrations

Gould: Going pear shaped, guvnor?

Early starter...

posted by: Matthew Collins | on: Saturday, 5 May 2012, 09:47

Dane Old: Not old enough to know better?

As ever, North East EDL have made an early start for the trip to Luton. Here's Dane Old from Sunderland who no doubt will complain later that he could not get to a toilet.

BNP fail to regain Assembly seat

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Saturday, 5 May 2012, 09:31

Shortly before midnight the news we had been expecting was confirmed. The British National Party had failed to regain its seat on the London Assembly. In failed, their vote had declined from 130,714 in 2008 to just 47,024 now.

In fact, the BNP polled just 2.1% of the London vote.

It rounded off an appalling night for the BNP as they lost all 136 council wards it was contesting. This included six wards where the BNP were defending and another six where they won in 2008, the last time these seats were contested.

This leaves the BNP with just two borough councillors and one county councillor. A far cry from its high of 57 councillors in 2009.

HOPE not hate can be proud of our contribution to the defeat of the BNP. In total, we delivered over 750,000 newspapers, leaflets and direct mail letters in these elections. Hundreds of people got involved in our campaigning, often in fairly miserable weather.

Other anti-fascist organisations, including local anti-fascist groups, also played their role.

We have set up a HOPE Wall for our supporters to tell us what the BNP electoral demise means for them. A staggering 721 people have already posted up messages. We will be putting them up on this site shortly, but in the meantime, if you want to tell us what the BNP's demise means to you then you can do so here:

http://action.hopenothate.org.uk/bnp-beaten

Altab Ali remembered

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Friday, 4 May 2012, 19:39

Matthew Collins addressing the Altab Ali memorial rally in Bethnal Green tonight.

Local members of the Bengali community gathered in Tower Hamlets this evening to remember Altab Ali, a young Bengali man murdered by racists in 1978.

The commemoration happens every year but had a special moment when our own Matthew Collins was invited on to the platform to announce that London was now BNP free.

Speaking along side Trade Unionists, local campaigners and the local MP. Matthew told the crowd to loud cheers "we are free at last" which was received with loud cheers and applause.

It's looking good in London

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Friday, 4 May 2012, 18:57

Just heard from someone in the London count and they are confidently predicting a BNP vote of around just 2%. If that is proved correct then the BNP will not regain the seat on the Assembly four years ago.

The results that have been announced so far seemed to agree with our source in city hall. The BNP vote in City & East, the London region that covers Tower Hamlets and Barking & Dagenham, is just half of what they polled four years ago.

HOPE wall

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Friday, 4 May 2012, 18:02

Over 500 people have already sent in messages for our HOPE Wall, which we have created to allow you to tell us about what the BNP defeat means to you.

I'll be putting up these messages over the next few days but here is a flavour of some of the comments that have been sent in.

"Thank you all. How powerful our voice can be. Lets keep that hope and not hate feeling."

Con

"This week has, possibly, been the worst of my life. A cancer diagnosis has put a cloud over most things.

"But this news is brilliant. The week is ending with big, big smiles in our house!

"HOPE NOT HATE!!"

Beth, Leeds

"Great news and reward for all the hard work put in by anti-racist campaigners everywhere. No room for complacency though with other far-right groups preparing to re-assert themselves."

Chris, Bolton

"This is brilliant news! Well done to everyone who helped make it happen (well, not everyone, as part of the reason for it happening was down to Griffin & his cretinous cronies themselves)."

John, Norwich

"Incredible news; I'm wearing a big grin. Let's not become complacent though..."

Sandra, Dundee

Every single BNP candidate lost yesterday. They now only have three councillors left, down from a high of 57 in 2009. Please let us know what this means to you:

http://action.hopenothate.org.uk/bnp-beaten

Voters wave bye bye to the BNP

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Friday, 4 May 2012, 15:59

I'm delighted to say that every BNP candidate who stood in yesterday's elections has lost. This includes those BNP councillors up for re-election. This is a fantastic rejection of their racist politics.

We have created a HOPE Wall for you to tell us what you think of this news?

http://action.hopenothate.org.uk/bnp-beaten

The BNP defeat means that there is no BNP councillor in Burnley for the first time in ten years. Other previous BNP strongholds like Calderdale, Rotherham, Amber Valley, Nuneaton & Bedworth, Three Rivers and Epping Forest are also now BNP free zones. This leaves the BNP with just three councillors, down from a high of 57.

Tell us how that makes you feel?

http://action.hopenothate.org.uk/bnp-beaten

A special thanks must go to the hundreds of people who got involved in our campaign this year and also the unions and individuals whose donations made this campaign happen.

In total, we delivered over 750,000 newspapers, leaflets and direct mail letters in these elections and none of this would have been possible without you - our supporters - who have made this campaign what it is.

In these difficult economic times it is only a matter of time before the racists - in the guise of the BNP or some other party - once again pose a threat. But today is one to celebrate. HOPE has defeated hate and voters have waved Bye Bye to the BNP.

Please leave your message on our HOPE Wall

BNP Lose Seat in Epping

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Friday, 4 May 2012, 12:50

Great news from Epping Forest, Pat Richardson, the last remaining BNP councillor has lost her seat in Loughton Broadway.

The BNP was pushed all the way back into 4th place with just 94 votes.

Nick Griffin is posting on Twitter about hearing his first cuckoo, Is this a cryptic message we wonder ?

Burnley - A BNP free zone

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Friday, 4 May 2012, 11:08

I've just spoken to our friends in Burnley and I can now confirm that the last BNP councillor, Sharon Wilkinson, has lost her seat. I don't have the exact score but it seems that Labour got over 50% of the vote.

This is really fantastic news and massive congratulations should go to Jason and his team who have worked tirelessly during many difficult years.

This means that for the first time in ten years there are no BNP councillors on Burnley council. Really brilliant news.

Election round up

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Friday, 4 May 2012, 07:53

It's now 07.45 and we begin the second day of our election coverage. So here is a round up:

It is been a disastrous night for the BNP. They have lost councillors, failed to regain seats they won in 2008 and generally their vote is well down on previous elections.

In some of their strongest wards the BNP vote is down almost 50% from 2008, the last time these seats were contested.

More results will come in today, with the key councils to watch being Burnley, Epping Forest and Pendle - the three councils where the BNP is defending seats.

The BNP put all their effort into London but even here it looks like they have fallen short.

The big winners on the night, for the right wing vote at least, is UKIP, which appeared to be averaging between 13-15% in the seats it contested. It appears that UKIP did well in traditionally strong Conservative areas.

We will be blogging throughout the day, with the key council wards expected to announce during the middle of the day and London declaring early evening.

First Result for British Freedom

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Friday, 4 May 2012, 03:20

The first result for a British Freedom candidate has been announced.

Tony Harms who stood in the Laindon Park ward of Basildon Council received 87 votes which equates to 4% of the vote.

The result placed him in 4th place, pushing the Lib Dem candidate down into 5th & last place

Bradford update

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Friday, 4 May 2012, 02:19

I think I made a mistake at the end of my last blog. It seems that it was the Conservative leader in Bradford who is predicting Labour winning overall control of the council, not the Labour leader.

Strange affairs in Bradford

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Friday, 4 May 2012, 02:15

I'm following the Bradford results with growing confusion. One minute Respect are saying that they "have it in the bag". Then the Guardian report Labour fear they will lose seven seats to Respect, including that of the council leader. Then we hear there is a recount in the Council leader's ward and then we hear that the results will be some way off because they haven't actually started counting.

Finally, when I'm more than confused, there is a tweet saying that Labour's council leader is predicting Labour winning an overall majority.

Guess time will tell!

BNP vote drop in Amber Valley

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Friday, 4 May 2012, 02:05

Heanor East: 19.1% (2012) 36.5% (2008)

Heanor West: 18.2% (2012) 29.5% (2008)

BNP lose two seats in Amber Valley

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Friday, 4 May 2012, 02:02

The BNP has lost two seats on Amber Valley council.

BNP lose seat in Amber Valley

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Friday, 4 May 2012, 01:49

Looks like Lab beat BNP in Heanor East. Great result and well done for everyone who was involved in the campaign there.

BNP vote nosedives in Amber Valley

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Friday, 4 May 2012, 01:41

The BNP vote continues to drop, this time in their key East Midlands council of Amber Valley. In Heanor & Loscoe the BNP polled 17.8% yesterday compared to 35.4% in 2008.

BNP get wooden spoon in Stockport

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Friday, 4 May 2012, 01:36

The BNP came last in six of the seven seats it contested in Stockport. I thought it was going to be a clean sweep they beat the Liberal Democrats in Reddish North.

NF beat BNP in Dudley

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Friday, 4 May 2012, 01:29

For so many years Dudley was one of their strongest areas of the country. No longer.

In fact, the BNP only stood two candidates this year and both polled poorly. In Halesowen North the BNP polled 3.4% (compared the 10.4% in 2008). The others ward contested was Hayley Green & Cradley South where they polled 4%.

By contrast the National Front polled 7% in Coseley East and 4.5% in Upper Gornal & Woodsetton. UKIP beat both very easily.

BNP poll 2.1% in Wirral

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Friday, 4 May 2012, 01:13

Some of these BNP results are a throwback to the late 1990s. In the Birkenhead & Tranmere ward on Wirral council the BNP has polled just 2.1% of the vote. Poor!

"A huge vote for UKIP"

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Friday, 4 May 2012, 01:06

The Conservative leader in Plymouth has told the BBC that there has been a huge vote for UKIP across the city. He says that they came within a whisker of winning several seats.

UKIP appear to be the clear winners for the right wing vote this evening.

When Nice is poor

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Friday, 4 May 2012, 00:58

Poor old Steve Nice, the Liberal Democrat candidate in Lee Chapel North in Basildon. He polled just 4% of the vote, even below the National Front candidate who polled 6%.

Rotherham 2008 v 2012

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Friday, 4 May 2012, 00:50

Been comparing the BNP vote in Rotherham this year to 2008 and again it is bad reading for Nick Griffin.

Valley 28% (2008) 15.5% (2012)

Maltby 23% (2008) 16.9% (2012)

Brinsworth & Catcliffe 40.7% (2008) 29.6% (2012)

Wingfield 29.2% (2008) 28.5% (2012)

BNP fail to regain seats in Rotherham

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Friday, 4 May 2012, 00:37

In 2008 the BNP won two seats in Rotherham. Tonight they failed to hold either.

More misery for the BNP.

BNP fail to retain seats in Nuneaton & Bedworth

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Friday, 4 May 2012, 00:33

I'm hearing that the BNP has failed to win the two seats it won in 2008. Yet more bad news for Nick Griffin.

Talking of whem, does anyone know where he is tonight?

BNP LOSE Maltby, Rotherham

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Friday, 4 May 2012, 00:30

The BNP have lost its seat on Rotherham council after losing Maltby ward.

This wasn't too much of a surprise as they only won in 2008 when two former Labour members stood as Independents and split the vote.

But it is still a defeat and I think it's the beginning of a bad night for the BNP.

NF pick up 5% in Knowsley

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Friday, 4 May 2012, 00:23

The National Front polled 5% in the Stockbridge ward in Knowsley. They hardly affected the overall result as Labour won with 92% of the vote.

BNP vote collapses

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Friday, 4 May 2012, 00:20

I've been looking at some comparative BNP results from recent years and it is clear that their vote is well down on the last time these wards were contested in 2008.

Just look at South Tyneside:

Primrose 32.9%(2008) 13.3% (2012)

Biddick & All Saints 8.7% (2008) 6.1% (2012)

Boldon Colliery 9.3% (2008) 4.6% (2012)

Hebden North 17% (2008) 9.3% (2012)

Simonside and Rekendyke 12.3% (2008) 7.1% (2012)

UKIP doing well

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Friday, 4 May 2012, 00:08

The BBC's Nick Robinson has just said that in the six wards declared in which UKIP is standing, the anti-EU party has averaged 21% of the vote.

Is this an indication that they will take over the mantle of the main right wing party in Britain? It is looking like that though of course there is a long way to go.

Result: Fellgate & Hedworth

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Thursday, 3 May 2012, 23:57

Conservatives 81

Liberal Party 33

BNP 83

Labour 1226

Independent 786

That's 3.8% for the BNP. Slightly higher than 2011.

Result: Primrose (South Tyneside)

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Thursday, 3 May 2012, 23:53

Primrose Ward

British National Party 227
Conservative 195
Labour 1284

A bad result for the BNP. A couple of years ago the BNP polled 30% in this ward. From my reckoning the BNP have polled just 13.3% this year.

23.48 UKIP breakthrough in Thurrock?

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Thursday, 3 May 2012, 23:49

UKIP are getting excited over in Thurrock, with claims that they have taken their first seat on the council. If true they does not bode well for the BNP who once saw this Essex town as a key heartland.

Does this indicate that the BNP vote is switching everywhere?

23.47 Rochdale goes dark

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Thursday, 3 May 2012, 23:47

It seems that the counting has been stopped in Rochdale after a power cut...

23:30 BNP whip-out in Burnley?

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Thursday, 3 May 2012, 23:44

There is a real chance of the BNP losing their last councillor in Burnley. While the votes will not be counted until tomorrow I'm hearing good things from the campaign team in Burnley.

The BNP won its first councillor in Burnley in 2002 and the following year it became the second largest party on the council.

Their last remaining councillor, Sharon Wilkinson, is probably the best they've had in Burnley. And the Padiham ward in which she is standing, has returned a BNP councillor for eight of the last ten elections.

Result: Millfield (Sunderland)

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Thursday, 3 May 2012, 23:43

Millfield

NF 122

Lib Dem 888

Green 94

Conservatives 164

Labour 1,058

23.15 My predictions

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Thursday, 3 May 2012, 23:14

Ok, here we are at the HOPE not hate election blog. It's been a strange election. For the first time in many years we are fairly relaxed about the elections, at least in regards to the BNP.

I will stick my neck on the line and say that the BNP will do badly this year. The question is just how badly.

I think the BNP will fail in its attempts to regain their seat on the London Assembly. I think they will lose all, or almost all, of the council seats they are defending.

The one ward which I am worried about is Marsden ward in Pendle. The BNP councillor is defending the seat but it's a three-way split between them, Labour and the Conservatives.

I really can't see the BNP winning any new seats.

It'll also be interesting to see how the English Democrats do. Many are former BNP members and some are standing in wards where the BNP have polled very well in the past. The National Front will do pitifully poor as usual.

Anyway, all will be revealed soon.

Moving into results mode

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Thursday, 3 May 2012, 22:14

The polls have closed so now we move into results mode.

We will be running a live election blog throughout the night and tomorrow to bring you all the results as they come in.

As we wait for results to come in I will try to bring you some of the best (and most amusing) stories of the campaign.

An hour left to vote HOPE

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Thursday, 3 May 2012, 21:08

The polls are open for just another hour. I've just finished campaigning out in Barking and Dagenham and I'm now heading home to run our election night coverage.

I was accompanied by fourteen Swedish trade unionists and three people from our sister organisation Expo. They are over for a couple of days to learn a bit more about HOPE not hate and what we do. Earlier today we went to Unison, where they had a presentation about their work with us.

The first results are due at midnight.

Clive lined up for a big fall

posted by: Matthew Collins | on: Thursday, 3 May 2012, 15:21

Clive "Rodney" Jefferson

Word is out, as are the knives now it seems the BNP may struggle.

Clive "Rodney" Jefferson is being lined up for a big fall once he has to go back to Cumbria on Monday.

Election blog: Let's wave Bye Bye to the BNP

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Thursday, 3 May 2012, 12:46

There are just over nine hours to go until polls close today. Let's wave 'Bye Bye to the BNP':

http://www.hopenothate.org.uk/newsletter/bye-bye-bnp-4.gif

Two reasons to vote

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Thursday, 3 May 2012, 11:37

1. We could be waving goodbye to the BNP.

2. Anjem Choudary is encouraging people not to vote.

Let's make today a miserable one for the BNP and Anjem Choundary

09.45am Key councils to watch

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Thursday, 3 May 2012, 09:44

Some councils are counting tonight, while others are counting tomorrow. Here is a rough timetable of when some of the key councils will be declaring:

Midnight: Nuneaton & Bedworth, Southend, South Tyneside

1am: Tameside

2am: Amber Valley, Barnsley, Rochdale, Rotherham

3am: Bradford, Thurrock

4am: Birmingham

Midday: Epping Forest

1pm: Burnley, Leeds

1.30pm: Pendle

2pm: Three Rivers

6pm: Liverpool

London is counting tomorrow and the results are likely early evening

The day we can wave goodbye to the BNP

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Thursday, 3 May 2012, 08:52

It's election day and all across the country people will be going to the polls to choose their local councillors, Mayors or Assembly members. Politicians generally get a rough time, sometimes deservedly so, but it is on days like this that we can make a difference.

But today is also a day to wave goodbye to the BNP. If we are successful in preventing the BNP from retaining its seat on the London Assembly and defeating them in the nine council seats they are defending around the country then we will take another major step in driving them into oblivion.

I would like to send my thanks to everyone who has done their bit to challenge hatred and racism. From delivering leaflets to donating, from speaking to their friends to sending in their photo for the Our Britain, not theirs poster - you have all done your bit.

I will be out doing a last bit of campaigning today but we will be running a live election blog so everyone can follow the results as they come in.

Please vote and make sure that everyone you know gets out and vote. Let's wave goodbye to the BNP.

Short memories

posted by: Matthew Collins | on: Wednesday, 2 May 2012, 16:37

Clive "Rodney" Jefferson: He's the brains!

Today, Nick Griffin has been hard at it, and I do not mean a Chicken Korma, either.

The BNP has had a quite quiet campaign. What with lack of leaflets, few members, sex scandals, swinging parties, date rape drugs, sex shops, filthy candidate pictures being leaked on the net, assault, stalking, theft, violence, and armed police to contend with, is it a surprise they have hardly done much?

So the leader Griffin has been out and about in London today. It's not his favourite place. Too many black people for his liking if I recall. Some parts of London even look like Kenya according to the one-eyed pig farmer from Wales. It was only two years ago he fled the count in Barking and Dagenham saying that London was "lost".

I also recall that B&D was lost partly because even the white voters there did not like him much.

Still, it's all hand to the pump for the BNP in these last two days of electioneering and they are not a happy bunch of campers either, in case you did not know.

Clive "Rodney" Jefferson was out in Dagenham this lunch time, looking his usual challenged self. Clive's the person who has taken it upon himself to run the BNP's campaign this year. He's put everything the BNP had (or at least claimed they had) into their campaign, but it just is not working for them. Despite lie after lie to their members that they were doing really well, the Party's full time bore and connoisseur of bargain bangers Simon Darby, began the unpleasant task of talking the party's hopes down yesterday.

Simon too felt there were just too many black people in London, basically. Of course, the BNP insistes that it's not half as racist as it used to be. Griffin has done almost everything to try and convince us of that, except actually go out and kiss a black baby, have black people visit his house or even acknowlegde that he loves to slip a bit of Barry White on the CD player when he's eating a curry in his favourite car park in Kent.

One of the other problems with being a BNP member is of course, being a little bit dim or daft. Also, most people seem to have far longer memories than BNP members. Who could forget the daftie David Orr ? He forgot to put in the BNP's nomination forms for Scotland, meaning that Scotland really is the lucky country this year as the BNP are not standing there..

Orr tried to blame a non existent change in election date for his stupidity. What with that being nearly a whole month ago, Orr is sat at home lambasting the silly people who did manage to get their nominations in on time. In fact, Orr is now absolutely certain that he did the right thing: "We are not even asking for your support in Scotland this year, just your support" he writes.

Yes, David. That's because you forgot.

Orr: He's a bit daft...

BNP Mayoral Candidate met members of the SS

posted by: Simon Cressy | on: Wednesday, 2 May 2012, 14:13

Carlos Cortiglia

It seems even the BNP are now deeply embarrassed by their London mayoral candidate Carlos Cortiglia.

We wrote last week about the BNP's poorly made election broadcast for London where Carlos Cortiglia failed to appear in the footage and in fact wasn't even mentioned by name.

We also wrote recently about Cortiglia's colorful past where he posted a large volume of messages to “Adult” groups on what was known as Usenet before it was taken over by Google Groups. Among the groups frequented by Cortiglia were several involving Swinging, though he seemed to have no partner to take to swinging parties with him.

The most damaging revelation about him is that Uruguayan Cortiglia allegedly offered to fight for Argentina against Britain during the Falkland’s War in 1982. You can still read the Interview online with the Argentinian newspaper La Nación, where Cortiglia said "I am Argentine Eastern, or in other words, Uruguayan of birth, and I feel very bound emotionally to the Argentine Republic. In 1982 I offered myself as a volunteer to go to the Malvinas."

If that wasn't damaging enough, one day before the polls open and more damaging revelations have come to light about Cortiglia's past.

In 2005, writing about World War 2 on the internet site of the German broadcaster "Deutsche Welle", Cortiglia wrote: "My family was pro-German and was a leading family within the National Party headed by Luis Alberto de Herrera. "

He continued "The family of my ancestor former Senator of the National Party - General Dionisio Coronel - had slaves".

Two years later Cortiglia set up his own blog on The Daily Telegraph's website. He later deleted this, but unfortunately for him we can still access postings via its web cache.

In 2007 Cortiglia wrote an entry titled "How Britain Helped the Nazis". Cortiglia wrote "In the 1970's I met former German officers, amongst them some SS commanders, in Montevideo".

A day later, Cortiglia commented on his own article: "I met them [the SS] in person and they and by they you know who I mean lived free and without any restrictions with full knowledge of the Latin American governments".

In 2007 Cortiglia also wrote that "My father used to say that everything German was better and the best in the world.I grew up listening to him saying that he hated Hitler because "he did not finish the job".

We've included the grabs of Cortiglias comments should he once again claim the comments are nothing but a "left wing smear", or perhaps a Jewish Conspiracy of some sort.



The Holy War

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Wednesday, 2 May 2012, 08:19

I spent Monday night in Krakow for the local football derby between Wisla Krakow and Cracovia. There is such rivalry between these two teams that this fixture is also known as 'The Holy War'.

The intensity and hostility between the two sets of fans lived up to what I had heard. The photo here is of the Cracovia ultras/hooligans, known as the Anty Wisla, marching to their neighbour's ground. Many were involved in fierce fighting with police in the stand and the very liberal use of tear gas in response.

I'm writing a piece for the forthcoming issue of HOPE not hate on racism and antisemitism in Polish and Ukrainian football.

Is Tommy Robinson Telling Lies Yet Again?

posted by: Simon Cressy | on: Tuesday, 1 May 2012, 11:45

How do you know when Tommy Robinson is telling lies?

Easy, you can see his lips moving.

It's starting to get a little silly now, every time an EDL demo approaches, Tommy gets mysteriously beaten up by "Muslims".

Yet no arrests have ever been made.

With the Luton demo this weekend it looks like he is up to his old tricks yet again.

What is rather strange is that Bedfordshire Police haven't a clue what Tommy is on about.

Tommy's Latest Attack ?

Bedfordshire Police cast doubts on Tommy story.

Manchester BNP Embrace Spanish Fascist

posted by: Simon Cressy | on: Tuesday, 1 May 2012, 01:53

Manuel Camzo aka Manuel Quesada Campos

The BNP website announced earlier this month that a visiting Spanish Nationalist had signed up to become a member of the BNP.

Manuel Camzo has become Manchester BNP’s newest and high profile member.

Described as a published Nationalist author who has come to this country to study English, the real facts about Camzo are a little different.

Manchester BNP’s new Spanish pal “Manuel Camzo” is, in reality, Manuel Quesada Campos, a Nazi publisher of Holocaust denial books.

Campos, born in December 1983, is resident in Alicante and his publishing outfit is called Ediciones Camzo (Camzo Editions).

He is a supporter of the fascist Plataforma per Catalunya (PxC) who gained 66,000 votes in last year’s local elections.

Campos took part in a Nazi revisionist meeting in Madrid in November last year, introducing books touted by his publishing firm. The meeting was organised by satellite organisations of the Republican Social Movement (MSR) which shares membership of the international Nazi Alliance of European National Movements.

One of the “writers” he publishes is Enrique Ravello, a Nazi businessman from Valencia. Ravello, an ex-member of the now defunct Nazi CEDADE organisation, holds the key position of responsibility for the PxC’s international relations. In that capacity, he has rubbed shoulders with such hardcore Nazis as the convicted Holocaust denier Pedro Varela and the convicted terrorist Manfred Roeder as well as with Pavel Tualev, editor of the Russian Nazi magazine Athenaeum. He is also linked with the French extremists Front National number two Bruno Gollnisch and raving Islamophobe Guillaume Faye.

Camzo appears to enjoy the company of Nazis and Holocaust Deniers, No wonder he chose the BNP.

Camzo signs up for the BNP