Not Such a Merry Dance

[5 March 2007]

Should it matter that Simone Clarke, a ballerina for the English National Ballet, is also a member of the far-right, anti-immigrant British National Party?

By Ross Palmer

It seems that being a liberal these days means defending the right of more and more people to say and do ever more stupid things. Take the case of Simone Clarke, hitherto known as a principal dancer with the English National Ballet, now universally known as the BNP Ballerina, after Ian Cobain, an undercover journalist for the left-wing British daily The Guardian, revealed her as a card-carrying member of the British National Party. The BNP, so you know, “stands for the preservation of the national and ethnic character of the British people and is wholly opposed to any form of racial integration between British and non-European peoples” and is “committed to stemming and reversing the tide of nonwhite immigration and to restoring, by legal changes, negotiation and consent the overwhelmingly white makeup of the British population that existed in Britain prior to 1948.” These platform planks come from its constitution.

Cobain’s article also exposed two other figures in the public eye in Britain, one a health-care regulator, the other a leading proponent of complementary medicine who has “links”, according to The Guardian, to Prince Charles. In itself, a BNP member being friendly with the Prince was somewhat surprising, for (if you don’t know) the House of Windsor is a branch of the German House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and the Prince’s father is a member of the Danish House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg. Then again, it’s often struck me as funny that so many people of the far-right in British politics are also staunch monarchists.

But the furor has been focused on Clarke, partly because “BNP Ballerina” makes a good headline—better, perhaps, than “Prince’s Doc says, ‘Different races aren’t complementary’ ”—but also because her position within English National Ballet (ENB) is funded in part by the Arts Council of England, which distributes money obtained from the Government and the National Lottery. Public money, some argue, must never promote racism.
And they’re correct. It mustn’t.

But the English National Ballet and the views of one its dancers are not the same, and the ENB has made a statement saying as much: “Any personal view expressed by one of our employees should not be considered as endorsed by the company.” But Clarke’s first public performance after the hullabaloo still drew a large group of protesters waving placards and banners and calling for her dismissal. Among those making their presence felt was Unite Against Fascism (UAF), which accuses Clarke of “using her position to support a party which fosters division,” despite the fact that, until the undercover reporter exposed her beliefs in late December, no one knew what her views on immigration and racial integration were. She had certainly never made a public pronouncement while wearing a tutu and dancing Swan Lake, onstage or off. So while Unite Against Fascism’s cause may be equality and racial harmony—and Lord knows we need some of that—their opportunistic methods seem to undermine their cause.

Clarke is in the unenviable position of being a pawn in two different games. While she is used by the BNP, glad as they are to have a member who defies their conventional stereotype, she is targeted at the same time by organizations like UAF, who are happy to have a proper, solid target for a change. After all, confronting an abstract noun must get tiring after a while.

Clarke herself doesn’t seem to know what she stands for, as her BNP membership is rather at odds with her relationship with the Cuban-Chinese dancer Yat-Sen Chang. “I am not too proud to say that a lot of it went over my head,” she has admitted, “but some of the things they mentioned were the things I think about all the time, mainly mass immigration, crime and increased taxes.” This has only added weight to the suspicion that the rarefied air of the ENB has cut off the supply of oxygen to her brain.
The BNP remains a repellent pseudoparty whose brand of racist populism interspersed with outbursts of physical violence is designed to appeal to the simple-minded. It appears that it still fulfils that function admirably. But if it is ever to become a genuine electoral force, it must change the wider public’s perception of it, so it tolerates Clarke in the belief that she—and others like her—might help change its image. According to the British broadsheets, high-ranking members of the party were present in the audience during Clarke’s star performance in Giselle, her first performance since the controversy began.

Of course, Clarke does not really agree with the BNP’s views. Whereas she claims, “It is not about removing foreigners. It’s about border controls,” the BNP protests that it is about removing foreigners. The more the better. She clearly hasn’t read the constitution of the party she’s sacrificed her reputation defending. The media reaction, she says, has hardened her resolve to stay a member of a political party with an ideology with which, by her own admission, she doesn’t agree: “I’ve never been clearer in my head that I’m moving in the right direction and at the right time. I will be known as the BNP ballerina… but I don’t regret anything,” she has said. You see what I mean about having to defend the right of people to be stupid?

Some time has passed since the publication of the article that began this diverting interlude in the history of the English National Ballet, and it seems that Clarke will retain her position as principal dancer, facing down those who called for her head. This is, of course, only right and proper. Membership in the British National Party is not illegal and Clarke has done nothing that might constitute a sacking offence. It is not a pleasant thought that public money is spent retaining the services of someone with far-right views, but if the ENB is convinced she’s the best dancer for the job, then that’s all that matters.

What is most dispiriting about the whole affair is that we imagine that those who dedicate their lives to the arts are likely to be open-minded and liberal in their views because, if you dig music, literature, film, ballet or any art form, by and large you’ll respect and admire quality, passion, dedication and excellence, qualities that know no color, race or religion. Twenty-nine years ago, 80,000 people attended the Rock Against Racism concert in east London (and the march that proceeded it) in a very public demonstration against the spate of violent racist attacks then sweeping the UK and some allegedly racist comments and gestures made by David Bowie and Eric Clapton.

That campaign has been succeeded by Love Music Hate Racism, which was, in fact, co-launched by UAF, in partnership with the Anti-Nazi League. While it would be better if it were no longer necessary for it to exist, the campaign does good work. And, in those 29 years, much has been done to remove the racist football hooligan, that enduring British stereotype, from the terraces: Real progress has been made, perhaps because the excellence of a footballer like Thierry Henry simply demands respect (although there remains the worry that there remains a hard-core of fans that are only color-blind when regarding their own team).

Yet now, with parts of Britain’s Muslim communities becoming more insular and the continuing and appalling failure of successive governments to do anything about the problems of educational underachievement, lack of opportunity, and a prevailing gang culture in our inner cities—like excellence in the arts, these also know no color—it is depressing that someone like Simone Clark, from the cosmopolitan world of ballet, should align herself with the BNP. Clarke has presumably blinded herself to the fact that the party she belongs to would, if in power, deport her boyfriend and the majority of the ENB’s other principal dancers.

Still, she must be stood by, as galling as it is to have to do so. We’re in Voltaire territory, here: In 1770, he famously wrote to M. de Reich, “I detest what you write, but I would give my life to make it possible for you to continue to write.” While it may often seem safe to assume that everyone who works in the arts is a left-liberal, the truth is that where you have people, you have diversity in opinion, religion, race, in pretty much everything. And when you stand up for diversity, you have to tolerate those who don’t agree with you. Variance of political opinion (and until the day that Clarke starts beating up immigrants in the street, that is the only issue at stake here) is nothing other than intellectual diversity.

I wouldn’t want to attack Unite Against Fascism, as the bulk of their work is worthy, low-profile and undertaken out of solid, deeply-held conviction. However, they go too far in calling for the ENB chiefs to fire Simone Clarke. It seems like a publicity stunt. There are more serious and more insidious threats to racial harmony in Britain than a ballet dancer who didn’t bother to find out the true mentality of the average BNP member before she signed up, and it is those threats that UAF and other organizations like it should be confronting.

 
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Comments

Why should it matter? Why is everyone so concerned? 

Would you care if she was a member of the Socialist Workers Party or some other extreme Leftists group???

Fact is, the BNP has a right to stand and people have a right to join it in a democratic society. Unless you are against democracy you would respect her right to join whatever party she desired.


By The Way: The picture that is supposed to be of BNP supporters is not, this is most deceiving to use and it is obvious that the motivation of using such a picture is to smear the BNP as a Nazis.. For the record, the BNP are not the National Alliance members in the photo, such groups are proscribed by the BNP and members caught associating with such groups have their membership of the BNP cancelled. Moreover, the BNP do not use neo-nazi flags at their rallies or protests, they are not a neo-nazi party, they are a British Nationalist party - big difference!

Comment by Grant — March 5, 2007 @ 1:44 am

So many people are crying after spitting their dummy out of the pram
If the don’t like the B.N.P. let them stand in the election’s against them

I joined the B.N.P. because free speech and democracy is being demise by a lying corrupt parliament and our ranks are growing and it’s not because of the so called racist’s views that the media plaster over their news sheets, it’s because our small island can not hold all these millions of so called migrants

Comment by john winston beatson from sheffield — March 5, 2007 @ 2:18 am

There are most certainly many more of the silent majority who also feel frustration at this goverment’s inability to get to grips with our lax border controls and high crime in exactly the same way as Simone Clarke.
The myth that the BNP wishes to expel all non-whites is a pure fabrication conjured up by it’s opponents who in desperation, will do or say anything to portray the BNP in a bad light.
The multi/cult experiment is a failure of epic proportions, and it would seem the native population are at last waking up and seeing through the smoke and mirrors of the hand wringing liberals who have inflicted so much damage on a nation in such a short period of time.
I have voted Labour all my life, but never ever again and should a BNP candidate stand in my ward they will get my vote.

Comment by Steve Michael from London — March 5, 2007 @ 2:55 am

Well spotted Grant-  a typical poor journalistic attempt to conjure up the “stereotypical” image of the British National Party in the pic.No surprises the journo in question cant get a real job then if this is the best he/she can do

However, look at the rabble in the UAF pic -


I think the first pic is more than likely from the states- but could be wrong.

If you want to see the real people in the bnp, have a look at Voice of freedom, or attend one of the parties meetings, - youll be amazed at the difference.

Comment by steve from dundee-scotland — March 5, 2007 @ 3:06 am

The BNP do not stand for ‘Freedom Of Speech!’ Infact, the BNP opposed the production of Jerry Springer The Opera. See ; http://www.bnp.org.uk/reg_showarticle.php?contentID=475[BNP at Christian ‘Stop Springer’ meeting.Report compiled by Plymouth and East Cornwall BNP correspondent], ‘The BNP, Nutty Christians and Jerry Springer!’[http://libcom.org/node/6004]. The BNP are HYPOCRITES!

The BNP even stood a JEW as a candidate!!...‘JEWISH BNP CANDIDATE ELECTION STUNT CAUSES TURMOIL’

‘Election fever is sweeping the BNP as we head towards June and it is pulling out all the stops to maximise support. Nick Griffin loves a stunt, and the latest is the revelation that the fascist party intends to stand a Jewish woman in the council elections in June. By Steve Silver
Pat Richardson, who lives in Loughton, is set to represent the nazi party in the Epping Forest district council election.’

The BNP - The WEIRDEST COLLECTION OF MISFITS, SQUALID CRIMINALS AND LOONEY-TUNES SINCE THE THIRD REICH!!

Comment by Dennis Barton from Sheffield — March 5, 2007 @ 4:06 am

Yet more biased reporting, I would be happy if people would investigate the funding and practises of the UAF and such groups, who seem to have no greater purpose then to tell the british public who they should and shouldnt vote for, and use violence and intermadation to put over their views.

Why should who you vote for effect your job,, isn’t that discrimination ?

for an unbiased view on the BNP why not visit.

http://freedom74.proboards83.com/

Comment by freedom from nottingham — March 5, 2007 @ 4:32 am

Its clear that the BNP does not behave like a normal political party, and its history is riddled with violence, particularly racist violence.

BNP TERRORISTS

A mate of mine was interested in joining the BNP because of immigration issues, only to realise that in the last few weeks their have been MAJOR TERRORISM incidents linked to the BNP. But not only that! She was shocked to learn the true nature of the threat! Is there a decent party to stop immigration - please let us know…...

The recent shootings in the London Underground - a BNP member. The LARGEST HAUL OF EXPLOSIVES, FIRE-ARMS AND CHEMICAL WEAPONS EVER FOUND IN BRITISH HISTORY…two memebers of the BNP including a former BNP Candidate.
Friends with Italian terrorists

A strong influence on Griffin’s political development was the Italian fascist Roberto Fiore, a convicted terrorist. Fiore had arrived in Britain with several other wanted terrorists including people implicated in the bombing at Bologna railway station in 1980, which killed 85 innocent people, including a British young couple. Fiore belonged to the Italian Third Positionist NAR.

Griffin visited Colonel Gaddafi’s regime through the Libyan People’s Bureau in London, and expressing support for it and for Ayatollah Khomeini. Writing in Nationalism Today in 1985, Griffin praised the black separatist Louis Farrakhan, saying, “white nationalists everywhere wish [Farrakhan] well, for we share a common struggle for the same ends: Racial Separation and Racial Freedom”. Unsurprisingly this did not go down too well with rank and file members of the NF.

During this period, Griffin took an all-expenses-paid trip to Libya, along with Derek Holland, as guests of the Gaddafi regime.

The BNP’s conduct is consistently at odds with their claim to being the party of law and order.

Tony Lecomber, third in the BNP hierarchy, served three years in jail for a nail bomb plot. He got another three years in 1991 for stabbing a Jewish teacher and has 12 convictions in all.

Jason Douglas, one of the BNP’s leading candidates in the Greater London local elections, is a convicted football hooligan - as is Warren Bennett, the BNP’s chief steward.

Robert Bennett, a BNP activist in Lancashire, had to quit after it was revealed he had been jailed for his part in the gang rape of teenage girls.

David Copeland, serving life sentences for a series of murderous nail bombings of black and gay targets in London’s Brick Lane, Brixton and Soho, is another former BNP activist.

Joe Owens, 42, one of six candidates in Liverpool, is a notorious gangster.

He has served eight months for sending razor blades in the post to Jewish people and another term for carrying CS gas and knuckledusters. And in 1997 BBNP he was implicated in the murder of Stephen Cole, a former Liverpool footballer and club doorman.

Cole was hacked to death in revenge for the stabbing of one of Owens’ close friends.

But Owens is not only party leader Griffin’s personal minder, he holds a pivotal BNP role as its Liverpool organiser.

He also has links with notorious loyalist killer Johnny “Mad Dog” Adair.

Last week Owens was charged with assault on a 21-year-old man in Salford, Manchester.

Meanwhile, a man at the forefront of the BNP’s youth movement, Tony Wentworth, 19, is also facing a charge.

The leader of the Young BNP is standing in the Salford council elections.

But he has been accused of assault after an alleged incident outside Salford University, where he studies politics, on March 23.

Both Owens and Wentworth are due to appear before Salford Magistrates on Tuesday - two days before the local elections.

Another BNP candidate was fined last month for using threatening behaviour towards a pensioner on the campaign trail.

Paul Harris, 41, tore anti-racist papers from Joe Hayward, 67, as another BNP supporter held him. Mr Hayward fell over after Harris tugged, then released the papers.

Harris, the candidate in Barnsley, South Yorks, denied threatening behaviour but was convicted.

Meanwhile Kevin Scott, a former BNP regional organiser, hopes to win a seat in Gateshead.

But the 38-year-old has convictions for assault and threatening behaviour.

And Oldham candidate Mick Treacy has five convictions, including ones for theft, deception and public order offences.

Stephen Belshaw, standing in Amber Valley, East Midlands, was convicted ten years ago of attacking a Jewish solicitor.

And a list of the BNP’s Euro candidates includes more unsavoury characters intent on taking hate and bigotry to Brussels.

Sidney Chaney, standing in the Eastern region, is a former National Front member. In the 1980s his circle of friends included Desmond Fenwick, who was involved in police investigations into murders of gay men.

Chaney also had links with a gang of teenage robbers involved with both the NF and the extremist Nazi group The British Movement.

Simon Smith, on the Euro elections candidate list for the West Midlands, was suspended from his position of maths teacher at a Solihull school last month because of his ties with the BNP and for running a Nazi website.

Another West Midlands candidate, Mark Payne, once ran the 14 Words Press, the UK branch of a US book club dedicated to remembering US terrorist Robert Matthews.

Payne changed his name to Mark Matthews to honour his hero, who ran Nazi terror gang The Order.

Richard Chadfield, a North West candidate, has been an active extremist since 1978. And John Bean, a candidate in Scotland, is a lifelong fascist known as the “the British Dr Goebbels”.

The convictions above reveal the true nature of the BNP - a fascist and racist organisation full of thugs with criminal convictions.

Comment by Nic from South Yorkshire — March 5, 2007 @ 4:41 am

Hi, Im from Austaralia. My ancestors include prostitutes, beggars and theives. My great grandmother was convicted of stealino back to tg bread. I love Britain, its my motherland and I hope that all Australians will find their true roots back here in the UK. We all hold British passports, Im sure one day we will return to our true homeland, as long as we survive the onset of the skin cancer epidemic. Unless, we get sent back - a bit like a boomerang lol!! I support the BNP because I know that one day i will be welcomed back to Britain like millions of other Original Boat People.

Sincerely,

On behalf Of Australia - Land Of The Original Boat People.

Comment by TrueAussie from London — March 5, 2007 @ 5:05 am

Thanks Nic from S.Yorks, Yep! The terrorist BNP is at it again! Some British people cant see the wood for the trees! The BNP deny anything associated with violence and terrorism, yet theres proof allover the place, in the media, in the news, courts etc. I think the BNP are so arrogant that they claim that the only terrorists are Muslims, infact, its the media whos been very leniant on the BNP. We’ve had alsorts of moral panics regarding ‘Muslim Plots’ but no evidence! Such as the Manchester rycin Plot! No evidence! The case was thrown out of court! The media used it as Headlines! What about “THE BIGGEST HAUL OF BOMBS, CHEMICALS ETC” ever found in the UK????? Im British, I want to know about whats happening in my country! I agree WITH THE BNP , the media is biased - against Muslims…...POLICE found explosives at the BNP mans house! Caught Red handed! What HEADLINES? The REAL THREAT TO GREAT BRITAIN IS THE BNP and its whinging about bias - we want the TRUTH about these TERRORISTS AND ITS TERROR ORGANISATION. NOT MEDIA COVER-UPS! THE BNP SHOULD BE OUTLAWED LIKE AL-QAIDA NOW! PLEASE STOP SLEEP-WALKING! REMEMBER WHAT MARK COLLET SAID ABOUT SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL? [The BNP try to deny this, just look ON THE NET - there are many, many references to there is NO DENIAL MR BNP MAN!]“Churchill was a f****** c*** who led us into a pointless war with other whites standing up for their race.” mark collet

“Convicted bomb plotter hosts BNP web forum Mar 3 2007

Martin Shipton, Western Mail
 
A WHITE supremacist convicted of plotting to bomb a mixed-race church school in South Africa is hosting the British National Party’s website forum, it has been revealed.

The current issue of the anti-fascist magazine Searchlight contains a series of fresh revelations about the BNP, which is fielding a full slate of 20 candidates in the regional list section of the National Assembly elections in May.

The magazine reveals that the company of Lambertus Nieuwhof, who lives just over the English border in Peterchurch, Herefordshire, is registered as being in charge of the BNP’s website forum. In 1992 he was involved with the terrorist supremacist organisation Afrikaner Weerstand Beweging (AWB), which was doing its utmost to prevent the dismantling of apartheid in South Africa. Three men, including Nieuwhof, planted a bomb at the Calvary Church School in protest against its decision to become racially mixed. When the bomb failed to go off, one of the men lost his nerve, giving himself up to the police and turning in his two associates. Nieuwhof was one of the associates, and after a court case was given a 12-months suspended prison sentence.

Anti-fascist campaigner Ian Titherington, the Plaid Cymru Assembly candidate for Swansea West, said, “The BNP has been very keen to portray itself as a mainstream political party, but beneath its attempted veneer of respectability lurk the likes of this white supremacist. No respectable mainstream political party would have anything to do with Lambertus Nieuwhof.”

BNP spokesman Dr Stuart Russell said, “Even if he is involved with our website, so what? Peter Hain was a supporter of Nelson Mandela’s terrorist group in South Africa and read the funeral eulogy of a bomber who was executed.”
From icWales.co.uk National Website Of Wales.”

Comment by 100% BRITISH PATRIOT from GREAT BRITAIN — March 5, 2007 @ 5:44 am

The bnp are thugs and terrorists and should be banned.

Comment by Kathy from Brighton, UK — March 5, 2007 @ 5:51 am

BE AFRAID…...BE VERY AFRAID! 

THE BNP ARE FASCIST THUGS AND TERRORISTS WITH LINKS TO RIGHT-WING FASCIST GROUPS IN AMERICA AND EUROPE. THE BNP EVIDENTLY OPPOSE FREEDOM AND FREEDOM OF SPEECH.

Comment by G. Macintosh from Scotland — March 5, 2007 @ 6:09 am

The only groups to oppose freedom of speech are the morons of UAF/ANL, goverment funded searchlight, and other lunatic fringe groups, who fear the steady growth of British nationalism and the realisation that the common sense policies of the BNP are winning rapid support.
If these unwashed misfits commanded any kind of support they would have formed their own political party.
Instead they intimidate voters and try to influence the outcome of democratically held elections wherever the BNP stand candidates.
These are the real thugs and facists whose tactics get ever more desperate as they become increasingly ignored by a british people who are no longer fooled by the spin and lies of labour’s bully boys.

Comment by Steve Michael from London — March 5, 2007 @ 6:35 am

I see the UAF supporters woke up and got out their pits to spread their shyte.

What you forgot to put was how the BNP bomber had been expelled from the BNP and had been a TORY member/coumcillor for 20 years previous.

Why not instead of focusing and spreading lies on one political party, what about focusing on the BLAIR lies and corruption, or go back further to the TORY troubles, in which ministers were jailed.

Or how about how many LIB dem members have been jailed or taken to court for electoral fraud.

The BNP is a legitimate Party, and the UAF is standing against democracy under the veil of lies being funded by the socialist left wingers who have nothing else to do since NEW LABOUR nicked their party.

Comment by freedom from nottingham — March 5, 2007 @ 9:32 am

for any one who beieves only the B.N.P. are the criminals please go to this web page but beware for a sock in them who rule with that divine right

http://liarsbuggersandthieves.blogspot.com/2006/11/labour-criminals.html

Comment by john winston beatson from sheffield — March 5, 2007 @ 9:33 am

What has it got to do with any of these people which party Simone supports, anyones political preference is a matter of personal choice in a democratic society (Not that we have one any more) is a private matter, how dare these lefty scum try to bring her down for supporting a legitimate political party, i know why they are doing it, it is because they are very worried that thousands of ordinary British people are also supporting the party, are all these people fascists, no of course not, if fact the scum who are doing their best to discredit her are the fascists, not the BNP, who are standing up for the British people, they are the only party to do this, if these lefty scum are more happy in the company of immigrants, may i suggest that they all emigrate to somewhere nice like Jamaica of Africa, especially Mugabe’s terrority, i am sure they will feel more at home there, for the short time they are still able to breath air.

These people are a waste of space and are traitors to Queen and country, as is Blair and the Labour party, the sooner they are all ejected from our country the better for all the decent people left.

Ian Johnson

Comment by Ian Johnson from Hampshire, — March 5, 2007 @ 2:16 pm

— PopMatters sponsor —

Perhaps who-ever put this article together might look a little more closely at the pictures it chooses next time.

The BNP might be odious but it is a Legal political party which is commited to the democratic process.

The picture shown of the “White Nationalist Party” is an entirely different group which is violently opposed to the BNP and might more correctly be termed a terrorist group [whatever that means these days].

Posting misleading pictures to make the Modern BNP look like the brutish thugs that they may have been in the late 80s to early 90s is a gross misjudgement of the BNPs current appeal.

They have cleaned up, they are winning hearts and minds and they are a greater threat than ever because of this.

Failing to show them in their new facade means that when a nice little old gentlemen dressed in a conservative suit comes up to the door canvassing for the BNP the immediate reaction of the householder is to assume that the press are a pack of liars {although its not to hard to convince many people of this these days}.

Stick to accurate reporting and leave the twisting of the truth to the BNP and their far left equivalents.

Comment by James Deven from Bath — March 6, 2007 @ 12:02 am

john winston beatson from sheffield said ; “for any one who beieves only the B.N.P. are the criminals please go to this web page but beware for a sock in them who rule with that divine right.”

If john winston beatson says that the B.N.P. are not the “ONLY” group of liars, bigots, theives, crooks and criminals, he is speaking the truth. No one can complain! We all agree! So, even the B.N.P. admit to this!

I was totally disgusted to read about the B.N.P. members who were convicted of peadophilia, molesting children, and the one in one of the above comments about the gang rape of young girls by a B.N.P. activist ;

“Robert Bennett, a BNP activist in Lancashire, had to quit after it was revealed he had been jailed for his part in the gang rape of teenage girls.”


The B.N.P. are fighting with a traitorous Labour Parliament who has lied to the British public, and whos conceit is destroying Britain and the British social fabric. we must stop the B.N.P. from creating further problems for our country.
Normal working class people like me are the victims of these cockroaches, hyenas, and filthy ugly, perverts, rapists and thugs.

The B.N.P. are flea-bitten Orcs and their followers are braindead cabbages.Including the Ballerina (her boyfreind is South American!)What a dreg! The B.N.P. seem to pick-up all the dumb ones, the warped, and the misfits.

Im voting UKIP! Not for Terrorists, Perverts and Orcs!

Comment by Ms T. Evans from Leeds, West Yorkshire — March 6, 2007 @ 4:19 am

The BNP are Christian lunatics! Has anyone seen Their website - Christian Council Of Britain? The BNP are against our freedoms and quality of life by bringing-in Draconian laws given by a 2000-year-old Semite-god who spoke Aramaic {like arabic}who is as johnny foreigner as Bin Laden {beard, robes, etc} The BNP are thickos! what will they do with Jesus when he returns on his second coming? Send him back to Jew-land!

The BNP also uphold the Balsphemy laws, and were against Jerry Springer the Opera! The BNP are a threat to our freedom of speech just as are sikhs and muslims in recent times.

Please dont vote for this right wing/christian fundamentalist terrorist cuckoo lunatic crank party.

Comment by Clive from Liverpool — March 6, 2007 @ 4:46 am

i support the bnp, but not if they’re religious though. i mean its religion thats messedup everything, so why does the bnp use religion, especially a paki religion from wogland. im not voting bnp until they end all this crap. just cant vote for a party thats religious thats all.     
          **************

Comment by mick from london — March 6, 2007 @ 4:56 am

The photograph is not of a British National Party Demo, but of a group called White National Party an completely different political party.

Why do this unless you are not trying to deceive people?

Comment by Chris Hill from Lancaster UK — March 6, 2007 @ 5:02 am

THE BNP ARE JOKERS JUST LIKE THE UAF/ANL AND OTHER OUTLAW TERRORIST ORGANISATIONS IN BRITAIN TODAY.

HOW CAN YOU FOLLOW A MAN LIKE GRIFFIN WHO’S AS THICK AS TWO PLANKS - GOT A 3RD CLASS DEGREE IN LAW AND HAS A GLASS EYE!

IN THE KINGDUMB OF THE BLIND, THE ONE-EYED-MAN IS KING!!

“FREE-DUMB!!” , “FREE-DUMB!!”  , “FREE-DUMB!!”

Comment by Liam Broughton from UK — March 6, 2007 @ 5:08 am

A favourite trick of British national Party opponents when losing an argument is to start banging on about “BNP criminals.” So here is a very long list of Tory, Lib Dem and Labour criminals.

Labour’s criminals:

http://liarsbuggersandthieves.blogspot.com/2006/11/labour-criminals.html

Tory Criminals:

http://liarsbuggersandthieves.blogspot.com/2006/11/tory-criminals.html

Lib Dem criminals:

http://liarsbuggersandthieves.blogspot.com/2006/11/lib-dem-criminals.html

Comment by Steve Michael from London — March 6, 2007 @ 5:43 am

My brother used to be an active member of the BNP. He no longer is.

The BNP is extremely corrupt, has some of the most criminal and thuggish elements involved, including at least two rapists and a child molestor (who was standing in the European elections, but no longer is - he was exposed).

I mean, I wouldn’t vote for them because of the true fact that they are always fighting amongst eachother, one locally elected member slashed a fellow BNP member with a glass bottle!

Theres so much in-fighting, vendettas, and greivences, that my brother had to leave. Infact, he still gets threats from some of the memebers.

There will be a book published very soon. Forget about the recent case in Leeds. I believe that the careers of many BNP activists will be on the line. Leeds was nothing!
Allegations (with evidence from witnesses) of homosexuality, bomb plots, civil strife and anarchy, etc, etc…...Please look-out before the elections. Coming soon to a book shop near you!

The BNP aint seen nothin yet!

Comment by Rich from GBH — March 6, 2007 @ 5:52 am

All the political parties are the same! They all lie, decieve, and are bigots. we all know that. [So stop wasting your time - above comment!]

Simple fact is that the BNP have got the worst of them ; Rapists, nonces, perverts, terrorists, thugs, hooligans.

Im not voting Labour or Lib Dem or Conservative, and am MOST DEFINITELY NOT voting BNP!

Comment by Pat from Bristol — March 6, 2007 @ 6:04 am

The BNP & Freedom Of Speech??????

Tell you what, read this first! Its from the BNPs own website!

This proves that the BNP are liars and religious fanatics, who blame Muslims for everything. did the muslims boycot Jerry Springer? find out here : http://www.bnp.org.uk/reg_showarticle.php?contentID=475

Save our freedoms from all religious fanatics including the BNP!

Comment by Orc Finder General from England — March 6, 2007 @ 6:14 am

Well, I’ve read all the comments and based on those, I’ve made my mind up. It appears that the illiterate, flaming and downright obnoxious ones come from those against the BNP while the more measured, intelligent ones are from those pro-BNP.
Also, I remember that it was the UAF people who caused such a nuisance at the ballet in which Miss Clarke was the leading ballerina; it was 7 of the UAF people who were arrested at Leeds while the BNP people (composed of ordinary men and women of all ages) were orderly and complimented on this by the judge and West Yorkshire police. And it was 4 leftist thugs who attacked Nick Griffin last week without any provocation.
Yes, I’ve definitely made my mind up where I stand!

Comment by Mrs. Keats from Leicestershire — March 7, 2007 @ 9:23 am

The mainstream parties spend their time trying to fool all the people all of the time instead of using applying the truth that they have got Britain into the worst mess in the history of the planet, mainly due to their obsession with immigrants, the EU and the New World Order. On the other hand, the BNP tell us what we know to be the truth because we can see it with our own eyes and dont need gallons of brainwashing from the media or anywhere else. Ive been basically apolitic all of my life but I can no longer ignore either the destruction of my country or our way of life because of the evil manipulations of the self-serving mainstream morons. I therefoire have no alternative but to keep my voting form intact henceforth and use it as my small effort to save Britain from extinction.

Comment by Brian Fulty from England — March 7, 2007 @ 10:49 am

Dennis Barton from Sheffield. The BNP’s Jewish lady councillor Pat Richardson in Epping Forest is their group leader on that council which makes accusations of the BNP being an ‘anti-semitic’ party completely ludicrous. She is also doing a fine job.

Comment by Barry from Epping, Essex — March 7, 2007 @ 6:39 pm

As has been said many times on this site and elsewhere, the BNP are racist thugs, criminals and terrorists. see the platial map for some details:

http://platial.com/betterbritain/map/20273

Comment by BetterBritain from London — April 7, 2007 @ 3:55 pm

The BNP are a nazi party set up in the tradition of Mosley.  Amonst their ranks is Mark Collett who openly called Adolf Hitler a great man, and called Aids a friendly disease for causing the deaths of black and gay people, in a Channel Four news interview, a couple of years ago.  Nick Griffin wrote an anti-semetic pamphlet called “The Mindbenders”, in which he racially abused Jewish staff at the BBC.  Recently, a BNP member Robert Cottage was jailed for plotting a race war, and stockpiling chemical explosives in the largest haul ever recovered by Lancashire police.  Other BNP members have a string of convictions for criminal offences, including a Hull candidate threatening to burn down mosques. 
Registering as a bonafide political party, when they are in-fact a bunch of white supremacist racial and homophobicb bigots, doesn’t hide the sickening truth about the BNP. 
One of the sites regularly posted by BNP members is a vile pro-Hitler white supremacy website called Stormfront, which, to the unitiated, carries tributes to the likes of Hitler and Goebels, the Ku Klux Klan, whilst denying the holocaust happened, and calling black people “monkeys”.  Stormfront is run by klansman Don Black, and regularly features tributes to racists, nazis, and South-African apartheid leaders.
Oh, and that reminds me, the BNP London operations are run by convicted South African racisl terrorist Lambertus Nieuwhof, a cohort of Eugene Terreblanche. 
http://www.blink.org.uk/pdescription.asp?key=14250&grp=66
Just in-case people still need reminding, that despite their legal status at the ballot box, the BNP are sick-in-the-head neo-nazis.  They call mixed-race marriages “against the laws of nature” and only white people of pure-bred heritage are allowed to become BNP members. 
They are Britain’s version of the Aryan Brotherhood and the Ku Klux Klan, polished up with a touch of spin and self-denial.  Who can blame blue chip companies from refusing to fund neo-nazi propaganda.

Comment by Linda Lovelace from Burnley — August 7, 2007 @ 4:48 am

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