Category Archives: Northamptonshire

Flogging a dead horse : far right election candidates

This is a really bad time for the electoral ambitions of the far right.  In the run-up to the most unpredictable General Election for many years, the far right are nowhere.  With their own little parties in disarray, and most of their thunder stolen by the rise of UKIP (more on that later), only three candidates in the East Midlands are stepping up to lose their deposits on Thursday.  In Lincolnshire, the ludicrous pretend vicar Robert West is standing for the BNP in Boston & Skegness, whilst Cathy Duffy is the BNP candidate for Charnwood in Leicestershire.  The English Democrat’s one candidate in the region is the party’s National Secretary Derek Hilling, standing in Kettering, Northants; the ED were hoping to contest at least three seats in the county, but have decided not to spread their meagre resources too thinly, and are going all out behind Derek.  Hmm….

Rabbit in the headlights….Derek Hilling

 

There are more far-right candidates in the local council elections, also to be held on Thursday.

The BNP have Cathy Duffy (again) standing in Charnwood.  Duffy is an endangered species, being one of only two BNP councillors in the whole country, and the only one in the East Midlands.  We’ll see if she manages political survival on Thursday.  Meanwhile, the Derbyshire Blackshirt Paul Hilliard is standing, as usual, in Derby; and Marc Whitestone is standing in East Northamptonshire.

The English Democrats have two candidates, Oliver Healey and David Haslett, in Leicester.

The British Democratic Party, an Andrew Brons-inspired BNP breakaway, are standing five candidates in Leicestershire, which they regard as their stronghold – Kevan Stafford, Chris Canham, Julia Green and Paul Newman in Charnwood, and virulent muslim-hater Graham Partner in North-West Leics.


East Midlands local election results

 

Derbyshire BNP freefall continues

As predicted, the BNP’s four candidates in the region polled very poorly in Thursday’s local council elections.

In Amber Valley, Derbyshire, Ken Cooper came in fourth place in Ripley Ward with 80 votes – 3.2% of the poll.  In Codnor & Waingroves ward, Alan Edwards also came fourth with 39 votes, 2.8% of the poll.  However, both BNP candidates narrowly beat the LibDems into fifth place.  These results are even poorer than the 2010 elections, when the BNP polled 7.5% in Ripley and 4.2% in Codnor & Waingroves.

In Derby, Paul Hilliard came last in Chaddesden ward with 4% of the poll (136 votes), whilst Carol Tucker also came last in Derwent ward, with 3.1% (84 votes).  This is a significant drop from their performance in similar elections in 2012, when Hilliard polled 14.7% in Chaddesden and Julie Fuller polled 11.9% in Derwent.  That performance was itself a disappointment for the BNP in 2012 – how much lower can they go?

We have been enjoying Derbyshire BNP’s downhill trajectory for a few years now, and it’s good to see it continue.

 

New UKIP councillors

The most significant feature of the local elections was the dramatic rise in fortunes of UKIP.  They now have increased representation on several local councils in the region, with 8 councillors in North-East Lincolnshire, 3 in Daventry, and 2 in Derby.

Whilst enjoying the increased electoral irrelevance of the BNP and their ilk, the entry into the mainstream of a new brand right-wing nationalism in the guise of UKIP poses significant fresh challenges for antifascists.  We will be monitoring UKIP in the region closely.  This piece from the IWCA, written a year ago, is an interesting contribution to this vital issue.


More East Midlands far right candidates

The nominations are in for Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire and Nottinghamshire County Council elections. In all three counties there are fewer BNP candidates than in 2009 suggesting the party’s support has collapsed across the region.

Lincolnshire

  • Holbeach – Robert Malcolm Brian West (BNP)
  • Louth Wolds – John Atty (BNP)
  • Skegness South – Robert John Ashton (BNP)
  • Spalding East & Moulton – Anthony John Williams (BNP)

BNP had 23 candidates in 2009

Northamptonshire

  • Brickhill & Queensway – David Peter Robinson (BNP)
  • Clover Hill – Victoria Hilling (Eng Dems)
  • Corby West – Marc Gordon Riddell (BNP)
  • Croyland & Swanspool – Terry Spencer (Eng Dems)
  • Delapre & Rushmere – Mark Andrew Plowman (BNP)
  • Desborough – Kevin Sills (Eng Dems), Clive Skinner (BNP)
  • Hatton Park – Rob Walker (Eng Dems)
  • Irthlingborough – John Elvis Whitestone (BNP)
  • Kingsthorpe North – Peter James Whitestone (BNP)
  • Kingswood – Stella Wright (BNP)
  • Lloyds – Gordon Riddell (BNP)
  • Oakley – James Andrew Gordon Campbell (BNP)
  • Towcester & Roade – John Hughes (BNP)
  • Windmill – Derek Hilling (Eng Dems)

BNP had 12 candidates in 2009 and English Democrats had 4.

Nottinghamshire

  • Beauvale  – David Michael Matthew Wright (BNP)
  • Eastwood – Alex McConnell (BNP)

BNP had 15 candidates in 2009.


Links between UKIP and the BNP

The last few desolate years at the BNP have prompted masses of defections. Many tiny hopeless extreme right parties were formed but activists also tried their luck by swapping to other far right parties. So many ex-BNP activists signed up to the English Democrats, for example, that almost half of their candidates in the 2012 elections were ex-BNP. What is less well documented, though, is that ex-BNPers also defected to the (allegedly) more mainstream UKIP.

In a recent post on his Northants patriot blog, recent BNP-to-English Democrats convert, Rob Walker, has exploded UKIP leader Nigel Farage’s myth that “[UKIP] are the only UK political party that bars you from becoming a member, let alone an officer or candidate, if you have ever been involved with the BNP.”:

I know for a fact that there are members of UKIP who have been past members of the BNP, I also know of three people in Northamptonshire alone that held memberships simultaneously of both Parties!

The truth is that many on the far right, including those in street movements like the EDL, admire UKIP and see them as a less “toxic” (and more likely to succeed) version of the BNP. UKIP’s extreme authoritarian policies on immigration and anti-crime crusades as well as their hysterical fear of multiculturalism mean they are not so far removed from their openly racist bedfellows on the far right. It is no surprise that they attract former BNP members craving the possibility of actually getting some votes.

As fascist parties like the BNP implode we might expect to see UKIP slide further to the right in a bid to mop up their supporters.


Far right do badly in Corby

As well as seeing the far right fail to muster a single candidate for the Police & Crime Commissioner last week, they also did very badly in the Corby by-election. The BNP fielded Gordon Riddell who only got 1.7% of the vote (in 2010 the party got 4.7% in Corby) and the English Democrats’ David Wickham did even worse with 1.2%. That’s two more lost deposits for the fascists!


No English Democrat Police Candidates

We’re pleased to announce that there will be no English Democrats standing for Police & Crime Commissioner posts in any of the 5 East Midlands counties next week. Neither Elliott Fountain (Lincs) or Alan Spencer-Bennett (Northants) made it onto the ballot. That means that, UKIP aside, there are no far right candidates in the region.

We’d like to think our exposé had a little something to do with Fountain’s withdrawal – after all what party craving respectability would let an openly islamaphobic man, who can’t keep his arse in his trousers and supports far right violence against the police, run for head of the local police force? It’s about as sensible as a drug-taking anti-drugs candidate… Still, we’d have loved to have seen him come last with 25 votes again.


English Democrats announce Corby candidate

The “fash-lite” English Democrats have announced that David Wickham will be their candidate for the parliamentary by-election for the Corby seat, to be held in November.  Wickham’s main concern will be to scrap with the BNP and UKIP for votes, as the ED is attempting to carve itself a niche in the grubby world of nationalist politics.   Expect a fair measure of further right-wing infighting as the election gets closer.


More nationalist infighting

It’s not just the Leicester EDL and casuals who are splitting up this week. The English Democrats have enraged the BNP by inviting hated former BNP crook, anti-abortionist and loyalist, Jim Dowson, to do a PR campaign for them. This has involved using the BNP membership list, which it is rumoured that Dowson still legally owns, to spam existing BNP members with letters inviting them to join the EDs. Rob Walker, recent convert to the EDs from the BNP is “furious that this has happened” and Northants BNP members are none too happy either.

Anthony, posting on the Northants Patriot blog, writes:

Why on earth are the ED’s using this mans services for, this man is only interested in making cash and sees nationalists as fools to milk funds. He has repeatedly derided the ED’s in the past, im just dumfounded

Buisness is buisness says it all. Dowson … knew he could still make money from nationalists. Now [Britain First] is failing he sees the ED’s as the next cash cow … it shows that the movement is riddled with odious selfish little people with no view of the bigger picture

The criticism is not limited to Dowson. Walker’s decision to join the English Democrats also comes in for a lot of flak from disgruntled Northants fascists. For example, Anthony thinks that

I for one think the prospects of the ED,s are no better than that of the BNP. I could never join a party with that odious man Eddy Butler involved. The media woud give the ED,s the same treatment they have given to all nationalist groups that have had any hint of success… Once the media realise that ex BNP members are involved they will let rip. You will be back to square one.There are reports of many original ED members leaving because of the influx of ex BNP with many southern members quitting leaving a few former BNP branches in Yorkshire as their main areas of strength. its only a matter of time before splits and divisions occur. All that will be left is a clique of ex BNP whos sole reason for being there is because they dont like Griffin, hardly a motivation for success. ED,s, no thanks, not for me.

There are reports of groups like Britain First and the EDL starting to fragment,even the ED,s are showing signs of internal strains.

Roy Davies agrees:

Rest assured that as soon as the English Democrats are seen to present any threat to the established parties they will become the target of such attacks. As this party becomes more well known and starts to stand more candidates for election expect ever more from the “Dirty Tricks Brigade”.

Wim Wauters adds:

[Dowson’s involvement] and having Butler proves the EDL is just as rotten as the BNP. This is just another political party and that will let you down.

Anthony concludes:

[A]ll groups are the ‘property’ of various tinpot dictators who cannot work with each other. In my opinion its these so called leaders who have dragged us down…  There seems to be some kind of ingrained culture of plotting and back stabbing in the nationalist movement

We couldn’t agree more. It doesn’t matter what stripes these fascists brand themselves with, they remain fascists and will be targeted for anti-fascist action. That is why ourselves and other groups are increasingly focusing our attention on the English Democrats. They may be enjoying a temporary lull whilst the general public catches up but they can rest assured that they will become as hated as the BNP before long.


Another BNP organiser defects

East Northants BNP organiser and author of the Northants Patriot blog, Rob Walker, has announced his defection to the English Democrats in a bid to gain credibility. Describing being in the BNP as like “flog[ging] ourselves to death for nothing” he said “I have no faith in the leadership of the BNP and the name is toxic with the electorate.” He was damning about those remaining in the party saying “I cannot name one person now with the party that has the drive and desire and capability of leading it, and that includes Griffin.”

Walker joins the North West Leicestershire branch of the BNP who jumped ship in April and Boston councillor, David Owens, who defected before last year’s elections. As many as 43% of the English Democrat candidates in May’s local elections were former BNP members, hoping that they can avoid the “toxic” fascist label by donning a different coloured rosette.


Racist attacks in 2012

The Institute of Race Relations (IRR) has released its report on racist attacks in the first 6 months of 2012. They point out that “Given that these incidents were recorded in the local or (much less frequently) national press, they show only a tiny fraction of the true scale of violence.” However, three incidents from the East Midlands get a mention.

Under the heading of “Attacks, graffiti and threats by supporters of far right groups” the racist attack by Daventry EDL member, Charles Dickie, is noted.

2 March 2012: An EDL supporter told an Asian taxi-driver that he was ‘not welcome here’, pointing to EDL slogans on his T-shirt and launching a tirade of abuse. When he was arrested he sang EDL songs and police later found anti-Muslim posts on his Facebook page.

Dickie, who later denied he was racist, pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis and to smashing a police phone while in custody. He told police he “would be at the top one day” and warned “there better be lots of them as there will be 5,000 of me”. Police made a formal objection to a bail application after Dickie continued to make veiled threats during his time in custody over the weekend.

Dickie was found guilty of threatening the driver because of his religion in absentia after he refused to get into a prison van taking him to the trial. The magistrate heard he had made threats towards a planned mosque in Daventry to police. He was sentenced to 20 weeks in prison plus four weeks for failure to surrender to bail after an assault in Blackpool the previous year.

Also mentioned in the IRR report are an attack on Muslim taxi driver, Harun Shah Zaman, in Leicester and a racist attack on a Pakistani man in Northampton.

19 May 2012: Harun Shah Zaman, a taxi driver in Leicester, was brutally beaten and robbed by four passengers. One of the passengers headbutted him and another punched him in the face before the other two (female) passengers joined in the assault. The group then stole his wallet, his cash bag, his keys and his sat nav (which they smashed on the floor) and ran off. Despite there being several witnesses to the attack, nobody intervened.

2 April 2012: An Asian man was savagely beaten in an unprovoked racist attack in Northampton by a white male who was walking a pitbull–type dog. The victim, with his wife at the time of the incident, crossed the road away from the attacker when he racially abused them; but the white male then followed the couple and headbutted and punched him to the floor.

There is a high prevalence of anti-Muslim threats and violence in the region, as well as in the country at large, something that is stoked by the far right’s rhetoric and demonisation of the Muslim community. The IRR mention 9 far right racist incidents, of which 4 involved the EDL and one involved the North West Infidels EDL splinter.

We need to tackle these fascists and make sure the attacks stop.