The media's dilemma

Coverage on Sky News for the Walker brothers
MORE evidence that the media are struggling with the thorny issue of how to cover news of the British National Party.

An item on the Sky News website this morning highlights remarks made by disgraced Home Secretary David Blunkett, but the body of the story concerning the persecution of the two BNP teachers, Adam and Mark Walker, comes across very clearly. Any right-thinking person ignores the silly Blunkett soundbite and feels uncomfortable for the two young teachers being discriminated against for their political beliefs.

You can read the report here.

There's a similar, desperately-seeking-negativity type of story in the Daily Telegraph also. The newspaper gleefully reports that the BNP have been unable to form a group in the European Parliament (25 MEPs needed) which can access another £2 million of European funding.

The report carries a rather sinister photo of Nick just to ensure the maximum negativity, yet journalist Peter Hutchison fails to realise that the article in itself - the British National Party on the European political stage - gives the BNP a huge credibility boost. See what I mean . . .

I'm glad too that Guardian columnist Hugh Muir has found our two new MEP's websites. He's a keen follower of everything BNP and it will give me an incentive to keep them updated knowing that Hugh might give them a plug in his Diary Column and put the Guardianista off their muesli and yogurt. Hugh's offering today is here.

Home of the Green Arrow is one of the websites that I visit every morning and I found two items on it today that particularly interested me.

Firstly concerning the claims about right-wing terrorism with a BNP link. Now this story has been around for nearly a week in various forms and started after Sir Norman Bettison, the chief constable of West Yorkshire Police, reported to security officials that a BNP membership card had been found after raids on various homes in Leeds.

The story was taken up by various news media outlets and quickly became BNP membership CARDS. If anyone has the time, it would be useful to bang in a Freedom of Information request to West Yorkshire police and ask exactly how many cards were found and what was the date on the card/s!

Green Arrow also reveals the dismay he felt when he saw a BNP speaker stand up to address a meeting with a thick wad of paper indicating a lengthy speech!

I'm speaking at a Copeland meeting tonight and I shall be keeping my address on my time as editor of Freedom short, and to the point. If you are coming to the meeting, don't worry about having a late night. Visit Green Arrow here . . .

One of my work colleagues for the next five years, Chris Beverley, has been out and about checking out European Parliament offices in Yorkshire and he has sent me some photos of possible options. Each one certainly looks fit for purpose so hopefully both Andrew's and Nick's first of three offices in each of the two regions can be confirmed in the next few days.