Let Rajinder have the honour

Raj speaks at a BNP meeting in Northampton.

RAJINDER Singh had a regular a column in Freedom, the British National Party's newspaper, back in 2003 where he wrote about the dangers facing countries with a growing Muslim population.

In 2005 Rajinder appeared on the British National Party's television election broadcast, again warning on the consequences of our Government aiding and abetting the expansion of Islam within Britain.

Over the last seven years, Raj has spoken at numerous BNP branch meetings where he has been well received as he recounted the terrible events in India after partition and how his family suffered at the hands of Islamic fundamentalists.

Nick Griffin said yesterday that the BNP must adapt or die, and he's right.

The Labour Government and Trevor Phillips intend to "put the BNP out of politics" with a series of County Court actions that will bankrupt the Party if we contest them. If we don't contest them, the Party will be closed down and declared "illegal".

That means that we will be unable to contest elections and, for me, a near lifetime of campaigning will have all been for nothing.

I first wrote off to express my support for the National Front in 1974. Two years later I joined the Party. In 1977 I became an official of the Party and in 1979 started editing the Nationalist newspaper Sussex Front.

In 1983 I became a full time worker and editor of NF News. In 1985 I became a political prisoner, after refusing to pay a fine imposed for an alleged breach of this country's race relations laws (see blog header).

In 2002 I became editor of Freedom and produced 80 issues before becoming Nick and Andrew's communication officer in July of this year.

With this political background, I believe I have the right to express my opinion on the future of the British National Party.

I say adapt and survive and give the brave and loyal Rajinder Singh the honour of becoming the first ethnic minority member of the BNP.

UAF being investigated over College Green demonstration

THERE'S an interesting local council by-election in Blackpool today. Here are the details:

Blackpool Borough Council
Stanley Ward
Thursday 20th August 2009
Michael Hodkinson (Lib-Dem)
John Jones (Lab)
Les Joy (BNP)
Jean Kendrick (Con)
Colin Porter (UKIP)

I'm hoping for a vote of over 10% and to run UKIP very close for 4th place. I understand that the local team, ably led by candidate Les Joy, has worked very hard and made an impact with a series of topical leaflets. Unfortunately Les has been struck down with swine flu in recent days, but thankfully the campaigning was mostly completed before he was sidelined.

Probably the biggest compliment for our campaign has come from the anti-BNP brigade. They have deemed it necessary to put out two leaflets this week ordering voters not to vote for the British National Party.

On the subject over local council elections, I must report a very promising result from Norfolk last Thursday. Here it is:

King's Lynn and West Norfolk
Gaywood Chase Ward
John DOBSON (Conservative) 202
John COLLOP (Labour) 194
Ian SWINTON (Liberal Democrat) 167
David FLEMING (British National Party) 90
Viv MANNING (Green) 52
BNP Percentage: 12.8%

What's especially pleasing about this one is that's it's Norfolk and a considerable improvement on the 2.5% we received in the Norwich North parliamentary by-election which was our last outing in the county.

I received an interesting update yesterday from Michael Barnbrook, the Party's Law and Order spokesman. He wrote:

"On 12th June, 2009 you emailed me with regard to the law prohibiting demonstrations in Parliament Square without authorisation.
"As a result of your information, I made a Freedom of Information request to the Metropolitan Police asking them whether UAF had obtained authorisation from the Metropolitan Police Commissioner to hold a demonstration. They hadn't and are now being investigated for holding an illegal demonstration."

UAF supporters are facing prosecution over their attack on Nick Griffin and Andrew Brons outside the Houses of Parliament.

I've just seen the nearly completed September issue of the Voice of Freedom and it looks very good. Mark Collett has asked me for a final few filler stories this morning, so that's what I'm off to do now.

And finally a quote from a Denby resident in the Derby Times this morning which sums up the commonsense approach.

"It's been very disruptive, we couldn't go shopping this morning. I think if the protesters just left the BNP alone it would be ok. The amount of money which has been spent on this is ridiculous."

You can read the full report here.

'Riot Act' read to the new EU staff

NICK Griffin MEP pulled no punches at a meeting of all new EU staff held in South Yorkshire on Monday.

The staff were told in no uncertain terms of what was expected of them and any not pulling their weight would be off the team 'before their feet could touch the ground'.

We were told that we must "take responsibility", "use our initiative", "look the part" and be the "very best ambassador" for our two MEPs.

Nick also warned those present that they must be meticulous in their recording of the work they do to ensure that there is no "crossover" between work for the MEP and work for the British National Party. To this end each member of staff will have a journal which must be filled in on a daily basis to record the work done.

He reported that the European Parliament was looking at the constituency operation of two BNP MEPs with a magnifying glass and were being "assisted" by TWO freelance investigators paid for by the Labour Party. Their sole full time job is to monitor the BNP's European Parliament operation.

"They want to catch us crossing the line between EP work and BNP work. If this were to happen we will then be suspended and all are allowances stopped and you will be out of a job," he said.

Nick then recounted the details of MEPs who in the past have fallen foul of this not only using their EP money to fund their Party's political activities, but in one case to pay the wages of workers in a factory one owned!

But as well as laying down very strict terms of employment there was also a good briefing of what was expected of everyone politically. We must be proactive in all our investigations to show the constituents that come to us for assistance that we will do all we can to help them with their problems.

"We have to show them that we are different from the representatives of the Old Gang parties and that if there is a way to help them we will find it," he said.

"If we perform well as MEPs within our constituency, this will be the greatest advert that the British National Party can possibly have. Word will spread within the communities of the North West and Yorkshire that the BNP cares and will do its best on their behalf."

Andrew Brons MEP went into more detail of how the two MEPs could help their constituents.

"We can make a speech in the European Parliament. We can make a speech in our parliamentary committee. We can ask questions which will receive a written answer and we can make a written declaration," he said.

Both MEPs need expert advice for the committees that they are on and staff were asked to try to locate these people with the Party or within their constituencies. Experts on the environment, and industry, research and energy for Nick, and experts on constitutional matters and civil liberties for Andrew.

Staff were told not to expect any all expenses paid jaunts to swan around Brussels, their work was expected to be done within the constituency starting from day one working towards getting the two BNP MEPs re-elected in five years time.

It was a good constructive meeting which left us knowing what was expected of us for the next six months if we wanted to have our short term contracts renewed.

The first of the Commemoration Cards

LATE on parade today as there were some vital tasks to undertake first.

I promised the BNP website editor that I would post an article on the main website each day while he's taking a well-earned break away. Yesterday I had to leave early for a meeting in Preston so was unable to do so - hence that was my first job this morning.

The second job was to send off to the printers the special, limited edition, Commemoration Cards for the Red White & Blue. If he didn't get them before lunchtime there might have been problems in getting the right delivery date. Hopefully everything is OK.

As promised, visitors to the website get the first look at the cards. This is the one for Andrew.



I'm delighted with them and have just ordered a couple of laminated A0 posters to hang up outside the EU tent.

You will be able to buy your 'personalised' A5 300gm gloss Andrew Brons Commemorative Card at the RWB for a bargain price of just £2.00. It's personalised because I shall be sitting at a desk in the tent writing your name with a special calligraphy pen or permanent marker in the space provided.

I'm hoping they will sell well and all the profits will go Andrew's English Fair Fund to help patriotic good causes in the Yorkshire and the Humber region.

The meeting in Preston was very enjoyable with a range of speakers at an excellent venue. The pub was spotless, the service was attentive and the buffet delicious. Preston are very lucky to have such place for their meetings.

There was an interesting chap there who Tina spoke with at length afterwards. A Morning Star reader who helped organise the miners' campaign during the strike! While a lot of what he said with regard to economic issues was spot on, but I was disappointed that he criticised Freedom, during my time as editor, for not covering enough economic issues. I don't think he's right there.

He was also wrong on another matter. He claimed that the National Front supported Margaret Thatcher against the miners. That's total cobblers. When I was the editor of NF News and later The FLAG, both newspapers backed the miners completely and carried numerous reports about our members handing over food parcels and joining picket lines.

Meeting of the staff working in the North West constituency office tomorrow morning, so I shall have to get this blog done before then.

OK . . . I over reacted!

Mr Angry yesterday - all quite unnecessary really.
I HAVE been criticised in some quarters for my blog yesterday and I'll take that on the chin.

I would like to say here and now that our BNP website team does a brilliant job. But you don't need me to tell you that, the figures for the number of hits it receives each day shows just how popular it is.

Of course, the BNP website team has lifted articles from my blog before and I didn't say anything so they are surprised and understandably upset that I should suddenly get on my high horse.

This is a strange time. Wholesale changes across the Party and those of us who have been in our comfort zones for nearly a decade now face new challenges. It is a sensitive time and everyone is feeling a little vulnerable.

What upset me was that it looked as though I had posted the article on the BNP website myself. If it had had an introduction saying that this report has been taken off Martin Wingfield's blog, it would have been much more acceptable.

When something appears on this blog it's up for discussion when it appears on the main website it seems more like policy.

Now I hadn't run my thoughts past either Nick or Andrew who are my new bosses and who have entrusted me with publicising their work as MEPs. What must they have thought seeing a quite clear policy direction dictated by their communications officer posted on the main BNP website without any consultation. It would appear very presumptuous and that's what upset me.

Hopefully the outcome of this affair will be that the BNP website team think . . . . "that Wingfield's a prickly old sod, better check it's OK before we lift anything from his blog in future."

Disappointment in Northern France last night when an unholy alliance of mainstream and far-left political parties grabbed a narrow victory over the Front National in Hénin-Beaumont.

Voters apparently responded to appeals from high-profile politicians and celebrities to elect a leftwing mayor, defeating the candidate of Jean-Marie Le Pen's party by 52% to 48%.

Daniel Duquenne, who scored just 20% in the first round of the election against the FN's Steeve Briois's 39%, was elected only after the political opposition joined forces to prevent the FN taking control of the former mining town.

My colleagues Clive Jefferson and Alistair Barbour are speeding (not literally I hope) down the M6 as I speak to a demonstration in support of Robin Evans and the Lancashire Four - details on the main website.

Tina and I are still on the office search here in the North West while Chris Beverley is doing the same in Yorkshire.

I spoke with Nick Griffin MEP last night and he says he definitely favours a campaigning office in the centre of a community rather than a remote prestige office. I'm hopeful that we can combine the two - prestige AND in the centre of the community - and I might just have something up my sleeve.

Busy week ahead with a branch meeting in Copeland, regional meeting in Manchester and then a staff meeting at the weekend.

I had been hoping to get to Workington Reds vs Carlisle United on Saturday, a 'friendly' that always has a lot of passion associated with it, but now, for me, that first football match of the 2009-10 season will be at a later date.