Last weekend saw an intensification of the British National Party’s campaign in Barking and Dagenham with thousands of doors knocked on and tens of thousands of leaflets distributed, reports national organiser Eddy Butler.

“On Sunday, Nick Griffin canvassed areas of his Barking constituency and took a look at the latest billboard in our local advertising campaign,” Mr Butler said.

“This billboard, which highlights the housing scandal, presided over by the incompetent Labour run council, is a very professional eye-catching design and has already attracted a lot of local attention,” he said.

Despite the cold, wet weather, the response on the doorsteps was very encouraging. “I have never experienced such strong support on the doorstep anywhere in the country,” Mr Butler continued.

“The good people here do not need convincing. They can see for themselves what is happening to their borough. But the personal touch — showing that we care — is vital, so we need our activists to get here and show presence on the ground.”

Mr Griffin was later joined by BNP GLA member and local councillor Richard Barnbrook and Dagenham and Rainham parliamentary candidate Michael Barnbrook, who pointed out a perfect example of the truth of the BNP’s “Africans for Essex” revelations (picture left).

“The Labour Party has deliberately transported African migrants into this part of Essex in order to create an electorate willing to vote Labour,” Mr Butler said.

The British National Party in Scotland aims to have at least twelve candidates in the forthcoming general election, BNP Scotland leader Gary Raikes has announced.

Speaking at a Scottish organisers’ meeting held last Sunday, Mr Raikes confirmed that the party had already lined up ten candidates and was in the process of selecting the remaining two.

“We are confident we can make the full twelve candidate target,” Mr Raikes said, adding that the party had already reached its initial aim of ten seats to be contested.

The organisers’ meeting dealt with candidate administration issues, dealing with the media and campaign tactics.

Aberdeen organiser Barry Scott reported that his group will be putting up two billboards to aid Susan Ross’s campaign, a first for the BNP in Scotland.

“We are also hoping to secure the truth truck for a tour of our target seats backed up by a newspaper campaign based on the Barking paper used down south,” Mr Raikes added.

A new organiser for Lothian, David Orr, has been appointed to build on the good work done by Mike Coyle who, due to family bereavement, has had to stand down from the role. “I know all BNP members will wish him and his family well; we are all thinking of Mr Coyle at this difficult time,” Mr Raikes said.

Mr Orr’s father has been one of Scotland BNP’s longest serving activists and is a candidate in the coming election.

“A fundraising evening with guest speaker Cllr Paul Golding will be held in Aberdeen on Feb 16th followed by another event in Glasgow in March with Chairman Nick Griffin,” Mr Raikes said.

“This weekend activists from Glasgow are travelling to Aberdeen to help Susan’s campaign. BNP Scotland have candidates standing in all North East seats in this election which is another first,” he concluded.

The man proudly posing in the image below is Frank Maloney. He happens to be UKIP’s prize clown candidate in the battle for Barking.

You may spot the mistake in his garish campaign poster.

Maloney

In a statement typical of UKIP’s underestimation of the electorate’s intelligence, Maloney claims that spelling Britain wrong was a deliberate error.

The failed footballer, failed jockey, one-time chef and boxing manager said:‘I did that on purpose to see how many people pay attention’.

This follows his boxing match challenge to BNP Leader Nick Griffin, perhaps forgetting that Mr Griffin was a ‘Boxing Blue’ at Cambridge University, and that the latter hasn’t suffered two heart attacks –  unlike Maloney.

Ashfield British National Party has kicked off its election campaign with their very first table top outreach in Hucknall market area, reports organiser Edward Holmes.

“We were very well received with lots of well-wishers, hooting cars and council van drivers waving,” Mr Holmes, who is also the BNP candidate in an upcoming council by-election in the town, said.

“The reaction gave us all a boost, especially those helping for the first time,” he said.

The local paper also came out on the same day and as is becoming increasingly common, gave the BNP some very fair coverage.

The table top was followed up the next day with an intensive leafleting campaign which saw nearly 2,500 BNP pieces delivered through doors in the town, Mr Holmes continued.

“We will have our own members’ meeting on 18 February at which we aim to raise sufficient funds to fight the general election in Ashfield,” Mr Holmes concluded.

Around 150 people attended the latest Barnsley British National Party branch meeting, reports organiser Ian Sutton.

“We had two excellent speeches and a large collection which will drive the party forward in what is fast becoming a BNP stronghold,” Mr Sutton said.

The first speaker was local super activist Colin Porter who is a firm favourite at the BNP town stall every Saturday. Mr Porter revealed how Barnsley council has stopped area forum meetings and voted to ban public questions being asked at full council meetings.

“How can that be democracy?” Mr Porter asked.

He also revealed how the BNP team’s vigilance had caught officials deliberately putting BNP ballots on the Conservative Party’s table during the European election campaign count. These votes were critical in getting Andrew Brons elected as an MEP in the region and Mr Porter described the election as one similar to that run by ZANU in Zimbabwe.

Next speaker was BNP foreign affairs spokesman Arthur Kemp who discussed how the British people qualified as an indigenous nation but had been betrayed by the Labour and Tory parties to mass immigration and globalism.

“When you see the Labour and Conservative parties supposedly debating, they remind me of two cats at night on a fence making a noise. You don’t know if they are fighting or mating, because the noise is the same,” Mr Kemp said.

* Local Barnsley MP Eric Illsley has been named as another parliamentarian facing possible criminal prosecution over a disputed claim for £6,000 in council tax.

Former paratrooper Peter Greenwood has been selected as the British National Party’s parliamentary candidate for the seat of Heywood and Middleton, it has been revealed.

Making the announcement yesterday during a day of action in Heywood town centre, Rochdale and Rossendale organiser Joe Nealon said that Mr Greenwood has “served his country for 17 years in 27 different countries. He is now on the front line once again fighting for the honour to serve his community in Westminster.”

Mr Greenwood is also the party’s lead candidate in the push to break through into the council chambers of Rochdale.

The day of activity saw activists set up a table top in the town centre. Over 1000 leaflets and over 100 Voice of Freedom newspapers were sold.

“”We received massive public support during our high profile town centre campaign,” Mr Nealon continued. “Mr Greenwood is a superb candidate and representative for the party and we are confident that come election day, people will support him.”

British National Party national organiser Eddy Butler is to challenge the Armed Forces Minister Bill Rammell in his Harlow Constituency in the forthcoming general election, it has been announced.

With the BNP campaigning vigorously on the theme “Support our Troops, Bring our Boys Home” with respect to Britain’s involvement in the war in Afghanistan, Mr Rammell will be exposed at every available opportunity, Mr Butler told BNP news.

“Mr Rammell is also a Euro fanatic. In October 2009, he was ordered to repay £2,782 in wrongful expenses claims. He was also heavily involved in the discussions which led to the release of the Libyan terrorist responsible for the Lockerbie bombing,” Mr Butler said.

“Luckily, it is extremely unlikely that Mr Rammell will resume his seat after the next election. He has the third smallest majority of any Labour MP, only 97 votes.  This marginal constituency is in west Essex and mainly consists of the ‘new town’ of Harlow, with some surrounding rural areas of Epping Forest.”

Harlow Parliamentary constituency consists of the following County Council electoral divisions, all of which were contested by British National Party candidates in June 2009:

Harlow North — 716 votes, 12.9%

Harlow West — 1,381 votes, 15.1%

Harlow South East — 677 votes, 14.0%

North Weald and Nazeing — 612 votes, 12.0% (only half of the last division, which falls under Epping Forest District Council, is in the constituency).

“I know Harlow very well,” Mr Butler said. “All the problems seen in London are fast appearing out here now, and many local people came to Harlow to get away from all that.

“When I attended the count in Harlow last June the BNP votes were very impressive. Harlow is a fast developing area for the British National Party in Essex and I hope that my campaign in this seat will establish us in an even stronger position.”

Picture: Geoff Williams (left), Harlow Group Organiser with Eddy Butler (right), on a fact-finding visit to the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow.

£2,700 was raised at the latest packed out meeting of the Crawley and Horsham Branch of the British National Party, reports our South East correspondent.

“The Crawley and Horsham branch has also set the standard for other branches and groups in the South East region by declaring that they will stand candidates in three constituencies in the forthcoming election,” regional organiser Mr Andy McBride said.

The standing room only meeting was introduced to all three candidates. Mr Daniel McDonald, who will be contesting Horsham for the BNP, gave a powerful speech on the state of the country and especially that of the Horsham constituency neglected by sitting Tory MP Francis Maude.

Mr McDonald pointed out that Tory Mr Maude is a director of a blacks-only school in London, the Eastside Young Leaders Academy, which boasts on its website that it aims to “produce Britain’s first black prime minister.”

Mr Maude is “part of the treacherous team of MPs ready to sell out our traditions and culture off to the highest bidder,” Mr McDonald told the meeting.

Branch organiser Richard Trower will stand for the BNP in Crawley. He spoke on the need to work harder for the party, reminding all that the “Quislings in Parliament are doing their best to disrupt the workings of the British National Party through draconian and undemocratic laws.”

Mr Stuart Minihane, who will be standing for the BNP in Mid Sussex, was then introduced to the crowd. This is the first time that there will be a BNP candidate in that seat, and the crowd welcomed this announcement with rapturous applause.

“This is the very best of news and will send shockwaves through the establishment in the Sussex area,” Mr McBride told the meeting.

“We now have a task to raise the funds for this campaign and we ask that you dig as deep as you can to support this election.”

Mr McBride continued the meeting with the newly formulated “Candidates Auction” programme which raised the £2,700.00 collected at the function.

This means that all three candidates will have a highly professional leaflet, designed by Mark Collett, and delivered by the Post Office to every home in all three constituencies.

The meeting closed on a high as many members stepped forward to offer help canvassing and extra leafleting.

The Canterbury branch of the British National Party aims to contest at least four parliamentary seats in its region, local organiser Denis Whiting has announced.

Speaking at the latest meeting of Canterbury BNP, Mr Whiting identified the seats as Folkestone and Hythe, Dover and Deal, Ashford and Sittingbourne, and Sheppe.

Mr Whiting pointed out that the BNP was for the first time receiving objective coverage from the local free newspaper, quoting a recent article which accurately described the growth and activity of the party in the area.

Guest speaker was former Conservative Party Westminster Councillor Peter Strudwick, who delivered a compelling speech on all the ways in which the Government and the established political parties are destroying Britain.

Mr Strudwick laid particular emphasis on the vital importance of encouraging British ownership of British industry, citing the recent loss of Cadbury as the type of national disaster which had to be averted at all costs.

The meeting raised £240 towards the election fund.

The South West region of the British National Party is pleased to announce that it has finalised the selection of another two candidates who will contest the Plymouth Moor View and Torbay constituencies at the forthcoming election.

In Plymouth Moor View, 32-year old businessman and Plymouth resident, Roy Cook will be carrying the party’s banner, while former nurse and Torbay resident Ann Conway will contest Torbay.

Mr Cook, an arboriculturalist by trade, said that as well as “campaigning on local issues that affect the people of Plymouth, he will concentrate on exposing the lies behind the war in Afghanistan and will demand that all British troops be withdrawn immediately.

Ms Conway said she would “do all I can to see that money from the public purse was spent on local people” and campaign on local issues such as health and education.

NICK GRIFFIN visited West Cumbria today in his capacity as the Member of the European Parliament for the North West of England.

The MEP, who has asked two questions in the European Parliament concerning aid from the European Union’s Emergency Fund being made available to be channelled into the region, wanted to see first-hand how the recovery of Cockermouth was taking shape.

When Nick arrived in the town’s Main Street he toured the shops being renovated and was given a rundown on the progress by workmen. He then went to Mitchells Auction rooms where some of those businesses that have been flooded out of Main Street were being temporarily housed. There he met with members of the Rotary Club of Great Britain which are providing a very welcome one-off payment to families in need with money raised from its members throughout the country.

He was filmed on the banks of the River Cocker, where it meets the River Derwent and heard from local residents about the night when the ‘tidal wave’ hit the town.

After Cockermouth it was on to Workington where Nick laid flowers at Northside Bridge where PC Bill Barker lost his life saving others. The state of the bridge shocked the MEP and the film crew accompanying him. A busy main road had been clinically demolished by the torrent of water and the scale of the destruction was brought home by the size of the gap over the River Derwent.

Nick told local journalists:

“It’s been a very useful day. I have spoken to many people involved in the recovery and although progress is being made there are concerns about the slowness of some work, especially with regard to the transport infrastructure of the area.

“I also spoke to a number of residents who are upset because although the Cumbria Flood Appeal has raised over £2.2million, just a few hundred thousand pounds has been handed out. People need money now to help get their lives back in order. There needs to be a real shake up here to get the money to where it’s needed most.”

The MEP is now going back to Brussels to host an exhibition in the European Parliament on the floods in West Cumbria to help raise awareness amongst other MEPs about what has actually taken place in part of his Euro-Constituency. Prior to his visit, Nick Griffin made a £1,000 donation to the Cumbria Flood Appeal from his English Fair Fund into which he pays 10% of his European salary each month.

The newly formed Eastbourne branch of the British National Party raised an astonishing £1,100 at its first ever meeting, reports South East Nominations and Elections Officer Nick Prince.

“The Eastbourne branch is one of three new groups to have formed out of the old Hastings unit which has had to subdivide due to the massive increase in membership and activity in the region,” Mr Prince told BNP News.

The first meeting was chaired by Organiser Colin Poulter and attended by around 40 people. Mr Prince, who has won local fame after appearing in what was a comparatively unbiased recent BBC documentary on the Inside Out programme, was the guest speaker.

He spoke about the effect the new Equality Act would have on the party and how it could benefit from the changes. For example, Mr Prince said there would no longer be any “reason” for the Church of England forbidding its clergy from joining the BNP. The same would apply to the teaching professions.

He ended the evening by holding a Dutch Auction which raised £700. When this was added to the £400 already donated by the meetings’ attendees, the final total of £1,100 was gratefully received and acknowledged by fund holder Brian Dale.

Mr Prince said the Eastbourne branch will definitely be standing a candidate in Eastbourne this year, which will be the first time there has been a BNP candidate contesting that seat. In addition, plans are well underway to field candidates in next year’s Borough Council elections.

It is with great regret that Black Country British National Party must announce the unexpected passing of super activist and stalwart Denis Adams.

Mr Adams, a ten year veteran of the party, passed away unexpectedly last weekend as he was preparing to take part in yet another round of leafleting and literature distribution, his favourite activity.

He was very well known locally and nationally in party circles and served as a father figure to many new activists over the years.

“He was a pillar of support for us,” one Black Country BNP activist told BNP News. “He was always straightforward, and when we were sometimes at our wit’s end, he would just say that the only thing to do was to be there for the party no matter what.

“His advice was always to take things one step at a time and keep pushing forward. The great success which Black Country BNP has enjoyed is largely due to the efforts and determination of people like Denis.”

Mr Adams is survived by two daughters.

Rest in Peace, safe in the knowledge that others will pick up your baton and carry you forward in spirit to victory for our nation.

Picture: Mr Adams, right, at last year’s Remembrance Day parade with West Midlands organiser Alwyn Deacon.

THE British National Party’s General Election campaign in the Workington constituency in West Cumbria is now in full swing with leaflets going out in Cockermouth, Seaton and Clifton as well as the Workington town wards of Moor Close, Salterbeck and Harrington.

This morning in temperatures of -3C, Prospective Parliamentary Candidate Martin Wingfield and his agent Paul Stafford were out in Christchurch ward in Cockermouth put out a special edition of a local newsletter.

“First off it was bitter and your hands were nearly frozen within minutes,” said Martin. “But after half an hour things warmed up a bit and we put in a good three hour stint to make significant in-roads into the ward.

“This part of Cockermouth is quite upmarket and being on a hill over-looking the town escaped the flooding. But residents have still suffered with the heart of the town closed for all those weeks and there’s still major disruption.”

Martin was able to spend the morning leafleting as he has been on flexi-time in his role working to MEPs Nick Griffin and Andrew Brons.

“I had four hours ‘over-time’ accrued so I took this off this morning in lieu, to get the campaign underway in Cockermouth,” he said.

Paul Stafford faces a hectic three months for as well as organising the election effort in Workington, he is also the agent for Chris Davidson, the BNP’s candidate for the Penrith & the Borders constituency.

COLD IN COCKERMOUTH: -3C this morning, so BNP candidate Martin Wingfield wraps up warm.

The South West region of the British National Party is pleased to announce its candidates for three parliamentary constituencies: North Devon, Poole and St Austell and Newquay.

In North Devon, 51-year old former RAF serviceman, fire fighter and Ilfracombe resident Gary Marshall will carry the party’s flag.

“As well as concentrating on issues that matter to the people of North Devon locally, I will be strongly campaigning for the immediate withdrawal of our brave troops in Afghanistan. Bring our troops home, now,” Mr Marshall said.

In Poole, 57 year old management consultant and Poole resident, David Holmes, will be the BNP candidate.

In addition to seeking the withdrawal of our troops from Afghanistan, Mr Holmes said he would campaign on the “main core issues that affect us, namely immigration, EU membership, law and order, and taking care of our sick and elderly.

“I believe that the BNP is the only party that has the political will to actually make a change for the better,” Mr Holmes told BNP News.

In St Austell and Newquay, 30-year old transport worker James Fitton will be fighting that seat for the BNP.

“My number one issue will be the immediate withdrawal of our brave troops from Afghanistan,” Mr Fitton told BNP News.

“My campaign will also be run on local issues such as low wages and affordable housing,” he added.

Dorset British National Party has resumed its weekly leafleting sessions in preparation for the forthcoming general election, reports our South West correspondent.

The number of activists has doubled after Dorset BNP held its last meeting in 2009, he continued.

“We regularly distribute 1000 leaflets per session and come rain or shine our activists are leafleting somewhere in Dorset every week.

“As Dorset is such a large area it is heartening to know we now have such a good core of reliable and dedicated activists,” the correspondent said.

“As pleased as we are with our progress, there is no resting on our laurels. Without any doubt there are more supporters and potential members out there. It is just a matter of getting our message across to them,” he said.

The British National Party branch in South Tyneside is keeping up the pressure and is aiming to fight all 18 wards on 6 May, according to organiser Peter Hodgkinson.

Speaking to BNP News after yet another successful and now regular table top outreach in Jarrow over the weekend, Mr Hodgkinson said his branch would also be contesting both parliamentary constituencies.

“Jarrow and South Shields are to have BNP representation for the first time in a general election,” he said, adding that the party was also presently contesting a local by-election in the Primrose ward.

“South Tyneside BNP has never stopped campaigning since the Euro elections. We have continuously delivered our quarterly Patriot leaflets and have held regular paper sales.

“We also contested a by-election in Westoe ward last year, where our candidate, Les Lovelock, received a good vote in a first-time out contest,” Mr Hodgkinson said.

According to South Tyneside fund holder, Martin Vaughan, the local party’s financial situation is also sound. “Our growth over the last three years has seen a doubling in the number of candidates,” Mr Vaughn said.

“Our regular meetings and paper sales generate the money to pay for local Patriot leaflets and to contest elections. We also have one of the regional Riso printers at our disposal which does the majority of our printing.”

Mr Hodgkinson paid tribute to regional organiser Ken Booth. “We have come a long way since Ken Booth made us a stand-alone branch in 2007. Before that we were just South Tyneside contacts of the mega Tyneside BNP alongside contacts from Newcastle, Gateshead and North Tyneside. We cut our teeth with Tyneside BNP, attending local training days and contesting elections under the guidance of Mr Booth.”

Mr Booth told BNP News that he “always knew that South Tyneside BNP would take off. As a branch which started from nothing, they are a model for anyone to follow,” he said.

“It was a pleasure helping them man the stall over the weekend and the response from the public was phenomenal. The BNP vote looks like it is going to surge in South Tyneside again this year. The BNP are the ‘modern-day’ Jarrow Crusade,” Mr Booth said.

The British National Party’s prospective parliamentary candidate for the north east Sedgefield constituency will be former teacher Mark Walker, it was announced at a meeting in Chilton, County Durham, last week.

Mr Walker’s brother, Adam, is standing in the adjacent Bishop Auckland constituency.

The Chilton meeting drew a large crowd and raised just under £300 in a collection, correspondent Pete Molloy reported. Mr Molloy is also the party’s candidate in North Durham.

Mr Walker reminded those present that the reason why they were there was because the other parties had failed the British people and that only the BNP stood for the right of our people to exist.

Afterwards, Mr Walker said he was “amazed” at the generosity of the people of Chilton, especially in the current economic climate.

“I can’t wait to get my teeth into this one,” Mr Walker said, describing how disillusioned and betrayed many locals felt by the track record of the Labour Party.

“They have faith in me as their candidate and I won’t let them down,” he said.

Members of Copeland British National Party did not let cold weather get in the way of setting up their now traditional information stall in the middle of Whitehaven Market Place, reports prospective parliamentary candidate and regional organiser Clive Jefferson.

“Other activists were busy leafleting areas on the west coast on the route to Barrow-in-Furness,” Mr Jefferson said.

“The town centre team finished the day with a leafleting session in the Bransty ward while Cleator Moor was targeted on the regular Sunday leafleting session.”

Mr Jefferson said the activist numbers always rise during election season and it was “easy to see why Copeland has more than doubled its BNP vote since the European elections of 2004.”

The information stall yesterday in Whitehaven also saw the launch of the first general election warm-up leaflets, he continued. “Dozens of shoppers in the busy Saturday Market came over to pledge their support in our fight against the Labour Party.

“We stood a full slate in the county council elections and the rock solid 17 percent vote we received right across the borough bodes well for the general election.

“I believe voting patterns are the long-term key to our success and it is vital that after working so hard to win over voters in Copeland that we offer them a chance to vote BNP in every election,” Mr Jefferson said.

The first fundraising meeting for the British National Party’s campaign in Bishop Auckland raised £1,073, reports our North East correspondent, Pete Molloy.

“North East regional organiser Ken Booth chaired the Bishop Auckland constituency group fundraising meeting and outlined the campaign and its costs,” said Mr Molloy.

“The Bishop Auckland candidate, Adam Walker, gave an overview of all the work which had taken place in the constituency since last year’s Euro elections.

“His emotive and passionate reasons for standing touched everyone and his address was met with rapturous applause,” Mr Molloy said.

Mr Booth then went into fundraising mode. He reminded everyone of the costs of campaign materials and then launched into a fundraising effort which brought in the £1,073.51 raised on the night.

“This is enough for the deposit and 43,000 A5 colour leaflets which will be delivered by Royal Mail,” he continued.

After the break, North West Durham constituency activist Michael Stewart gave a talk on his plans for his area. “He came across as a very accomplished activist and will be another great asset to the North East BNP,” Mr Molloy concluded.

Picture: Mr Booth and Mr Walker during the break. Hot dog salesman Pete Molloy in the background.