Protest forces village to pull plug on BNP
A VISIT by British National Party leader Nick Griffin to a village hall has been cancelled at short notice after pressure was put on the venue's booking secretary by anti-BNP campaigners.
Mr Griffin, whose party has been accused of racism because of its right-wing immigration policies, was due to address a black tie fundraising event at Broadclyst's Victory Hall this evening.
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The Victory Hall at Broadclyst
But the group Hope not Hate, which campaigns against the BNP, used its website to publish the home telephone number of Roy Elkins, the hall's chairman and booking secretary, and urged people to contact him.
It also sent out a number of emails containing the information.
Yesterday the BNP confirmed that its booking had been cancelled.
Despite the setback, the party said it had found an alternative venue for the Battle of Britain-themed night, which is part of a national tour which organisers hope will enable them to raise £500,000 to allow the BNP to field candidates for every seat in June's European elections.
BNP spokesman Simon Danby said a campaign of intimidation and harassment had followed the party's roadshow around the country. "It is common practice for these groups to target village hall committee members," he said.
"Some have had threats to their property and their homes.
"We are a legitimate political party and it is disgraceful that these people, many of whom have nothing to do with the BNP, have been targeted.
"It's very sinister."
He said he still expected between 100 and 200 BNP supporters from around Devon and Cornwall to attend the event, which would be held at a location due to be announced later today.
Gerry Gable, of anti-fascist magazine Searchlight and the Hope not Hate website, defended his actions in publishing Mr Elkin's telephone number.
"This is a tactic we have used around the country and it is proving effective," he said.
"We always ask people to be polite to the person who answers the telephone when they make their point.
"We are perfectly within our rights to be doing this.
"With the BNP it's not just a few rotten apples, it's the whole barrel that's rotten."
The BNP outraged Broadclyst villagers last year when it held a public meeting in the Victory Hall.
Liberal Democrat councillor for Broadclyst and Whimple Derek Button said he was glad the village would not be hosting the party once again.
"Some people might say that we're a village hall committee and we're obliged to let the village hall without let or hindrance to anyone who applies," he said.
"I might have been tempted to tell the BNP the hall was booked up for the next 49 years."
He said he was sorry Mr Elkins had been involved in the matter without his consent.
"Roy is a man who has given much of his life to the service of Broadclyst and it's a great shame that he's been dragged into this," he added.
Mr Elkins, of Beech Close, Broadclyst, chose not to comment.
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by Ian Woolger, Budleigh Salterton
Friday, March 20 2009, 9:16PM
“I am greatly saddened by the way in which peoples freedoms are manipulated in this country. Whilst I am not a BNP supporter, it would be untrue to say the BNP has "no support". They are a legitimate political party, rather than their opponents who are a marxist pressure group!, they have exactly the same right to hold a meeting as the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats or Labour. Yet they have had their freedom taken away by another organisation who have put the halls chairmans details in the public domain, so that he may be threatened and intimidated. The BNP's opponents set a dangerous precedent with their actions, it was not that long ago, that the Nazi party were doing the same and worse to their opponents in pre war Germany. All the opponents of the BNP are doing, is making the BNP gain support from people who feel they should be allowed to have their say. We are all intelligent human beings and to enable us to make decisions and act. We need to take in information, how we process and use that info is down to us, but to deny people the right to do so, is as bad as the actions of some of those you campaign about. The time is nigh, for political upheaval in this country, as many ordinary voters feel marginalised and strangers in their own land. Due to immigration and the failure of law and order. It takes only these few things to allow extremism to rise and this is fuelled by decisions such as this.”
by Some Kind of Monster, Exeter
Friday, March 20 2009, 7:17PM
“Johno
Without wishing this to become a discussion on the constitution which whilst being unwritten is well documented so by default written:
The PM is as you say the leader of the majority party - by convention.
It is the decision of the majority party who that should be ie the people who between them have the biggest share of the vote - not the electorate - by convention. Do you want a vote on EVERY government decision?
You don't vote for the PM you vote for a local candidate - usually the one that represents the party you 'support'.
If you cast your vote on the basis of the leader of that party - something I don't do so don't agree with your hypothesis - then that is your decision. That is a corruption of the electoral system. What would happen if the leader of the majority party fails to get elected?. Also I certainly knew that Gordon Brown would become PM at some point during the current government - it had been an unwritten given for some time.
Interestingly the Queen has the right (in theory) to refuse a PM or any item of legislation - but by convention this doesn't happen. Don't you find it strange that in a democracy the PM (and even the government) is appointed by an unelected person who is in their post by accident of birth and NOT 'elected'? ANd don't start me on the House of Lords.
If you want a country where you vote for the most senior member of parliament perhaps we should move to a presidential system of government.
Looking back to the 1990's on this basis John Major was an unelected PM - I don't remember howls of anguish then”
by Derek, EXETER
Friday, March 20 2009, 6:58PM
“If you want to get out of the EU and you do not want to vote for the BNP you only have one other choice, that being the UKIP (United Kingdom Independence Party) they are the fourth largest Party. The other three all want to remain in the EU! Taje your choice!”
by Dean, Exeter
Friday, March 20 2009, 5:42PM
“they will be getting my vote”
by Dean, Exeter
Friday, March 20 2009, 5:41PM
“Its disgusting how a group can bully and target an individual.I think they have made more enemies then friends and i agree 'Matt, Exeter' we do not tolerate bullies”