Wednesday 15 July 2009

Challenging BNP's "Reverend" West for honest answers to serious questions

COUNTDOWN TO NORWICH NORTH BY-ELECTION - 8 DAYS

On the day that BNP leaders Nick Griffin and Andrew Brons take their seats in the European Parliament, Nothing British About the BNP has sent the following letter to the BNP leaders with ten questions that we think the BNP should give honest answers to. You can ask the new BNP MEPs those questions too:
Download Questions for the BNP - letter

We in Norwich would like to ask the BNP candidate for Norwich North for answers to the same questions.

Dear Robert West,

1. You claim to be patriotic yet the BNP consorts with racist and neo-Nazi organisations in Europe and the United States. When will you condemn rhetoric that is hostile to British values?

In the past Griffin has courted the likes of General Gaddafi, whose regime sponsored the IRA, expressed an admiration of Ayatollah Khomeini, Iran’s former Supreme Leader, and spoken about his appreciation for Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf. Griffin claims that his antics were youthful errors. And yet, he continues to associate himself with individuals and organisations that are unfriendly towards Britain.

In 2007, on a tour of the United States, organised by American neo-Nazi groups, Griffin spoke at a reception for the Young Americans for Freedom, a hate group whose leader has said that the threat of Islam is spreading faster than AIDS and homosexuality. That evening Griffin had dinner with Stormfront, a Hitler worshiping internet forum.

In a recent audio interview with BNP’s deputy chairman, Simon Darby, Griffin expresses an admiration for the European female leader, Krisztina Morvai, of Jobbik, a Hungarian neo-Nazi party whose military wing wearing SS style uniforms. Morvai recently wrote some sexually obscene and anti-Semitic remarks about Jews. Griffin called her a “brilliant woman”.

2. You claim to champion the interests of British workers but won’t your protectionist trade policies, restrictions on the flow of capital and opposition to globalisation cause trade wars that will destroy jobs?

The BNP’s website under the section “Policies” and the subsection “Economy”, it “calls for the selective exclusion of foreign-made goods from British markets and the reduction of foreign imports. We will ensure that our manufactured goods are, wherever possible, produced in British factories, employing British workers.”

Section 1 (2C), “Political Objectives”, of the “British National Party’s Constitution (2005)”, states that they are “opposed to international monopoly capitalism and to laissez-faire free trade and free movement of plant and capital.” Subsection D states that it is “implacably opposed to … liberal-capitalist globalism”.

3. You are a political party that aspires to govern the people of Great Britain, so when will the BNP allow a non-white person to join as a member?

Section 2, “Membership”, defines “indigenous people” as “Anglo-Saxon, Celtic and Norse folk communities” of Europe, and any other ethnic group that derives from these communities. For example the Anglo-Saxon-Celtic Folk Community, the Celtic-Norse Folk Community, the Anglo-Saxon-Norse Folk Community and the Anglo-Saxon-Indigenous European Folk Community, etc. No persons from outside of these ethnic groups are allowed to join the BNP and, according to the BNP’s Constitution, they should not be regarded as “ethnically” British.

4. Won’t your policy of seizing land and natural assets for communal ownership, and the redistribution of the ownership of British businesses replace the free market and rule of law with socialism and bring our economy to its knees?

In its economic policy – “Economy - British workers first!” – which is published on the internet (July 13th 2009), the BNP states, “[The] British industry, commerce, land and other economic and natural assets belong in the final analysis to the British nation and people. To that end we will restore our economy and land to British ownership.”

Special measures are promised against the supermarkets. “We will take active steps to break up the socially, economically and politically damaging monopolies now being established by the supermarket giants.”

The BNP also advocates a redistribution of the ownership of British companies. “We will seek to give British workers a stake in the success and prosperity of the enterprises whose profits their labour creates by encouraging worker shareholder and co-operative schemes.”

5. When will you promise that your “Bill of Rights” will guarantee all British subjects equal protection under the law, and not just “indigenous” (ie white) people?

Section 1 (2A) of the BNP’s Constitution states it is a party of “British Nationalism”. It is committed to protecting the interests of the “indigenous people of the entire British Isles”. Subsection 2B says that it “stands for the preservation of the national and ethnic character of the British people and is wholly opposed to any form of racial integration between British and non-European peoples.”

Section 1 (2F) states how the BNP would “introduce a Bill of Rights, establishing as absolute the right of all British people to effective freedom of speech, assembly and worship.”

6. You want a blanket ban on non-white immigration that would seriously harm Britain’s economic interests. What is wrong with a balanced non-racialist migration system that maximises national wealth?

In the BNP’s current policy statement under the section on “Immigration”, the party states, “To ensure that [white people in Britain do not become an ethnic minority], and that the British people retain their homeland and identity, we call for an immediate halt to all further immigration”.

7. How would you protect Britain from the terrorists that want to destroy our country or protect innocents overseas who were the victims of genocide when you advocate neutrality in international affairs?

Section 1 (2E) of the BNP’s Constitution states that Britain should become a country of “armed neutrality in international and military affairs.”

On February 22nd 2009, BNP Defence Spokesman, Peter Mullins, said that the BNP’s policy on combating global Islamist terrorism would be to pullout of Afghanistan and put British troops should be put onto the streets to “crack down on Islamist extremists in Britain”.

In further detail the BNP’s website, under the section “Policies” and the subsection “Defence”, sets out what this policy would mean. Britain would “withdraw from NATO … close all foreign military bases on British soil, and refuse to risk British lives in meddling ‘peace-keeping’ missions in parts of the world where no British interests are at stake”.

Under the subsection “Foreign Affairs” the BNP would be undeterred by the oppression of citizens in foreign countries such as Iran, North Korea and Zimbabwe. Instead, the BNP would base its foreign relations on “the protection and of our own national interests”. In making foreign policy decisions, the BNP say that they will not be subservient to America, “the ‘international community’, or any other country.”

8. You claim that the BNP has become a modern, legitimate mainstream party but will you send a clear signal to racists by expelling members and condemning supporters who articulate anti-Semitic, racist, violent, Holocaust-denying views?

In the past Griffin has expressed his admiration for Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf and has called the Holocaust a “hoax” [1]. In recent public appearances he has sought to distance himself from such comments though he continues to share platforms with racists such as Jobbick and the Young Americans for Freedom.

However, the rhetoric of BNP members and associated activists gives a strong indication of the philosophy and hidden agenda of the organisation. A report by the Centre for Social Cohesion (The BNP And The Online Facist Network by Edmund Standing) showed:

“... a significant number of BNP members and online grass-roots activists displayed significant ideological affinity with key tenets of the neo-nazi ideology, including: support for violence; anti-Semitism and an admiration of the Third Reich; extreme racist views; and Holocaust denial.”

If the BNP leadership are not prepared to condemn such rhetoric and punish members/activists, it is difficult not to conclude that the party runs a policy of saying one thing in public but having a covert policy in private.

9. You advocate a massive increase in housing provisions so can you tell us exactly how much will this cost the taxpayer?

Under the section “Workfare no welfare” the BNP announce how they would bring “all privatised social housing stock back under” state control.

10. You claim that you want a cleaner and greener society, yet your transport policy is to cut fuel tax and allow motorists to drive faster on Britain’s roads, thereby burning more carbon emissions and making our roads more dangerous?

Under the heading “Environment”, the BNP calls for, “a cleaner, greener future!” Our ideal for Britain, the BNP claim, “is that of a clean, beautiful country, free of pollution in all its forms.” “The polluter pays to clean up the mess” must become a fact of life, not an electioneering slogan.” - BNP environment policy.

Yet under the section “Transport” the BNP state that they are on the side of motorists, who “must not be made the scapegoats for government failure. Fuel tax should be cut, motorway speed limits raised, and hidden speed cameras should be banned.”

11. Last but not least, dear "Reverend" West, of which Church were you ordained? How many members does your Christian Council of Britain have? Why have you not spoken to the electorate of Norwich North about your platform?

Yours sincerely,

HOPE not hate, Norfolk

Reply hnhNorfolk@gmail.com

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