Not a happy bunny!

I'm afraid I'm seething this morning.

I wake up to find the contents of this personal blog splashed over the main British National Party website. I AM LIVID!

I didn't post the report on the main website although the number of times the 'Wingfield' name appears in bylines gives the impression that I did.

I didn't authorise its posting on the main website.

I wasn't asked if it could appear on the main website.

If I had been approached I would have said 'No', at least not until it was re-written to make it suitable for a wider audience.

I am bitterly disappointed that my colleagues can act in such an unprofessional and inconsiderate manner.

What's all the fuss about I can sense you thinking.

Well, I write for both the main website, in my capacity as the editor of Freedom (now former) and as EU communications officer, and for the two MEP sites. When I contribute to them I am writing as a Party official and the reports and updates are penned in a different, more formal style.

When this blog is updated it is me personally speaking to you. I let my hair down a little and speak more from the heart about the issues that I think you might be interested in. I don't necessarily always follow the popular Party line on certain things and can do this because these are my personal thoughts which is why it's called Martin Wingfield's blog.

If I had wanted 'The Danger of Europe' on the main website I would have posted it there in the first place. I didn't want want to do that but rather moot these ideas on my personal blog first to see what the response was.

Politics is a minefield which is why I have to have sole responsibility on what I submit for publication and where it goes. I feel thoroughly let down this morning, like I have been mugged by a friend.

Back later when I've had a cup of tea and calmed down.

30 minutes later . . . .

Let me tie up this disappointing affair with an example of the difference of personal and Party.

A couple of weeks ago on this blog I acknowledged (please note the word, I didn't 'admire') the effort of Searchlight in trying to scupper our Euro Election effort. I'm a politician and I personally regard the opposition as political opponents despite the depths they might sink to in their campaigning against us.

When I'm standing on the terraces of Borough Park and the opposition playing my beloved Workington Reds have acquitted themselves well, I acknowledge their efforts. For me, it's the same with politics. In the European Elections our opponents lost and we won, but they still acquitted themselves well.

Needless to say my inbox was swamped within hours with people taking issue with me giving any credit at all to the Searchlight gang. I responded to most of them explaining that this was my personal view, and certainly not the Party line.

Now imagine if that post had been 'lifted' from my site and placed on the main BNP site.

As I said before I made my cup of tea, politics is a minefield, you have to tread so very carefully.

Anyone see The Observer this morning. A lovely photo which answers the media's favourite question of the moment to our spokesmen, "What do you mean by British?"


The caption is: 1936, Teacher Miss B. Casey coaches the boys from the football team in the school playground in Bradford, England.

As we all know, Bradford is a very different place today. Here's the accompanying article if you want to read it.

Although I have little interest in foreign politics I shall be watching the result from a municipal election this evening in the classic heartland of French socialism, Hénin-Beaumont. Here in the first round of voting, the Front National polled 40% of the vote more than 20% ahead of its nearest rival. Now it's a run-off between the FN and a single united opposition candidate.

If the Front National wins it will be running a municipal authority again for the first time in several years and for the first time in northern France.

The Danger of Europe

IT WAS a pleasure to sit down and have an in-depth conversation with Andrew Brons on Thursday.

We were colleagues as far back as 1979 and last met in 1986 at a time of internal turmoil within the National Front of which we were both members.

Now, twenty-three years later, we renewed contact as I shall be working part-time for him to publicise his work and achievements as an MEP.

Although Andrew hasn't even taken his seat yet, his two visits to Brussels have given him enough of an insight into the nature of the beast to know how dangerous the lure of the lifestyle associated with the European Parliament can be and he warned of this in his Victory Celebration speech in Blackpool.

The classic example of this can be seen from the track record of the 13 UKIP MEPs that took their seats five years ago.

They were all hypnotised by Europe and did nothing while their party back in Britain almost disintegrated.

That's because they didn't use the five years to show their constituents in the regions they represented what they could achieve on their behalf. Instead they just got lost in Brussels (as Bonnie Tyler might have said), immersing themselves completely in the daily business of the European Parliament which had no benefit whatsoever for the people, or their Party, back home.

This mustn't happen to us. We must use the next five years to show the voters of the North West and Yorkshire that when they elect a British National Party representative, things get done FOR THEM. It will be of little interest to the public which way our 2 MEPs voted in the huge 736-strong parliament on issues the majority of which will have no meaning or relevance to the British people.

We have to make sure that our two MEPs use their influence as elected representatives for sixty local authorities across the north of England to benefit people at the community level and that this help is seen to be done.

That's my job and I will be working to make Nick Griffin and Andrew Brons not just household names, but names that wear a badge of honour for representing the interests of the people of their two regions.

My inbox has been full of messages from people offering advice about how to proceed in my position as Communications and Campaigns officer. Every suggestion has had a European theme with many advising me to spend my time communicating with other nationalist groups in Europe to promote closer links.

I'm afraid I don't see it that way at all. The only closer links I want to promote is between Nick and the people of the North West and Andrew and the people of Yorkshire and the Humber.

To me, the label MEP means we now have the authority to raise our game HERE, to help British people with issues that the corrupt old gang parties won't touch for fear of being seen to be politically incorrect.

For us the European Parliament is a means to an end. For the likes of UKIP, it is the end.

Did anyone see the BBC News this morning and the report on university places? A line from a Colin Auty song came to my mind when I was watching it . . . . "where have all the white folk gone."

Brian Parker (left) will be enjoying his Sunday lunch - see below.
Just heard from Alan Harrop in Pendle that two of the "Lancashire Four", Brian Parker and Lee Karmer have had charges against them dropped with regard to distributing leaflets that were deemed to be offensive. That's excellent news - let's hope it's the same for Robin Evans and Tony Bamber.

. . . . and now back to Bonnie Tyler.

Welcome to Vietnam

WHEN I was a teenager I can remember sitting watching the news with my parents. It was the late Sixties and almost every bulletin seemed to have a report from the war in Vietnam.

I could have stepped back forty years in time last night when I saw the report about the British and American offensive in Afghanistan. Same strategy as used in Vietnam - flying out to a village, dropping troops to secure it, then leaving a token force to hold it against the Viet Cong.

I have read a few hundred books on the Vietnam war and at one time had a collection of over 3,000 books which I bought and sold via my website Booksonvietnam.

In all the recollections and history books on the war the message was the same - the war couldn't be won. The French couldn't win in Vietnam before the Americans tried and the Chinese couldn't win after the Americans.

Afghanistan is the same. The war can't be won so every British serviceman or women who loses their life there has done so for nothing. It make me want to cry when I think of the grief felt by those families, and then it makes me angry that Blair and Brown have squandered British lives in this way.

Well done to Peter North for his 211 votes in last night's local council by-election in Sutton. He polled more than twice as many votes as the Labour Party's candidate.

The full result was:
Sutton Council
Nonsuch Ward
Thursday 2nd July 2009
Gerry Jerome (Lib-Dem) 1665
Chris Dunlop (Con) 1329.
Peter North (BNP) 211
Marcus Papadopoulos (Lab) 88
BNP Percentage: 6.4%


If you fancy a weekend campaigning in Norwich in this lovely weather, then let me introduce you to Julia Howman and her team (above) who will no doubt be delighted by any offers of help.

And as it's Friday what about a Kinks' classic. This is a shortened version of Shangri-la for a BBC programme on Ray Davies from about 15 years ago. This was one I my Kinks favourites but sadly it wasn't a hit at the time because it was probably too melancholy.

No rest for the wicked in July

REDCAR: Lynn Payne will be hoping to improve on her 16% in April.
QUITE a few by-elections this month, but the most important one is the Norwich North parliamentary by-election on Thursday July 23rd where the Reverend Robert West is our excellent candidate.

Help is needed in Norwich right away to get the July issue of Freedom delivered to postal voters in the constituency in time for the ballot papers being sent out. It is a vital but time-consuming task so if you can help please email Norwich BNP at norfolk@bnp.org.uk

While Norwich North takes pride of place in July, there are some other very interesting by-elections and none more so than the Arbury & Stockingford re-run from last month's county council poll on July 16th.

One of the Tory victors was ineligible to stand, hence it all has to be done again and Martyn Findley will be hoping to improve on his promising 24.4% on June 4th.

The candidates for the electoral division of Warwickshire County Council which is in Nuneaton & Bedworth are:
Alice Field (Liberal Democrat)
Martyn Findley (British National Party)
Steven Gee (Socialist Alternative)
Barry Longden (Labour)
Thomas Wilson (Conservative)
Michael Wright (Green)
June 2009: Con 1637/1582, Lab 1480/1472, BNP 1283, Green 849/692.

On the same day there is another delayed county council election this time in Derbyshire for the Labour stronghold of Kirk Hallom. Back in May 2005 Labour won with 3428 votes beating their sole Tory rival by 1,600 votes.

The candidates this time are:
Mark Bailey (BNP)
Michelle Booth (Lab)
Kevin Miller (Con)
Richard Pyle (Lib-Dem)

A week later there's a Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council by-election in the Reddish North Ward.

Here are the contestants:
Brenda Bates (Ind)
Paul Bennett (BNP) 
Norman Beverley (Lib-Dem)
Gareth Bulter (Con)
Gerald Price (UKIP)
David Wilson (Lab)
MAY 2008: Lab 1341, Con 699, BNP 402, LibDem 321.

On Tuesday evening North West Regional Organiser, Clive Jefferson, attended a meeting in Stockport and reported that after a slow start the campaign was now getting into full swing.

Also on 23rd July is the Dormanstown Ward by-election for Redcar & Cleveland ward. If this sound familiar it's because it was contested on April 2nd when Lynn Payne pushed the Tory candidate into 4th place after securing 16% of the vote.

The candidates are:
Joan Bolton (Con)
Richard Green (Lab)
Eric Howden (Lib-Dem)
Lynn Payne (BNP)
APRIL 2009: Lib-Dem 809, Lab 667, BNP 305, Con 125.

There's also a by-election in Wellingborough on the same day but I can't find any details other than we are taking on the three main parties in Swanspool ward which is a safe Tory seat.

Today we are contesting a by-election in the London Borough of Sutton. Predictions as to our vote range from 3% to 9% but with plenty of the usual negative stories about the BNP in the local media, I would be happy with somewhere in the middle. Peter North is our brave candidate

On July 30th we are defending a 14% majority from 2007 over Labour in Brinsley Ward for Broxtowe Council and are also represented in the Denton North East ward for Tameside Council where Labour is defending a 9% majority over the Conservatives.

I'm off for a meeting in Yorkshire with our MEP team there and then on to see Mark Collett to officially handover Freedom to its new editor.

Desperate Labour face an investigation

Michael Clarke and wife with East Midls Election Officer Wayne McDermott.
A LABOUR candidate was so desperate to resist a challenge from the British National Party in a county council election that he might have fallen foul of the law.

The contest in question was for the Kirkby North Division of Nottinghamshire County Council and the result was as follows:

John Knight (Lab) 842
Michael Clarke (BNP) 722
Wendy Harvey (Ind) 597
James Thornton (Con) 445
Melvin Grant (Lib-Dem) 412
Dave Spalding (Ind) 174
BNP Percentage 22.6%

It was a great effort by the BNP's Michael Clarke, who was beaten by just 120 votes, and it is the closeness of this contest that is key to the police investigation that is now taking place.
                   
Just two days before polling day, a letter was sent out by Ashfield District Council to local residents in the Kirkby North Division which was blatant electioneering on behalf of the Labour candidate John Knight.

Now John Knight just happens to be the leader of Ashfield District Council so it is inconceivable that this letter was sent without his knowledge and consent.

The letter concerned a consultation process taking place with regard to the development of Warwick Close and the surrounding area which had generated a high level of response from local residents with 57% of those within the area completing a questionnaire.

So on this topic of great public interest, guess who gets a special mention in this official council letter sent out just 48 hours before those very residents go to cast their votes . . . ?

Why none other than John Knight himself!

The letter says:

"The new Leader of the Council, Cllr John Knight, a local Kirkby Member is taking a personal interest in the issues and has made it clear to me that he is committed to improving the area for local residents."

Michael Clarke understandably wants a full investigation into this and has contacted the police because he believes that this matter could have far reaching implications for the democratic process because a candidate has used taxpayers money to promote his campaign.

He told me:

"As you can see Labour won the seat by 120 votes, so it is reasonable to assume that the letter could have been a highly significant factor.

"Depending upon the result of the police investigation I will be seeking that the election be re-run.

"The investigating officer stated that this has high ranking people scratching their heads with all agreeing that it was wrong to send the letter, but unsure what laws may have been broken.

"Although there was no official imprint on the letter, the sender is clearly identified along with the council address. This is evidence that Ashfield District Council interfered with this Nottinghamshire County Council election."

I've forwarded Michael's email to Michael Barnbrook, a former senior police officer who is the British National Party's crime spokesman and whom I'm certain will be keen to offer help and advice.

I'll keep you updated with any developments.

A bit of my music to finish off with.

Bringing on back the Good Times by the Love Affair.

I wish the clip could have been from Top of the Pops in 1969 when the song was released and reached No 9, but it doesn't seem as though it's available.

However there's this one from German TV some thirty years later with Stevie Ellis still sounding good.

Good Times was the BNP's General Election song back in 2005.

Brown's going to try to do a Thatcher

Thatcher: "Fears of being swamped" - Brown: "House Brits first".

BACK at the General Election in 1979, Margaret Thatcher stormed to victory thanks, in the main, to a television interview where she said that she "understood people's fears about being swamped."

Thatcher was talking about stopping immigration, which was THE BIG ISSUE after a decade of near unrestricted access to Britain from the former Commonwealth countries.

After the election, nothing was done to stop the flood and discussion on immigration was quietly dropped from the political agenda.

Now I predict Gordon Brown will go into next May's General Election pledging to stop immigration in a last desperate attempt to keep Labour in power.

I believe this in the light of his new "British homes for British people" housing policy launched this morning which pledges to put Britons back at the front of the queue for council housing. And also because of the remarks made by Frank Field on the policy change in the Daily Mail today.

He says:

"Any conversion, even if it's 12 years late, is welcome. But it is a typical act of spin that doesn't deal with the main issue. What whites and immigrants both want is a halt to immigration."

The massive about turn in Labour's housing policy comes after it was revealed that 10,000 newly-arrived immigrant families were housed last year ahead of Brits who had been waiting for years for the same accommodation to become available.

Will this new housing policy influence voters? I don't think so. I believe it will just validate what the British National Party has been saying for the last ten years.

If Labour plays the immigration card at the General Election will that influence voters? Again, I don't think so. I believe it will just confirm everything that we have ever said concerning immigration.

Our opponents will be quick to draw parallels between Thatcher's immigration scam in 1979 - and the demise of the National Front - with any similar trick by Labour to appear to be tough on immigration in order to try to eclipse the British National Party.

But there is no comparison.

The National Front were in terminal decline long before 1979, in fact its peak was in 1976 and even despite the eye-catching 1977 local election results in London, the Party had already started to lose its popularity.

The NF didn't have a single elected councillor and no real local Party structure apart from its numerical strength in London and Leicester. It was a castle built on sand and after the 1979 election it just collapsed and disintegrated into warring factions.

NATIONAL FRONT: Unpopular marches and no councillors.

Thatcher's fleeting tough stance on immigration just consolidated Tory voters who had already left the NF and gone back to the Conservatives.

The British National Party is a different kettle of fish altogether. It has 2 MEPs, 1 London Assembly Member, 3 county councillors and over 100 borough, district, town and parish councillors. It has a thriving party structure across the whole country and it is attracting more and more Labour voters as each day goes by.

All Labour's last minute change on housing policy does is to provide a badge of approval for the British National Party and our brave and much criticised stance against immigrants being housed before Brits.

Rather than winning former Labour voters back, it will give others the courage and confidence to switch to the BNP in the knowledge that we have been right all along.