The trial began yesterday of an ex-BNP candidate, accused of 'conspiring to cause an explosion'. Last October the police raided two peoples' homes in Pendle and uncovered explosives, rocket launchers, chemicals, BNP literature and a nuclear biological suit. A former British National Party member, Robert Cottage, who stood in last year's local electioons in Colne has now subsequently been accused of possessing the largest amount of chemical explosives of its type ever found in the country.
Maybe I have missed the story, but I have not seen this covered in any of our national newspapers or national broadcast media. Why? If these kind of things had been discovered in the home of a British Muslim I suspect the media would be playing a rather different tune. Think of the front page headlines recently when similar discoveries were made elsewhere in the country.
The national media need to be very careful on these issues. I can't understand the news judgement which says it's not a story when explosives are found in a BNP member's house, yet when the same thing happens in the Muslim community it is on the front page.
If you do a Google search on 'Robert Cottage BNP' all you get is a whole host of stories from the local press in Lancashire and assorted left wing publications. I could find not a single mention of it in a national mainstream newspaper. Are they afraid of the BNP?
For background see the following links: PENDLE TODAY, LANCS EVENING TELEGRAPH (which only gave it a cursory mention yesterday), and the MINISTRY OF TRUTH, who first wrote about this in October 2006.
99 comments:
spot on once again Iain
Manic agrees.
Oh, anyone who consorts with extreme elements for any reason is a fool.
You are absolutely correct Iain, with the proviso that much of the reporting about Islamic extremists plays very fast and loose with contempt of court legislation. Robert Cottage has a right to be presumed innocent, and so do alleged Islamist terrorists.
Mostly reporting restrictions because it's an active case, Iain.
This was all over the blogs last October. How did you miss it?
I contacted the BBC last year shortly after these men were arrested to ask why the story had not been covered by them. I got an e-mail back a couple of weeks later to say that they had an article on their website about it - with a link to it. They had covered it, but very briefly and minimally. And the their story was dated AFTER I (and no doubt many others) had e-mailed the BBC.
If this story had involved Muslims it would have been breaking news - with John Reid making a statement and somebody no doubt leaking information to the press about it. I wouldn't have had to chase the BBC about it.
Does anybody know why?
"If these kind of things had been discovered in the home of a British Muslim I suspect the media would be playing a rather different tune."
The only difference I can think of is that Islamic suicide-murderers are part of a global war on the West, but this bloke is, if guilty, just a lone nutter. Perhaps it's just a matter of scale. Then again that might be imlpying too much intelligence to journos.
might have been subject to a news blackout? If not, spot on
Iain it says EX BNP member , If did it when he was a BNP member ,then your banner would be correct ,or is it smears to go time.
No Iam not a BNP supporter
but I did see it trying to be used on Guido ,what was it guilty by association
Anonymous, I said he was ex-BNP and a former BNP member. Not sure what your point is exactly. I see nothing wrong with the headline at all.
It is because the BNP will only kill brown people, Iain.
You say BNP extremists should be treated the same way as Islamist extremists ,yes I agree totaly.
But you say the guy is an ex BNP candidate, so is he a BNP member now or is he an ex BNP member.
to me one makes him and criminal extremeist the other makes him a criminal ,why are you trying to join the two together
You say BNP extremists should be treated the same way as Islamist extremists ,yes I agree totaly.
But you say the guy is an ex BNP candidate, so is he a BNP member now or is he an ex BNP member.
to me one makes him a criminal extremeist the other makes him a criminal ,if the latter why are you trying to join the two together
This was covered in the press at the time, but it was swallowed up by bigger stories so only made into small column pieces.
The Islamist over at MPACUK complained at the time it was evidence if Islamophobia.
It's only because the hand wringing lefties running this country stifle any legitimate debate about the consequences of mass immigration for this small island that the BNP exists.
As we have seen this week a major consequence of mass immigration is road congestion, and the possible need for road pricing because our roads can't cope, but nobody is allowed to even mention this in the mainstream without being shouted down as a racist.
It is a quality of life question for the people who already live on this island - do we want to live on a crowded island that can't cope?
Because the longer we bury our heads in the sand the greater the likelihood of homegrown terrorists - as we have seen recently with the letter bombs.
well said iain.
the problem is that because of this suited and booted image the B*P are trying now, people are starting to sympathise.
from out of nowhere in our local elections in 2006, they came second in one ward with over 1000 votes after not fielding a candidate in 2002.
treat them the same and they can't argue that there is no balance.
And where were the "community leaders" claiming they were being picked on when the homes were raided?
old news mr dale.
When you think of the percentage of the white popuation involved in this sort of thing, opposed to the large percentage of the relatively small Muslim population, I can see why there is a difference in coverage.
A loon couple of cranks will always be viewed differently to a movement.
Are they afraid of the BNP?
Er, no. You can read about the trial on the BBC.
The BNP represents a more serious threat to the fabric of our democracy that the crazy Islamists, purely on the grounds that they are a more mature political movement.
They have three key features:
They are Racist, Socialist, Authoritarians
All of which is based on the politics of envy.
The appeal is based upon a blanket type approach. Only the hard core BNP are usually all three, but you get enough people who are sufficiently motivated by one or more of the above features to ignore the others.
There’s only one party around today that is the exact polar opposite of the BNP. Cameron should capitalise on this unique selling point.
Bravo Iain.
I'm not a Tory but you are so right on this. Thank you.
It was reported on the BBC 1pm TV news
As Labour's Frank Field pointed out not long ago, the BNP grows because (a) New Labour ignores its roots and (b) None of the three major parties (well, two and a half perhaps) will address some issues of great concern to millions in the UK, especially England, e.g. crime, immigration.
Any pol who raises immigration as a subject for debate is howled down as racist and as for crime, the "justice" system is a sick joke,we're barely allowed to defend ourselves.
What about IRA extremists? We're told that the IRA has handed in all its weapons and is now harmless. In which case, there's now no reason not to go after all the prisoners who were released early under the implicit threat of violence, and lock them all back up again, to finish their sentences just like any other criminals.
Or am I missing something?
As far as I know, the BNP do not, collectively advocate the overthrow of the state, demand Sharia Law, the wearing of funny clothing, the beheading of opponents or...and this is the important one.. the indiscriminate bombing of innocents.
So what is your point?
um, surely the reason is that Islamic terrorism has killed a lot more people than the BNP and caused more disruption. Therefore it's not surprising to see it has a higher profile.
You interviewed Newsnight editor Peter Barron on this subject for doughty street last year. The guy from Pickled Politics who was on with him raised his concerns that the story was being played down. As is the story of the 21 year-old former TA soldier who was charged with terrorism offences last week.
Former TA Soldier Charged With Terrorism Offences
Fascists are as fascists do. At least this berzerker is clearly identified and "bang to rights" unlike the army of 5th Columnists who seek to "frog boil" the UK into (EU) Authoritarianism.
However, any idea what "Spode" was going to do with his explosive materials?
Treated in the same way - you mean by the press or the police?
If you mean the police (which I presume you don't) - then you have to wait for them to commit a crime.
If you mean the press - what do you mean? If they have committed a crime then the reporting is under the control of the courts. If they haven't committed a crime then that is probably editorial policy - but they should be presumed innocent.
There are a few cracks in this - such as when a person is arrested but not charged, or when evidence is produce in court and there are no reporting restrictions.
The reason the BNP associated loonies probably didn't get large press coverage is because they aren't part of a large movement. If the press report every Muslim loony the public get to form a pattern of how their movement is developing. If you report on the BNP associated loonies then you're probably not going to see a pattern emerging.
Not sure I quite get your point here - it is the lead story on the Digital Telegraph ?
I think that this is just a case of a Cottage industry...
The Telegraph are running this now...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;jsessionid=B21QO0QBSIEBLQFIQMFCFFOAVCBQYIV0?xml=/news/2007/02/13/nbnp113.xml
So maybe no conspiracy by the press.
But it is a bit odd that there haven't been leaks, spinning, and disaster scenarios from the government this time. Maybe they don't have a 90 day detention vote today? Or is there nothing new to bury?
When canvassing in Hampstead many, many moons ago one of those householders who was not a champagne socialist, but who had escaped Hitler's Germany, told me he would be voting Tory. His reason being that he could never vote Labour as it was a socialist party and NAZI meant the National Socialist Party. The BNP is as I believe you have previously commented a socialist party - a near cousin to Labour and totally unrelated to the Conservatives. Something that the BBC and others of the left try to deny but may explain why you have not seen anything about this story on the BBC.
It's on the front page of the BBC.
the former TA soldier is a muslim covert!
The BNP has promised (email davidaslindsay@hotmail.com and I will send you the emails forwarded to me) to contest this seat of North-West Durham (currently occupied by Hilary Armstrong) against me but not against anyone else (implicity including HA, a Cabinet Minister after all). So thank you for this little bit of ammunition.
They have threatened to put up Nick Griffin's thick co-defendant Mark Collett (I can hardly wait), but I suspect that they might now go for local boy and new recruit Andrew Spence, of fuel protest "fame". Bring it on!
It wasn't a media conspiracy to bury it, they just missed it. They all said this when I chased them, and they all independently said how and why the miissed it and it all tallied. I chased the BBC and the Mirror and the Sunday Times at the time, today I chased C4 news, the Mirror and the Sunday Times. All of them were on it ( the trial).
I stuck up a blog post at 11.21am about it, having checked facts with a TV news journalist. I put up that a man pleaded guilty, then took it down quickly as the news was the trial was delayed as one of the jurors knew one of the witnesses. I've edited and put the story up again with the full BBC link and story. The story was on the BBC 1pm news.
Anon 12.57 I think you have a point. Sorry iain.
According to the Burnley Citizen the guuys wasn;t planning to blow anyone up.
http://www.burnleycitizen.co.uk/display.var.951775.0.exbnp_man_faces_explosives_charge.php
Metal health issues i think.
He wanted to rid us of TB. Can't knock the man myself.
It looks like the BNP are
a) trying to *ahem" "assist the police" with the use of vigilante patrols and
b) hijack the debate to make it look like there's more support than there is.
If any journalists are reading, I think the story in THIS LINK should be a national story. BNP vigilante patrols my Aunt Fanny.
'Ex-BNP man "wanted to shoot PM".' says the BBC's headline.
He'll have to get in line.
Liberal Eye Joe is spot on with his assessment of the **P.
Socialist, Authoritarian & Racsist.
Iain, Why even give this "party" the oxygen of publicity?
If his excuse is to be believed then this guy was preparing for civil war, and out to protect himself and his property.
Most of us would choose a burglar alarm I admit, but each to his own.
I guess there would be no problems with the civil rights of any burglars that fell foul of his home protection, thus saving massive legal aid bills.
Bit of a win-win situation I think.
Alas lots of stuff that should be covered in the main stream nations gets pruned back.
Odds when if and when he is found guilty by 12 good men and all that, I am sure it will be hitting the tabloids front page.
Well unless some soap star flashes her boobs on tv that is. After all we have to get the priorities right here.
If this case involved Muslims the BBC would be reporting on:
"alleged bombers"
"alleged chemicals"
"alleged plot"
i.e.
"The jury in the 21 July terror trial has been shown videos of captives being killed, including beheadings, allegedly found in the homes of two defendants."
...
"Other footage allegedly found at Curtis House included the aftermath of a suicide bomb on a US barracks in Saudi Arabia, a jihad rap video, BBC footage from 7 July, and speeches by Osama Bin Laden and radical Islamic cleric Abu Hamza al-Masri."
I think many are missing an obvious point.
There are many people that have the ability to cause acts of terror. I for one in my factory have enough cyanide to poison half of London if I so wished. However I dont intend to and have no desire to even threaten to. Even if I did no-one would take me seriously, unless I hade done it before.
Islamic terrorism post 9/11 is a different matter. Which is the main reason Bin-Larden organised 9/11 in the first place. That is to spread distrust and resentment between western muslim populations and their democratic secular governments. Also show the world that he means business, big time.
When the BNP start making threats or indead do anything, then even being a member of the BNP becomes an act of terrorism and is then a matter of express public interest and safty.
Untill then it can and should be handled by the courts.
The governing classes of Britain like the BBC are and should feel as threatened by the BNP as they are about any organised working class socialist organisation.
Tories dont throw stones at policemen burn down houses or go on protest marches calling for the end of the BBC, however much they may wish to. The current establishment of Britain are well aware of this FACT.
This affair is a joke. The manneeds psychiatric care for his paranoia and the police are farcical. Obviously they needed a quid pro quo for all the dud raids they have launched against Muslims and picked this sad case.
Hydrogen peroxide maybe bombmaking components to police but not to anyone else.
They are going OTT and making themselves a laughing stock. This case should be thrown out and the man sent to a psychiatrist - he is obviously delusional - stockpiling Smash and food is hardly the action of a bomber
I am having grave doubts about the competence of the police in these matters - too many errors
This man was a lone nutter.
He was turned in by his wife who was worried about his behaviour.
Haven't heard of many downtrodden Islamic women turning in their infinitely more dangerous menfolk when the occasion arose, have you?
Iain, 3 cheers for getting the jump on the mainstream media, not just with this story, but with the Sir Patrick story as well. Careful, or you will become part of the 'main stream' yourself !!
I think you deserve a small glass of something red this evening..
White guy likes playing with industrial bangers...big deal.
Muslims with explosives...terrorists, lock them up.
Sounds about right to me...
The difference is this.
This man was dobbed in by his wife who was concerned about his sanity.
I haven't, as yet heard of suspected Islamofascist being dobbed in by his wife (or wives), as she (they) are much more concerned about their own safety than their husband's sanity.
One possible reason for the lack of hysteria in this case is that he was collecting stuff without any obvious plan. In other words he was potentially dangerous, but wasn't getting ready to attack anyone - yet.
I notice that from what little has made it's way into the public arena no mention has been made of planned targets - which is usually the subject of media frenzy in these cases.
Perhaps "Man caught with a large quantity of fertilizer and some stuff he got at the army surplus store" is just not sexy enough for BBC24...
I am rather inclined to bet that the "rocket launcher" is an expended launcher for an anti-tank missile - the kind that is thrown away after use. Technically they are firearms, but they have a certain circulation among collectors etc. If it isn't... well, then the coverage *is* exteremely low key...
I agree that there should have been the same level of coverage of all extremists,BNP, Islamic or whatever - once they are proven to be extremists and criminals.
I am, however, sickened by the constant erosion by government ane media of our principle of innocent until proven guilty. All citizens, regardless of what background, are entitled to the level of justice that this principle requires - yet too few are getting it.
Auntie Flo'
I agree that there should have been the same level of coverage of all extremists,BNP, Islamic or whatever - once they are proven to be extremists and criminals.
I am, however, sickened by the constant erosion by government ane media of our principle of innocent until proven guilty. All citizens, regardless of what background, are entitled to the level of justice that this principle requires - yet too few are getting it.
Auntie Flo'
The Daily Telegraph says:
"Mrs Cottage, .... in a statement read to the court recalled him saying he would like to shoot both Mr Blair and Lord Greaves."
Is there going to be a "Catch 22"
defence/prosecution?
...Mr Cottage can't be mad because every sane person in the country would like to shoot... etc
Dear Iain
I gave this story to a number of newsrooms around the country in October last year. Jon Henley of the Guardian used it on Friday 13 October having had it from me and also I suspect from his own newsdesk (also from me but no tip fee!!).
I could produce the tip emails I guess, mostly from almost one week earlier. 24 hours or so after the arrests were made, which I believe was the Thursday or Friday.
I gave it to BBC Television who responded politely and said thanks but that they already had it but were sitting on it for legal reasons. The Morning Star and The Sunday Times had given it a brief mentions ahead of Henley.
I blogged it again HERE almost two weeks ago at the time of the humungous song and dance about the Birmingham arrests.
As I indicated the original local press coverage featured a very dim police man briefing the press extremely stupidly. It is possible that that was part of the reason for the reluctance. But as you say yourself there is no reluctance when it comes to picking up muslims with less evidence or apparent guilt.
I thought you read my blog Iain? Let's have a link and a daily read please! Currently concentrating on an exciting local selection but still blogging other things including lots of references to your own work, some critical some rather admiring.
Best wishes
Chris P
Well, BNP "extremists" wouldn't likely set off a nuclear or chemical attack within the UK. They have limited, political goals. I think people worry more about Islamist extremists bcause we suspect they would. They are willing to die themselves, because they believe they will be rewarded in an afterlife.
Many of these comments are disgusting.
BNP = socialist? Pathetic. Absolutely pathetic.
Comments such as
'Anonymous said...
White guy likes playing with industrial bangers...big deal.
Muslims with explosives...terrorists, lock them up.
Sounds about right to me...'
Revolting.
'Tories dont throw stones at policemen burn down houses or go on protest marches calling for the end of the BBC, however much they may wish to. '
*cough* countryside alliance, and yes, I have the pictures, though no houses were burned.
Your commenters let you down.
Look, Iain: some deranged Wordsworthian Cottager in the pretty Lakeland village of Burnley decides to bump off the PM, for reasons which probably seemed extremely sound at the time, and instead of quietly aiding him, you want to know why he's not getting the same pre-trial publicity as Ol' Hook-wallah of Finsbury Park.
Iain, foolish boy! As teri suggested (5.52) it's 'metal health issues' innit. He'd been playing his heavy metal CDs too loudly, it did his head in, and he realised the Black Sabbath track was saying 'Natas Si BT' backwards.
Even down here in even more rural Hampstead, we could have all told him that Irritable Blair Syndrome is a common seasonal phenomenon in the long, late winter months.
The BNP I do not believe are racist. I believe they started out badly with certain remarks.
I am not racist and yet I would vote for the BNP!
To all the ethnic minorities out there I have a thought for you. No matter what your creed, or colour black, white, muslim, jew, catholic, because let us all face facts here, whilst muslims may think they are being persecuted, when was one of their 7 year old children marched off to the police station, fingerprinted, DNA taken because they were playing with sticks and twigs in a park whilst trying to make a play house and without their parents?
How I see the problem, groups have separated, you blame us, we blame you. You are forever saying you are badly done to but you are allowed a voice because no-one wishes to be accused of being racist.. We the white British are not allowed that voice and we are indiginous to these lands!
Then there is another problem. There are so many illegal immigrants in the country, many of them are muslims! Now since many of these illegal Muslims are involved in shootings, terror plots etc. the bad PR is falling on you and your own. Is it not about time you said hang on a second.. Why should me and my family who are legitimate british citizens be stigmatised because of these poeple?
Then you should be asking yourself..Hang on why is no -one stopping these people coming into MY country and causing ME and MY neighbourhood all this grief.
Then I would be looking at the political parties and asking yourself which political parties are going to stop all these illegal immigrants from coming into my country and causing us unnecessary hassel, victimisation and violence.
You are left with 2 choices BNP or UKIP! - The majority of people in favour of the BNP are not racist! they want their country back!
Sharia Law?.. Before the EU started passing its thousands of laws in this country we had a legal system which punished the guilty!
If you think you are brassed off, imagine how we the British people feel, 20 years ago you could smack a child for bullying, we had a civilised country! NOW you can be taken to court for reprimanding your child's bad behaviour..
Do not always assume the worst of the British people, because WE are suffering just as much as you, the only difference is that because we're white we are not allowed a voice!
Conclusion:
* Do nothing except be a Muslim escaping a war zone = Terrorist Act
* Be English and Stockpile explosives = possession charges
* Actually send and explode bombs = Domestic Extremism
No equality of action here.
liberal-eyed-joe said...
"The BNP represents a more serious threat to the fabric of our democracy that the crazy Islamists, purely on the grounds that they are a more mature political movement."
Sorry to be harsh, but where on Earth did you get that idea from?
I believe that the BNP has its roots in the NF, which has been going since 1967. Extreme islamicist groups have roots that are certainly older than that. they also have had more branches to continue the metaphor, with co-operation and competition causing their political methods and ideologies to develop relatively quickly, unlike the sidelined, stagnant British nationalist socialist movement (I shall not call it the "far right", as it is more left than right).
That is without even considering the vastly greater support available from external sources for British-based Islamicist extremism. The movement is not localised in our shores, where we have more influence.
Perhaps most worrying is that there are still many areas where the threat is not taken seriously. Racism is taken so seriously if it comes from whites like the majority of the BNP that often it is assumed where there is none at all.
A BNP spokesman says some rather nasty things about Islam. Nasty but not illegal. The BBC, the largest propoganda (sorry "meeja") organisation in the world tapes this and persuades the thought police to prosecute despite the lack of crime, and express ill-disguised horror when he is cleared of any crime. The coverage of islamicists calling for killing of innocent satirists was noticeably sparse in criticism of those islamicists.
ianp
So who was doing "...nothing except be a Muslim escaping a war zone...", and where and when did you witness this?
Iain at 12:26 replying to Anonymous.
I have just taken a screenshot of the BBC website timed 14th Feb 04:50am which clearly still says as their headline "BNP man 'wanted to shoot PM'"
No mention of "ex-" until you open the article itself.
Iain is being fair and the BBC have their usual agenda. Situation normal. Ho hum.
Paige,
What would you call a political party who would if in power, ask All non-white British people to leave the country? That is one of the BNP's policies, I for one find that to be racist.
I would be very upset if the my black friends who have served 22 years in service to their country alongside me in the Royal Navy were asked to leave.
I'm not worried about the BNP being racist, what I am worried about is idiots thinking that they aren't and voting for them.
The BNP I do not believe are racist
So their official manifesto committment to restore Britain to its white balance of 1948 by offering non-whites money to get out of the country is not racist?
As many people have already asked, what happens if all non-whites refuse this voluntary option? How will the BNP then be able to deliver its commitment to restore the white balance as of 1948.
Chilling.
Now comes a very important development... Some entrepreneurs started selling the anarchist cookbook, implying that it was some great mystical anarchy manual and you will learn secret information that governments want banned! What a fucking crock! Smoking peanut skins? Hacking phone systems made obsolete 18 years ago? Instructions on how to make nitro-glycerine that will sooner give you acid burns than enable you to yield a true product! I mean COME ON! Anyone that bought this crap deserved to meet the terrible consequences of following any of the instructions within the anarchist cookbook.
Now, the cookbook is a commercial product sold on thousands of e-bay auctions and a few ridiculous web merchants. It being updated is now a commercial requirement.
Look, if you want to make bombs, you need more than some crappy unreliable manual you got off the internet, no mater what manual it may be. By saying "bombs" I'll presume your talking about fire crackers or basically fireworks of some description. You need proper knowledge of the dangers and risks associated with building such devices. Of course building any type of device using more than about half an asprin of powder is illegal without the proper authorization.
So much for the 1960s Anarchist's Cookbook by William Powell written 40 years ago
Iain has posted one of my comments, but not the other. Guidance on why latter rejected would be welcome idea at poptel.org.uk
This post reminded readers of other BNP explosives connections and, as Rachel 12:30 am, refuted the idea that BNP are socialist.
Chris, I have posted every mesage which has come through from you.
" BNP Extremists Should be Treated in the Same Way as Islamist Extremists"
What exactly are you proposing here Iain?
Long sympathetic interviews with the families on the BBC?
Strident articles in the Guardian warning of the dangers of Anglophobia? (Your friend Yasmin could run one up in no time. She's had plenty of practise on the theme)
Reassuring letters to the 'community' and meetings with 'community leaders' to listen to grievances.
Six figure out-of court settlements from the Police.
Some of us would enjoy a good BNP showing at the local elections if it would serve to concentrate the minds of the major parties but we're not looking for them to form the next Government.
refuted the idea that BNP are socialist.
Again, the BNP have a manifesto committment to create a planned economy like China and Cuba and to oppose gloablisation.
A centrally controlled, anti-free market economy pledge.
That's old fashioned left-wing, socialism.
The problem is Metropolitan centred news sources. If it is outside the M25 it does not exist
Malthebof
I think the Public in the next few years are going to give the major parties a telling off , and hurt them badly , sadly I think the BNP will do well ,all parties seem to think life does not exist past the M25 loop,so I wait with pleasure and fingers crossed.
yeah -i caught this story on the blogs about last October. but Iain is right - it's effectively been buried by the MSM, and i can't figure out why.
just throwing the idea out here - and its a rough guess , and possibly controversial
- that BNP guy is an MI5 plant? (hence the big MSM outlets were leaned on to back off the story?)
Google for the "civil contigencies bill" and have a read of it and how much powers the government will have in the event of an "emergency".
I'm no conspiracy nutjob, but this current New Labour government are capable of anything to retain power.
'the only difference is that because we're white we are not allowed a voice!'
The vast majority of journalists, politicans, and lawyers are white. Are you suggesting they don't voice their opinions?
Rachel & Chris.
When a parties manifesto consists of the distilled wisdom from the bar of any Labour or Working Men's club in the country from the past fifty years, what are we supposed to call it? Laissez-faire capitalist?
The problem you left-wing intellectuals have is that you've never much cared for your own electorate. Whilst they'd elect a chimpanzee as local councillor, if it sported a red rosette, it didn't matter but as the Bard of Woodstock County so presciently put it "The times, they are a changin'.." Maybe you should get yourselves a new one....Oh, isn't that what you've been trying to do?
It has to have been in the Guardian, because I only read the Guardian and I knew about this last year. And stateside I think Jesus' General covered it as well, as an example of white terrorists being treated differently from brown ones. After all, there was never any chance he was going to end up in Gitmo.
Iain, I'm also disturbed that you blocked my comment on BNP etremists being treated in a similar vein to Islamic extremists!
Being described as "moderate" by Government ministers and given £5m of public money to fight extremism!
Snafu, you are the second person to say I have deleted their comments. I don't know what is happening, because the only comments I have deleted in the last 48 hours have been on the Blogwars thread.
Having read the Yorkshire Post this morning I am more concerned about this trial. The wife of the defendant has known him for 4 years buit has been only married for 2 years.
She could not give evidence in person "because of her mental state" and a police statement was read out in court with such gems as "read the Bible every other day" and "ember of the Church of England" and held "strong views on immigration"
This is in danger of becoming a farce if the CPS simply strings together things to create a story of religious fanaticism and surmises bomb-making I start to wonder if these trials of Muslims are concocted on flimsy evidence too.
The CPS is political and is run by Cherie Blair's business partner from Matrix Chambers - they took on Nick Griffin in a contrived Show Trial before the Local Elections - and this one is very near May 2007.
I start to reflect on whether there is more politics than policing in many of these "terror raids" altogether
The BNP I do not believe are racist
The above is true if spoken by Yoda.
Translation from the Yoda: "The BNP are racist and I do not believe them."
p.s. and they are sociofascist too.
Ian - I have an anonymous post on my blog which says that Mr Cottage was a Tory member for thirty-odd years before leaving to join the BNP.
I've no idea if this is true - but you may have the contacts to find out.
First, thanks for Iain's reply re comments. The second one was a belter with lots of information in it about other BNP bombing activity. It didn't seem likely to have had the worst of your blue pencil. I'll perhaps save any extended comments I make before posting them.
SEcond, PJ insists on the idea of BNP being socialist because of stuff in their manifestos. This is rather ridiculous isn't it? They are criminals and liars and when they are off guard e.g. in earlier TV films on Griffin and Collett they talk about controlling the streets with their jackboots, getting excited by sight of news archive of stormtroopers etc etc.
Whatever may appear in their literature it seems pretty clear that they are not socialists in any accepted sense but may be considered national socialists who proved to be divide and rule communalists driven by a right wing totalitarian agenda.
The BNP are racist, they are anti-union, they are homophobic, they are extreme nationalists, they are misogynist, they support the use of violence to gain power, they support the elimination of political opponents and so on and so forth.
They are certainly not libertarians apart from in wanting free speech to spout their hate. But the opposite of libertarian is not socialist, They are on different continua I think.
Channel 4 News 13th Feb
"Robert Cottage was a life long conservative supporter, that was until 1997 when he voted new labour"
Obviously a confused and deranged man, so much so he had 19 different chemicals including, get this 1 whole litre of hydrogen peroxide and large amounts of rice and sugar! Seven of the chemicals found were either pointless or unnecessary for explosives, and one was a dietary supplement.
Now don't get me wrong, I'm not defending the man I'm just highlighting the extremist reaction that Iain and many other bloggers had when this case first hit the news. If he's found guilty then he deserves punishment but I have to ask what are we to do with all these extremist tories in our midst
and large amounts of rice and sugar
Was it basmati ? Or was he into making Ricicles ?
From what I can gather, and from what I've read by Laban Tall at UK Commenters, he didn't have anything that could actually cause an explosion. The media needs an indigene - and especially an indigene on "the far right" (sic) -to be stockpiling terrorist weapons, so they leapt onto this story, but it's a non-story.
He won't be charged because there's nothing to charge him with.
No, I think he could have made an explosion. It just doesn't seem to be the monster arsenal suggested by initial reports.
But was he a Tory ?
If this is how Iain feels presumably he is happy for BNP members not be denied from all the Public Service professions on the grounds that they havent actualy committed a crime...seeing as a Muslim drug-dealer famous for dressing up as a suicide bomber can apparently now get a job cleaning trains unsupervised with ease.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2007070779,00.html
So how about it Iain? Equal treatment for all across the board or were you just desperate to find something to smear a rival party with?
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