This morning’s article in the Times which says that BNP supporters are calling for Nick Griffin MEP to go after his much-maligned performance on QT last week should be treated with caution.
NG’s performance last week was certainly under-whelming for someone who had shown promise in recent appearances such as Andrew Marr and Adam Boulton. Many members will feel disappointed. However, NB doesn’t think a leadership contest is on the cards:
1. The panel for The Times’s poll was recruited from Stormfront, a well-known and notoriously wacky white supremacist forum where many members regard Griffin as a “sell-out”. It is not reprsentative of BNP members, informal supporters or voters. In fact, in our experience the membership/supporters are very committed to Griffin.
2. The BNP rules largely support Griffin’s hold on the party.
3. There is no obvious successor or agititator for change. Lee Barnes, the BNP’s legal officer is a senior, officeholder in the BNP, but his political judgement is regarded as suspect, even by the BNP leadership. His blog, 21st Century British Nationalism, regularly embarrasses the party with its anti-Semetic, homophonic, Nazi-sympathising articles.
Richard Barnbrook is apparently a leadership contender. Barnbrook is popular, particularly in the South, but he is not regarded as able to grasp a brief (his performances in the London Assembly are regarded as unimpressive). He is accused by his enemies of having a drink problem (this is a funny video of Barnbrook dancing at a wedding).
Andrew Brons MEP, a man with a history of neo-Nazism and racial hygiene theory, is also being muted as a possible contender. But his age and lack of mainstream appeal count against him.
Simon Darby, BNP deputy chairman and head of press, is probably the strongest performer in the BNP hierarchy. In 2006, Darby was lined up by Griffin to take control of the day-to-day running of the BNP if he was found guilty of incitement to racial hatred. But he is currently a Griffin loyalist and lacks any visibility outside the party.
