A Statement by BNP Reform

"Lastly there are some of the proponents of a leadership challenge, who are not willing to break cover or say boo to a goose yet want to reap the dividends from other peoples’ actions in exposing Nick Griffin’s shortcomings. They feel threatened by defections to the EDs as those who leave tend to be vigorous and active and their going leaves their lack lustre campaign high and dry."

This is an extract from an article which was recently published on Eddy Butler's blog.

Mr Butler has admitted on his blog that he has had meetings with some of the leaders of the English Democrats. For what purpose? It is surely most unusual for anyone considering joining a political party to have a meeting with some (more than one, note) of its leaders. What would be likely to be discussed at such a meeting? The price of the membership subscription? What the party's policy was on this, that, or the other? All such mundane questions could easily be answered by simply visiting the party's web site, or, if not, by making contact with the party's local organizer. There should be no need to seek a meeting with the party's leaders at all.

Not, that is, unless one considers oneself a big fish, a personage of some importance, whom the leaders would wish to give up some of their time to meet. And why would those leaders wish to meet someone, who, like Mr Butler, supposedly, might or might not be wishing to apply to join the party, at some unspecified time in the future? Yet meet him they did. Mr Butler has told us as much. He has told the world, via his blog. He wants us to know all about it. Did I say "all" about it. Well, perhaps not quite "all". Not just yet, at any rate.

Mr Butler has been aware that BNP members have been leaving the party to join the English Democrats for at least the last six months. Recently these defections have increased in number, and there have been some defections of high profile BNP members, such as Chris Beverley, and others. A whole branch in Yorkshire has gone over to them en masse.

Mr Butler has said, platitudinously, that we BNP members who remain loyal to the party should not be "judgemental". What he means, of course, is that we should form the judgement that he wishes us to form about the whole affair. If we judge that such defections are to be welcomed, or are no concern of ours, we are, according to the sage Mr Butler, not being judgemental - we are OK as far as he is concerned. But if, on the other hand, we judge that the defections are regrettable, or deprecate, or criticize them as unwise, then, according to Mr Butler, we are being "judgemental". You see how it works? If you agree with Mr Butler then you're not judgemental, but if you disagree with him, well then you're being judgemental.

Mr Butler cannot be expelled from the BNP for what he has done publicly to promote a rival political party. He has already been expelled on quite other, and no doubt spurious, grounds altogether. His real offence in the eyes of the party leader, Mr Griffin, was daring to mount a serious and credible leadership challenge, as provided for in the party constitution. However, Mr Butler remains an employee of one of the party's two MEPs, Andrew Brons. The question must surely arise as to whether it is appropriate for Mr Brons to continue to employ an individual who has shown himself to be actively working against the best interests of the BNP, by promoting a rival political party. The same question arises in respect of Chris Beverley, another employee of Mr Brons, who is standing as a candidate for the English Democrats in Yorkshire.

Mr Butler has rightly criticized Mr Griffin for employing, on his MEP payroll, Pat Harrington, one of the four most senior officers, if not the leader, of the rival political party the National Liberal Party, otherwise known as the Third Way. Has Mr Butler never heard of the expression "Two wrongs do not make a right"? Mr Butler has now undermined his own, and others' criticisms of Mr Griffin's behaviour, in this regard, by putting himself in the wrong as well.

I wonder whether Mr Butler understands the meaning of the word loyalty. I am not here referring to his actions in challenging Mr Griffin for the leadership of the BNP, and subsequently exposing Mr Griffin's wrongdoing and incompetence on his blog. Those actions were entirely justified, indeed praiseworthy, even if Mr Butler's motives for doing them may have been mixed. They served the wholly necessary purpose of educating and enlightening the party's members regarding the corruption and incompetence of the party leadership.

No, I refer to Mr Butler's slighting and insulting published words reproduced at the head of this statement. Here he is referring to people who supported his leadership challenge in 2010, and who were unjustly victimized by Griffin as a direct consequence. Butler claims that "they", his colleagues in BNP Reform, most of whom supported his leadership challenge last year, and many of whom were unjustly victimized as a consequence, " want to reap the dividends from other people's actions in exposing Nick Griffin's shortcomings." So Butler, far from being grateful for the support of these people in his unsuccessful bid for the leadership, far from acknowledging their considerable contribution towards exposing Griffin's shortcomings, wishes to keep all of the credit for himself, and just to add insult to injury disloyally says that they, we, wish to claim credit to which we are not entitled (it all belongs to him in his own mind, you see) and will not "say boo to a goose".

Butler also refers to the lacklustre campaign of the proponents of a leadership challenge which has not yet even been announced. Well, it looks as if neither loyalty nor logic is Mr Butler's strong suit.

One can see the way Mr Butler's mind works, and it has to be said that it is not a pretty sight. He sees politics as an unprincipled, devil take the hindmost, scramble for power, position, and the monetary and other rewards that accompany them - the trappings. That explains how he is able to bring himself to promote a party such as the English Democrats, as well as his earlier abandonment of the BNP in favour of the cranky Bloomsbury Forum, and the pointless Freedom Party (not the BFP, an earlier manifestation of a similar tendency).

Mr Butler needs to understand that politics is a team, not a solo, activity. He needs to learn a measure of humility. He needs to learn the value of loyalty, not only to colleagues but to principles. I do not wish to be too hard on the poor fellow. No-one can deny that he has done more than anyone to expose Griffin's wrongdoing, via his blog. For that he deserves our respect and our gratitude.

However, by promoting the English Democrats, and effectively encouraging defections from the BNP by so doing, Mr Butler has crossed the line. He has, so to speak, "gone native" and BNP Reform, as party loyalists, wish publicly to reprehend his promotion of a rival political party, and to wash our hands of him.

The Executive Committee
BNP Reform