BNP to be hollowed out by Solidarity?

The micro-trade union Solidarity, whose general secretary, Pat Harrington, is employed, along with his American wife, Michelle, on the MEP payroll of Nick Griffin, plans, in the event of Griffin remaining in charge of the British National Party, to siphon off even more of BNP members' money than it does at present.

Mrs Harrington, who has had rather a colourful career in show business, is the most highly remunerated of Griffin's eight employees, on more than £30,000 per annum, while neither she, nor her husband, Pat, is a member of the BNP. Indeed, Pat is a leader of a rival political party, the miniscule National Liberal Party, otherwise known as the Third Way, that has fielded black and Asian candidates against the BNP in local elections in Greater London. Well, Griffin loves his waifs and strays, provided they're a bit, well, perhaps 'eccentric' would be the kindest way to put it.

Griffin's MEP web site states on its staffing page, with regard to Pat Harrington, whose National Liberal Party is hostile to the BNP, "His duties involve research of the Human Rights committee and advising Nick Griffin on voting decisions." [Emphasis mine]. So the leader of a supposedly ethno-nationalist party like the BNP has a leader of a hostile, rival political party, that is 'liberal nationalist', or in other words civic nationalist, like UKIP and the English Democrats, advising him on how to vote in the European 'parliament'. No wonder the BNP is in such a mess. Would David Cameron employ Gordon Brown to advise him on how to vote? No, but Nick Griffin might.

Harrington, like Griffin, a former political soldier (deserter?) from the 1980s National Front, has grandiose plans for his union, which with barely more than a couple of hundred members, scarcely exists other than on paper and of course, on the world wide web.

BNP members should be aware that Harrington, who, like Griffin, has studied law, though is   qualified to practise neither as a solicitor, nor as a barrister, acts as Griffin's consigliere, or counsel, on issues of importance for the party which may have legal ramifications. This might have something to do with the astronomical legal bills the party now faces.

It is almost certainly Harrington who dreamt up the scandalously unfair ploy of the use of open-ended, 'blank cheque', postal proxy votes, in order to thwart the democratic will of BNP members at the recent General Members Meeting of the party in St Helens, with the aim of delivering a four year term of office to his benefactor, Griffin, should the latter win the forthcoming leadership election.

Harrington now envisages himself and his "one tiny union" colonizing the world of mass media communications, in the same way as the BNP has of late. All of this costs money, however. Is the money to come from the union's own miniscule membership? Hardly.

Where else can it conceivably come from than from the dwindling income of the cash-strapped and debt-laden BNP? Certainly not from the expense allowances of either of the BNP's two MEPs. That would be a gross misuse of taxpayers' money and almost certainly unlawful.

Which of the BNP's paid employees will need to have their employment terminated in order to free up some more money to throw into the greedy maw of Harrington's union?

Still, perhaps they needn't worry too much. No doubt they will themselves be members of Solidarity and the union will go to bat for them should any question arise about their continued employment by the party. "Conflict of interest? Conflict of schminterest!" says Pat Harrington, "the Workers' Friend".

The following is an extract from a recently published article on the web site of Solidarity.

28/06/2011 - Bittersweet News

'Solidarity General Secretary Pat Harrington had this to say:

'“Firstly, it dovetails with our policy of workers building their own political and economic counter-power. It also sits alongside our intention to build the infrastructure of a mass media of news and entertainment.

'"Secondly, it opens up wonderful opportunities for our own free printed media. It’s been suggested that we publish a more regular agitprop version of British Worker (with more in-depth articles being featured in a ‘theoretical’ type of Trade Union publication).

'"We’re also interested in producing various national, regional and trade-based agitprop publications.

'"Thirdly, it’ll spur us on to look at other forms of mass communications. In addition to our printed media, I’d like to see Solidarity developing podcasts as well as internet-based radio and TV stations.

'"I hope to be sharing – and developing – all of these ideas in the coming months.

'"In the meantime I’d urge everyone to get hold of the latest issue of British Worker. It’s mainly organisational in tone and details what the union is planning for the future – including the need to build an alternative media. If you haven’t got your copy yet, simply e-mail the union at solidaritygb@aol.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and ask for a pdf copy.”'