Word magic

The following is an article, supposedly written by Mr Clive Jefferson, the national treasurer of the British National Party and recently published on the party's main web site, http://www.bnp.org.uk/.

As readers may observe, it is titled "Conference 2011 financial overview".  Astonishingly, however, this title is grossly misleading.  A casual glance at the article's title would tend to create the impression in the mind of a visitor to the web site that this article was concerned with the state of the party's finances: its income, its expenditure and its balance sheet.  Upon actually reading the article, however, it becomes clear that its title is a mere play on words and that nowhere in the article are our party's overdue 2010 Accounts, let alone its 2011 Accounts, even mentioned.

Only four figures are cited and these relate exclusively to the conference itself, as an event!

Now, having spoken to the Electoral Commission, I know that the BNP's 2010 Accounts are more than four months overdue.  I know that the Electoral Commission is conducting a case review of the BNP's failure to comply with its statutory requirements.  I know that the BNP has already incurred substantial fines in respect of its failure to submit the 2010 Accounts to the Commission by the statutory deadline. 

The financial penalties are set to increase unless the Accounts are submitted by 7 January 2012.  These fines will need to be paid with moneys which BNP members have provided the party in the form of their annual membership subscriptions and donations to either head office or the party's local groups and branches.  What an unforgivable waste of members' hard earned money!  And what inexcusable incompetence on the part of our party's leadership!

The penalties imposed on the party by the Electoral Commission may not be restricted to fines.  It is difficult to predict the precise nature of the sanctions which could, in theory, be imposed on the BNP, because we are in uncharted waters.  There has never before been a case of a political party with a substantial revenue, such as the BNP, neglecting its statutory reporting obligations quite so flagrantly, in the Electoral Commission's institutional history.

In view of the gravity of the situation, one would have thought that an article entitled "Conference 2011 financial overview" would have addressed these matters.  But no.  Instead we have the news that the conference itself, as an event, was profitable.  Well, should we be thankful for small mercies?  The party as a whole may be technically insolvent and operating at a loss, but at least the party's conference, at which delegates should have been informed about the party's financial state, was run at a profit!  Just how dumb does the Griffin clique believe BNP members to be?

Only in Griffin's BNP.  Actually, similar failures could have occurred in any organization, such as the National Front or the International Third Position, for example, in which Griffin was allowed anywhere near the money.

Notwithstanding the unacceptable maladministration of the BNP by its current leadership, members should not despair of the party.  There is a very real prospect of ousting the failed leadership, within the next six to nine months.  Members should maintain their membership of the BNP and by doing so, their right to vote in any leadership election or General Members' Meeting (GMM) which an unforeseen emergency may necessitate.

It is childish to place blind faith in any one man, as too many BNP members have in Mr Griffin.  It is equally unwise to write off a political party of several thousand members, merely because its leader has passed his 'sell by' date but refuses to do the honourable thing and stand down.  But Mr Griffin would have BNP members believe that these are the only two options open to them: either unquestioningly accept his cultic leadership or leave the party.  Well, there is a third option: to remain a member of the party, to remain loyal to the party, while reserving the right publicly to criticize its leadership in a principled and constructive way. 

In a truly democratic political party, such as the BNP would wish to be regarded, public criticism of the leadership by the grass roots is regarded as entirely normal and unexceptionable - as healthy even.  This is the third position and it is one to which Mr Griffin has no effective answer.  It is the position that I adopted some eighteen months ago and have held consistently ever since.  It is the position that I respectfully recommend to every thinking member of our BNP.

I shall be renewing my own membership of the party.  I entreat others to renew theirs.  Whatever else you may, or may not, choose to do for the party under the current circumstances, you should at least do this.

Conference 2011 financial overview

By Clive Jefferson, National Treasurer – This year saw a highly successful British National Party Conference that was well attended, different and exciting. Held in the North West of England, just outside of Liverpool, Conference 2011 was a great success. Historically, we have lost money on our conferences. This year, with our renewed efforts at providing good services for affordable prices in this period of austerity and cuts, we feel that the membership will be delighted to know that this year’s conference was not only well attended, but also made a profit for the Party.

With 215 people signed in as attending over the course of the weekend, plus staff and security, everyone was well fed, watered and housed, and I take great delight in publishing our figures below:

The total cost of Conference this year was £2,643.00 (derived mainly from food, hotel and the catered full hog roast on Saturday night).

The total income from Conference this year was £4,915.00 (derived from attendees’ fees and stalls at Conference).

Therefore, the total profit from Conference 2011 was £2,272.00.

A collection for the staff of the venue (which was supplied free of charge to us) was taken, and £280 was raised as thanks for the excellent and friendly service in the face of intimidation by the local Labour Council.

I would also like to pay tribute to our security team, all volunteers, for keeping us safe, as they always do, 24 hours a day over the duration of the three days. A special thanks to Mike Whitby, North West Regional Organiser and his good lady wife and, of course, to my favourites, the lovely “Liverpool ladies”, who put on one of their legendary spreads and fed us over the weekend and kept everyone supplied with tea and coffee.

I would also like to pay tribute to all the staff for a very professional event, to all the volunteers, without whom this party could not exist, to everyone who attended – it wouldn’t be a conference without you – and last but not least to our Chairman, who closed the event with a televised address, one of the best I have seen him make.