Englander 1

Iain Dale 7:44 PM
In a desperate attempt to boost their ailing London mayoral and London assembly campaign, the British National Party has been reduced to pleading with English Democrat mayoral candidate Matt O'Connor (famous from Fathers for Justice) to defect to them and abandon his campaign. In a email, leaked to me earlier this evening, the BNP London organiser Nick Eriksen tries to paint the BNP as the most "'father-friendly' party in Britain ". He says "the modern BNP is a sensible, democratic and non-racist party". And Nick Griffin no doubt loves small children and furry animals. Here's the full text of the BNP missive. It is almost beyond parody...

Dear Matt,

I am surprised, and disappointed, to see that you are considering standing as London Mayoral candidate for the English Democrats. In view of your concern for justice for fathers when it comes to family separation and the custody of children, you must surely be aware that the British National Party is the ONLY party to clearly state, in its national manifesto, that "Divorce and family laws and maintenance arrangements discriminate against men" and to have the policy pledge to "make joint custody of children the norm in divorce cases"...

...The BNP is the most 'father-friendly' party in Britain . Of course I know that there are loads of lies and smears directed towards us, but if you read our manifesto you will see that the modern BNP is a sensible, democratic and non-racist party and one which I am sure you could support.

The English Democrats are, frankly, a miniscule fringe group who are using you. You will know that last year they received fewer votes in a parliamentary by-election that the Official Monster Raving Loony Party, and the other week in a by-election in Lambeth the EDs received a mere 8 votes - less than the number of people required to fill in the nomination form!

If you are genuinely concerned about England 's representation within the Union, then you will see from our manifesto that it is the BNP's policy to "introduce an English parliament within the United Kingdom ". As you can see the BNP is the party which best represents the views you are seeking to promote. Instead of allowing yourself to be used by the English Democrats for their own ends you should come over to the party which genuinely cares about families, fathers and children. The BNP is growing at a tremendous rate. While the EDs were obtaining a mere 8 votes in Lambeth the BNP won a council seat in Havering. People are realising that the BNP is not as it has been misrepresented by our opponents in other parties and in the media. We are a friendly party with the best interests of the British people at heart. Our policies are based on traditional values and commonsense.

Please do contact me if you would like to discuss this or if you have any questions.

Kind regards,

Nick Eriksen
BNP London Organiser


I trust Matt O'Connor is sensible enough to tell the BNP precisely where they can stick their email.

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"There is a forgotten, nay almost forbidden word, which means more to me than any other.
That word is ENGLAND." - Sir Winston Churchill

chikrodah

Interesting.

Since the Children Act 1989, there has been little emphasis on 'joint custody' as the concept of custody was separated into the concepts of parental responsibility and residence.

Couples who were married at the time of their child(ren)'s birth automatically have shared parental responsibility. Unmarried fathers can acquire parental responsibility after the birth if certain conditions are met. The question of who the child lives with, post divorce, and for which parts of the week/month/year as appropriate is another matter entirely.

That, of course, is something that Matt O'Connor would know extremely well. He's probably read most of the underlying text books from cover to cover, not to mention the Act itself.

Adrian Davies

More like opportunism than desperation. I am no fan of the BNP at any rate under its present leadership, but Nick Eriksen is entitled to point out the rather different outcomes in Gooshays and Vassall last week.

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Adrian Davies

Englander 1

Adrian I think our decision to field a candidate was important, sometimes you need to test the water...only last year UKIP had 8 votes in the ward I stood in.

People should remember we are all trying our best to change our country for the better...too often we are too quick to criticise those who put their heads above the ramparts.

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"There is a forgotten, nay almost forbidden word, which means more to me than any other.
That word is ENGLAND." - Sir Winston Churchill

Northumbrian

The 'father-friendly' thing is clutching at straws, but they do support an English Parliament. That is a fact.

Populist Lee

It would help to know who leaked the email in the first place.

After all, Dale seems to have lifted the "ailing . . . campaign" all by himself.

Not what he's intending, I'm sure; but it's a nice load of free and widely read publicity for someone.

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ENGLISH POPULISM
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who seek to reduce all the Peoples of the World
to Economic and Political Slavery under Globalism


POPULISM MEANS WHAT YOU WANT IS WHAT YOU GET

Adrian Davies

I don't criticise those who put their heads above the parapet (been there, done that). All that I say is that elections are the litmus test of a democratic political party's effectiveness. 1st May will be interesting.

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Adrian Davies

Englander 1

Adrian, we are still are small political force, albeit growing in influence and numbers, and to mount such a campaign is an achievement in itself.

Of course we would like a good result but more than anything this is a political statement of intent.

We have a very committed hardcore that will fight on regardless, always learning and improving but growing stronger with every knock back we get.

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"There is a forgotten, nay almost forbidden word, which means more to me than any other.
That word is ENGLAND." - Sir Winston Churchill

Richard the Lionheart

I think Matt would have stood more chance with the BNP. They have a much higher profile. There's not a lot of difference between the BNP and EDP. Both want out of the EU, both support a limited empowered English parliament, both are pro-British state, both have anti-immigration policies. Perhaps both parties should merge to become a bigger force. It could be called the British Democrats Party

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blueblood1920

Well I would only hope that he was taken from the ED's to damage their campaign, however from what I have heard about his time in F4J I am not sure I would like him in the BNP.