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BBC NEWS | Politics | Profile: Matt O'Connor

Profile: Matt O'Connor

Mr O'Connor made a name for himself as a father's rights campaigner
Matt O'Connor is perhaps best known as the founder and spokesman for the now disbanded campaigning group Fathers 4 Justice.

Members of the group made the headlines throughout 2004 for a series of high-profile stunts, including hurling purple powder at Tony Blair in the Commons and a Buckingham Palace protester in a Batman costume.

It disbanded after reports linking it to a plan to kidnap Tony Blair's son Leo - Mr O'Connor said "extremist elements" had undermined the group's credibility.

The marketing and design consultant has since written a book on the story behind Fathers 4 Justice and was in the process of setting up his own political party, the People's Alliance, when he was approached by the English Democrats to run for them in the mayoral contest - after media pundit Garry Bushell pulled out.

Mr O'Connor told BBC London: "We were engaged in a conversation and it sort of came up. As far as I was concerned they had already done a lot of the leg work in terms of what I was going to be doing anyway."

The English Democrats aim to restore what they see as the imbalance between England and the rest of the UK - from funding via the Barnett formula to the West Lothian Question.

But Mr O'Connor said he would not just be "banging on about the English Parliament". He sees himself as a "battered everyman" who understands the way people live and is not afraid to take on "big government" to defend people's liberties.

Born in Manchester in 1967 into a Labour-supporting family, Mr O'Connor regularly went out canvassing for the party and says he was among activists supporting Cherie Blair's unsuccessful bid for the seat of North Thanet in 1983.

He has also been a member of the Fabian Society, CND, Amnesty International, and says he gained experience of direct action in supporting the miners' strike and taking part in anti-apartheid protests.

He founded Fathers 4 Justice after a difficult divorce left him struggling to maintain contact with his children - although the problem had been resolved by the time the group was up and running.

Its high-profile, often controversial, three-year campaign highlighted calls for improved rights for men denied access to their children.


Its all coming together!

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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

Independent UKIP

The reasons to not vote ED keep getting longer. His photos (photoshoped?) don't make him look 40/41 though.

Smidgey

Sounds like a left-wing nut, as well as being a nationalist! Why doesn't he just come out and say that he's a collectivist?

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How vain is man, who boasts in fight the valour of gigantic might!

-Georg Friedrich Händel

cassie

What's your evidence for this . . . apart from acute Scottish prejudice against English nationalism?

Trust a wee Scottie to try and rain on an English parade!



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Frith

No, you can't get away with more anti-Scots sentiment on this one. Smidgey is quite right and he is taking his opinion from the post concerned. Matt sounds like a lefty, or at least an ex-lefty. There is nothing in there of nationalism. Yes, human rights, yes, British rights, yes working class rights, maverick status, etc, support of Labour and trades unions, etc. Brilliant left wing credentials that would make him a great cross over candidate to the Lib Dems at a pinch or the present incarnation of UKIP.

But then, one has to take into consideration that the present incarnation of the EDs isn't nationalist. They left that road when they changed their name. They are in many ways a lot like the Matt portrayed in this post. In this respect he is possibly an ideal ED candidate and a good one for multicultural London.

A candidate for English London, historical London, the city everyone associates with England isn't in any of that. Matt seems a broader appeal type political person. I'd still place him, from that post, in the more revolutionary ranks of Labour. Membership of the Fabian society is an indication of left wing philosophy. His original idea of a People's Alliance is right inside his modus operandi and world view, by the sounds of it. He may have done quite well as a variant flavour of gorgeous George there for a while.

Nothing wrong with that, just doesn't strike me as English specifically. It does put him in the running against someone like Barnbrook. Which will be interesting.

Hartlepool

I prefer the English Democrats over Free England at the moment but we will see what happens in all the elections of the future I guess.

Good luck to both.(is that ok or silly?)

eublues

The 'Fathers 4 Justice' link is not exactly helpful I would have thought.

Frith

Agree. That kind of thing alienates women voters who make up half of the electorate. As there are now one in four children in single parent families it probably has a fuse attached to it that could ignite more hostility than unity.

Smidgey

What on earth has this got to do with my post? At least stay on topic.

About a month ago Cassie, you claimed that Scots always like bringing themselves up in discussions - it seems that you do it more than most Scots supposedly do!

I don't like Scottish nationalsm, I don't like British nationalism, I don't like English nationalism and I don't like any other kind of nationalism. What's difficult to understand about this?

Is it really that difficult for you to believe that there are some people who don't worship the ground they were born on?

You sound paranoid.

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How vain is man, who boasts in fight the valour of gigantic might!

-Georg Friedrich Händel

Aardvark

At least Mr O'Connor comes to the role of candidate with valuable campaigning experience. If he's been a foot slogging activist in the past perhaps he can be one now. It will help if leaflets are distributed and doors are knocked by the candidate.

He might have grown older and wiser over the years.

There is an old adage: "If you're not a socialist when you're young there's something wrong with your heart; if you're a socialist when you're old there's something wrong with your head."

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When in Woking do as the Wokes do.

"I do not wish to form my opinions by thoughtlessly quoting others; I wish others to support their opinions by sensibly quoting me." Paul Wesson (Aardvark) 13th April 2008