Twitter users tell the BNP where to stick it

We're loathe to write a second blog post about Twitter in such a short period (more from Kate Hollern coming soon) but for, as Harold Macmillan once said, "events dear boy, events"!

It seems that a number of BNP activists have ventured away from the chummy racist echo chamber of angrylosers.com the BNP website to perform a bit of ill-advised "online engagement" with Twitter, the fast-growing internet messenging service. In the process, they've discovered first hand what the vast majority of the general public think of them.

The BNP leader Nick Griffin is standing as a North West candidate in the European elections on 4 June and Harriet Harman was correct in her recent assessment of the threat.

But we can take heart from the sturdy - and sometimes very witty - rejection they have suffered from Twitter users!

They seem to have adopted the "follow 1,000 people and hope they follow back" strategy. It's not even as they're targetting political people, as these hilarious posts show:

mattkirshen: Why are the BNP following me? Does he know I'm a Jew? And I'm in America so when I *GO HOME*, I'll be re-entering Britain

Flangel66: @BNPBen Get ready for a near-fatal overdose of Harry Potter and Doctor Who, 'cos I don't really Tweet about anything else!

blanche_dubois: Darling, what is the BNP? Is it some kinky British thing?

We're afraid it doesn't get any better for them:

Rogue_Leader: Urgh. The BNP followed me. How shall I get clean?

will_full: I'm disturbed to have found a user named BNPBen following me - I hit Block pretty quickly... Look him up though he's hilarious/disturbing.

christinamartin: Help I'm being followed by the BNP! Not for long though. Thank goodness for 'block'!

formulaic666: Why are the BNP following me? Let me put it simply. I hate you, your idiot redneck mates and everything you stand for.

Some users even tried to engage them in logical argument. Still no joy!

mrsminns: @BNPBen also thinks the anti-BNP messages he's been getting show a refusal to engage. Does he think "engage" means "agree"?

jaylett: On the prompting of @BNPBen, have read the BNP policies on their website. The words are 'thundering loonies'.

Well said guys. We couldn't have put it better ourselves!

Anyone wanting to read more (including things we can't print) or who doubts that these are representative can look here and here. Also check out our page on the BNP threat and Asif Sange's call to arms.

Source: Blackburn Labour Party

Apr 16, 2009

Police: No link to BNP

Lancashire police has said it has no connection to a BNP campaign leaflet being distributed in Preston.
The leaflet features a photograph of a police officer. A police spokesman said: "The leaflets include a photograph of an unnamed officer and it would be unfortunate if an impression were given that officers were supporting one political party against another."
The leaflet is entitled 'Say no to EU rule'.

Lancashire Evening Post
13 April 2009

14 suspended over racist e-mails

A major investigation is under way after Lancashire County Council suspended 14 members of staff over an allegedly racist e-mail.

The offending e-mail is claimed to have contained anti-Jewish material – and a large number of the suspended members of County Hall staff are believed to be from Preston.

But a union leader has condemned the move as "extreme" and added the County Council was "using a sledgehammer to crack a nut".

County Coun Vali Patel, part of the cabinet working group on voluntary community faith sector, said: "My understanding is that the e-mails were pro-Palestinian which may be perceived as anti-Jewish and that the members of staff who have been suspended were the receivers of the e-mail rather than the creators.

"I believe the majority of the staff who have been suspended are from Preston.

"The majority of them are Muslims, although they are not all Muslims.

"I think the County Council is quite right to have suspended them while they investigate the background of the matter."

Les Parker, Lancashire branch secretary of union UNITE, said: "I find it a bit extreme that 14 people have been suspended.

"You need to have sufficient evidence to do this.

"I would be concerned if these 14 people have been suspended on something that may be considered to be inappropriate if it is a silly joke e-mail that deserves a slap on the wrist rather than suspension.

"If all these employees have been guilty of is receiving the e-mail, then suspending them is totally inappropriate and way over the top.

"If, however, they have then passed the offending e-mail on, then that is inappropriate.

"It seems to me the County Council are using a sledgehammer to crack a nut."

The departments involved in the scandal are believed to include Adult Social Care and Children and Young People.

If found guilty, the workers will face disciplinary action and could even be sacked.


Lancashire Evening Post
13 April 2009