http://www.presstv.ir/detail/176276.html
Infighting, debts spelling BNP's end
Sat Apr 23, 2011 11:35AM
The far-right British National Party is on the verge of breakdown ahead
of next month's local elections after losing dozens of its senior
members.
Many of the BNP members have either left the party or been suspended
over the recent weeks leading the BNP to field some 250 candidates in
the next month's elections compared to around 700 in a similar ballot in
2007.
As if the defections were not enough, the Electoral Commission said
earlier this week that the BNP has "failed to comply with the legal
requirement to keep adequate financial records" for the second year
running.
This comes as Matthew Goodwin, from Nottingham University, who is an
expert on far right politics, described the position of the party as
“extremely dire”.
"The defections and rebellions are going strong and we have seen a
whole host of key figures leave to join other far-right groups … [BNP
leader] Nick Griffin is becoming increasingly isolated," Goodwin said.
Earlier this month, the BNP saw 15 of its former members, including key
figures such as former Yorkshire organiser Chris Beverley, join English
Democrats in the upcoming poll.
Beverley rooted his “huge decision” to the party's inner conflicts
caused by Griffins and his leadership team.
The BNP has to fight other far-right parties, including the English
Defence League, the English Democrats, the British Freedom party, and
the UK Independence party (Ukip).
The latter is specially challenging for the BNP after it overcame both
coalition partners, Conservatives and Liberal Democrats in the Barnsley
by-election last month.
"The activists that are frustrated with the incompetence of the BNP are
going to the EDL or other rightwing factions and many [former voters]
are going to Ukip if they want something more respectable," said
Goodwin. "The BNP are being outflanked on all sides."
The party has now only 23 councillors while it had 54 last year and
facing rebellion by key members, including election co-ordinator Eddie
Butler and London assembly member Richard Barnbrook.
The inner party pressure on Griffin is expected to increase even
further after the Electoral Commission “sought an urgent meeting with
the party to discuss the steps they need to take to comply with the law"
over its finances.
The BNP is reportedly £500,000 in the red.
"Griffin will hang on because the BNP constitution means it is almost
impossible to oust him... [He] is doing the party in, it is not
connecting with voters, they are running out of money but he is not
going to go anywhere... they truly are a fading star and it is almost
entirely because of Griffin's incompetence," Goodwin said.