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| Andrew Brons MEP (left) with supporters: Richard Edmunds (BNP founding member) and Ken Booth (former NE Regional Organiser) |
There will be a leadership election this year and it will be fought between the current leader, Nick Griffin MEP and the only challenger, Andrew Brons MEP.
Both candidates will be fighting for the votes of the party's membership, however one candidate will have to fight a lot harder due to the punitive campaigning restrictions which have been put in place.
Candidates have been barred from attending meetings to speak to the members and get their points across, why this is the case in a democratic election within the self-proclaimed 'most democratic party' of Britain, is yet to be understood.
This means that once again via official BNP media outlets including the website, Griffin has retained his monopoly over the dissemination of views that the members will be able to base their decisions on. - The obscurely named 'Way Forward' meetings were also said to have been used by the chairman to strengthen his position.
Despite the suffocating rules surrounding this election, many high profile BNP members and officials have came out with vocal support for Andrew, many of whom can be seen on the broadcast at the foot of this article.
Those notable party members include Lancashire county and Burnley borough Councillor Sharon Wilkinson, Rev. Robert West, Arthur Kemp, Martin Wingfield - former editor of the Voice of Freedom, John Bean - The editor of Identity Magazine and many more including Regional Organisers and former Regional Organisers.
The announcement of a leadership election had became a rarity in the modern day BNP due to the ridiculous amount of signatures (around 800 last year) a candidate had to collect - a measure imposed by Griffin and made virtually impossible by undemocratic campaigning rules.
In Newcastle upon Tyne, the general consensus has been for a very long time that Griffin needs to stand aside, and it was discussed at local meetings.
When former North East Regional Organiser Ken Booth was asked to comment he quite simply said, "I'm supporting Andrew and the British National Party."
It is the view amongst many within the region, that Ken was unfairly dismissed from his position after he was sacked on the morning of an Advisory Council meeting that he had requested.
Ken planned to take along a chartered accountant willing to work for free in order to scrutinise the party's financial accounts - Ken was not allowed to attend that meeting.
Dissatisfaction with the incumbent chairman has made Newcastle's candidate count plummet from twenty-four to eleven, with many stating that they will not stand again until "Griffin is gone".
Despite this, the party still managed three second places within Newcastle (Elswick, Byker and Benwell & Scotswood) which is a testament to the hard work put in by almost disintegrating teams of activists.
The challenger, Andrew Brons MEP's 500 word statement can be read here.
The Newcastle Patriot urges all of those who are eligible to vote, to vote for Andrew Brons MEP - It is the view of this editor that a ceiling of support has been reached under Nick Griffin and the party is now taking huge strides backwards in membership, financial and electoral terms.
All voting members are also urged to attend the hustings in the North East region, for which they should have received the arrangements by post.
Vote for a change which is desperately needed. Vote for Andrew Brons MEP.
The Newcastle Patriot has decided not to ask Andrew Brons for comment as a communication of any substance may be seen as breaking 'electoral' rules.
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