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[J.E.Richardson]

Dear all

[again, apologies for cross posting]

A few people have contacted me off-list to ask about the 
contents of BNP leaflets. I have recently written an 
article for Social Semiotics that interested people may 
wish to read; it contains a scanned leaflet from the BNP & 
one from Labour. Second article down in this list:
http://www.freewebs.com/johnrichardson/academicarticles.htm

A more openly racist, unregulated version of their 
ideology was in evidence in this leaflet distributed in 
Hull.
http://www.heretical.com/British/bhullbnp.html

best
John


> 
> as you may know, the BNP are the largest 
>far-right/neo-fascist/third position party operating in 
>the UK. Despite their recent internal splits and 
>in-fighting (see: 
>http://www.voiceofchange.org.uk/index.php) they are still 
>a very real threat to both minority communities in the UK 
>as well as wider democratic processes.
> 
> They have recently stepped up their campaigning across 
>the country - in areas where I live, round Loughborough 
>where I work and especially, it seems, in London in 
>anticipation of the elections for the London Mayor & GLA 
>on May 1st. Their activities in London are a particular 
>worry, as this Authority is voted using proportional 
>representation. Of course, when the BNP has been voted 
>onto local councils they have tended to be incredibly 
>inept - rarely showing up for debates, not using their 
>votes, etc. But the idea of a fascist with 'a voice in 
>the running of London' fills me with dread.
> 
>For a taste of their 'vision for London' read:
> " London is our capital city. It doesn't belong to any 
>recent group of newcomers; it belongs to the British 
>people and is ours alone, a city which has been an 
>important settlement for our ancestors and trading port 
>for over 2000 years, it has been the hub of the greatest 
>empire this planet has ever seen and remains one of the 
>world's greatest cities. However the demographic changes 
>in our capital city in the past 50 years have led to a 
>situation where the native British people are facing 
>minority status in many parts of the city.
> 
> In parts of the city, seven out of 10 babies are now 
>delivered to mothers born overseas meaning that we, the 
>native British people are facing an unprecedented 
>demographic crisis. In 18-20 years time those babies are 
>likely to be parents themselves. There are a growing 
>number of boroughs which are effectively no longer 
>British but Third World enclaves of Africans, Indians, 
>Afghans, Pakistanis and Vietnamese."
> http://www.voiceofchange.org.uk/news_detail.php?news_id=14
> 
> I realise that most people's immediate reaction to 
>receiving their campaign literature would be to throw it 
>away. But could I ask you all to *please* save any 
>leaflets or letters you receive from the BNP. I am 
>building an archive of their literature from across the 
>country, so it would be *incredibly* useful to have any 
>materials that come through your door.
> 
> My dept address is given below. I can provide prepaid 
>envelopes if need be - but I can also come to your dept 
>and scan materials if you want to keep them too.
> 
> Many thanks & best wishes
> 
> John
> 
> 
> Dept of Social Sciences
> Loughborough University
> Epinal Way
> Loughborough
> LE11 3TU