BNP leader should apologise for nearly causing grooming trial to collapse, says MP
Date published: 04 February 2013
A reckless publicity stunt by Nick Griffin nearly allowed nine of the country’s worst paedophiles to escape justice, Simon Danczuk MP has argued.
Rochdale’s MP confronted the BNP leader in an interview for the BBC Sunday Politics Show and demanded that he apologise for the tweet he’d posted about the outcome of last year’s Rochdale grooming trial, which nearly caused the case to collapse.
“You are not interested in justice for the victims of the nine paedophiles in Rochdale and you should use this opportunity to apologise for the victims of these crimes,” he told Griffin in angry exchanges. “You should use this chance now to say sorry.”
Griffin’s tweet led to the defense counsel calling on the judge to dismiss the jury because their impartiality and independence had been compromised. An appeal has subsequently been lodged.
Mr Danczuk said he had agreed to take part in the interview, departing from Labour’s traditional ‘no platform’ policy with Griffin, because he was so angry at the BNP leader’s attempts to derail justice.
“He has no interest in solving the grooming problem or Rochdale where he’s supposed to be representing people in the European Parliament,” he said afterwards. “Nick Griffin is only concerned with cheap publicity stunts and promoting himself rather than letting justice run its course. Thankfully people have now seen through him and I think the BNP are finished as a political force.”
During the interview Mr Danczuk also asked Griffin what he had achieved for the people in the North West during his time in Brussels. Griffin responded: “We don’t do very much, we’re fig leaves for the European Commission.”
Griffin admitted his party “had taken a hit” from Labour over the last few years in terms of voters deserting the party. But he also blamed the BBC and a “politicized police” for the BNP’s decline.
Comments
I saw the same program (which is still available on catch-up TV as of today). The above commentary is very biased. Both made valid points about the economy in the North West (although I personally cannot see the need to travel any quicker on the routes between London and Manchester).
The only contentious issue was the subject of underage sex grooming which I scored as a 1-1 draw.
If Griffin is truly concerned about Rochdale folk he should get his cheque book out and make a sizeable contribution to the £1M GMP policing bill his mates in the English Defence League, The North West Infidels and the National Front have left the long suffering council tax payers of Rochdale with after the fascist circuses that descended on our town last year with coachloads of middle-aged drunken skinheads and violent yobs on day release from ASBOs from out of town - post dated please Nick.
Though it seems the cash-strapped far-right BNP Nick, once fed his family on a rabbit that had been killed on the road.
He's bizarrely urged every local BNP branch to have “an eBay officer” – presumably to keep an eye out for bargains that could fill the party’s empty coffers. He also shared a fundraising idea with his audience. “We are going to begin collecting scrap. Have you any idea of the price of copper?” he said.
Griffin informed us all recently: “We have produced an invaluable document, it’s called ‘what to do if you get arrested’.” His remarks were noted down by Matthew Goodwin, an associate professor at Nottingham University, and published online.
The BNP finances have not improved since April, when the party declared that at 31 December 2010 it owed £582,961 and had £15,846 in the bank. Since then, the party has seen a decline in its political fortunes - hardly a financial role model is he?
Since the leader of the English Defence League, Stephen Yaxley Lennon (pseudonym Tommy Robinson), pleaded guilty to possession of a false identity document with improper intention, contrary to the Identity Documents Act 2010, at Southwark crown court and was jailed for 10 months after admitting using someone else's passport to enter the US, Rochdale tax payers are unlikely to see any money out of this looney group until he’s out of the nick. Still RMBC could write to him if he can read.
A million pounds for an over-the-top police state presence. Who authorised that expenditure?
Meanwhile £1 million a DAY is being paid out in child benefit for children who are not even in this country and at the same time it is being taken away from families with children IN this country (see MigrationWatch for details).
The wisdom of the useless political parties in Parliament make it so easy for the far right to thrive and also as a distraction for the bleeding heart brigade.
Have Your Say
Saw the programme and the exchange between Simon Danczuk and Nick Griffin and whilst Nick Griffin made the usual idiot of himself, Simon held his corner exceptionally well and made some clear and good arguments, without becoming angry, which it would always be so very easy to do against Nick Griffin. So well done Simon.
By springy @ 04/02/2013 17:09:48