Richard Barnbrook reported for 'bullying' (BNP, UK)

A former staff member for Richard Barnbrook, the BNP’s former London leader and London Assembly member, says she has reported him to the GLA’s standards watchdog for his “unreasonable” and “bullying” behaviour towards her.

Tess Culnane, the “Nazi Granny” who was the BNP candidate for mayor of Lewisham this year, tells me she has made an official complaint to the City Hall standards officer, Ed Williams, calling for Mr Barnbrook’s suspension.

She says: “Richard Barnbrook failed to respond to requests for help from members of the public. When I did tell him about people who had come forward, he very often adopted a resentful manner towards me and threatened me with dismissal.

“His continual bullying manner and threats to sack me became intolerable. He would fall into a strop. He would make faces behind our backs when we were talking. He was a total embarrassment to those of us in his office.”

Mrs Culnane also says that Mr Barnbrook took out his anger on other members of his office, including another staffer, Emma Colgate. “She was forced to resign due to Richard’s perpetual hectoring manner,” she said. “At one point he followed her into the ladies’ toilet hectoring her.” Mrs Culnane says her complaint also alleges that Mr Barnbrook has been drunk during Mayor’s Questions.

Mr Barnbrook didn’t return repeated calls and text messages today to answer these allegations. They should be seen, of course, in the context of the fact that he has been in dispute with the BNP for some time. There may be an element of revenge here.

He resigned the BNP whip on the Assembly last month after the re-election of Nick Griffin as leader. Yesterday, he was thrown out of the party. He was also sacked as the BNP’s Barking and Dagenham organiser after the racists lost all their seats – his included – on the local council in the May elections.

A spokesman for the London Assembly said the procedure with complaints was for a sub-committee to decide whether they had enough merit to be considered by the full standards committee. Until then, he said, he could not confirm or deny whether any complaint had been received.

Originally posted
by Andrew Gilligan in the Daily Telegraph Blogs

HUNGARIAN RIGHT-WING EXTREMISTS FACE TERRORISM CHARGES

Hungarian prosecutors on Monday charged 17 right- wing extremists with involvement in terrorist activities, including arson attacks on politicians' homes, the severe beating of a television presenter and bomb-making, the MTI news agency reported. The terrorist group had called itself the Hunnia Movement and the Hungarian Arrows National Liberation Army. Among those charges is the nationalist leader Gyorgy Budahazy, who has been in custody for a year along with three other right-wingers. Budahazy has close ties to the far-right Movement for a Better Hungary, which entered parliament after snagging 17 per cent of the vote in April elections. The political party, also known as Jobbik, has tried to portray the accused as 'victims of a political justice.' Krisztina Morvai, a Jobbik member who is a member of the European Parliament, regularly makes appearances in Brussels with a T-shirt reading 'Freedom for Budahazy!'


DPA

The Rise of the far right in European Politics by riding the anti-Muslim Islamophobia wave.

A great news item has appeared on the German channel Speigel about the rise of the far right political parties in Europe and their anti-Islamic rhetoric.

I would urge everyone to read this.

The Rise of Europe's Right-Wing Populists

DUTCH RIGHT-WING PARTIES REACH AGREEMENT ON COALITION

Coalition talks in the Netherlands appear to have resulted in right-wing government supported by the far right. Negotiators reached agreement this evening on the details of a coalition agreement between the conservative VVD and Christian Democrats (CDA). A second agreement on parliamentary support by the Freedom Party has also been finalised. Today was 111th day of the formation. Earlier this evening, VVD leader Mark Rutte said the new cabinet will be named Rutte-Verhagen. Negotiators spent hours on the wording of the documents as the tone is particularly important to the Christian Democrats. VVD leader Mark Rutte announced that the three parties had reached agreement. CDA leader Maxime Verhagen declined to quote a motto for the new cabinet. He said he had faith that he could persuade his party to back the deal. Freedom Party leader Geert Wilders called it a historic moment. He said “who would have thought that the Freedom Party would have a huge amount of influence in government a couple of years ago.” Mark Rutte is set to become the first VVD prime minister since 1918.

Minority government
The minority VVD-Christian Democrat government will rely on parliamentary support from the far-right Freedom Party for a majority in the Lower House. On Wednesday, two agreements will be presented to the three parliamentary parties and the negotiators will report back to coalition broker Ivo Opstelten on Thursday. The details of the agreements will also be made public on Thursday. The Christian Democrat Party is holding a special congress on Saturday to seek approval from its members for the deal. All eyes will then be on the CDA, as many members of the party have expressed grave concerns about the cooperation with Geert Wilders' anti-Islam Freedom Party. Christian Democrat leader Maxime Verhagen has faced broadsides from a string of party elder statesmen, and two dissident CDA MPs threaten the coalition's flimsy one-seat majority. To complicate matters further, on Saturday Mr Wilders will be giving an anti-Islam speech in Berlin.

Right-wing
Negotiations for a right-wing cabinet headed by VVD leader Mark Rutte have been underway since 5 August, after the failure of talks on a possible 'purple' cabinet, comprising the 'blue' VVD and three 'red' left-of-centre parties. The talks for a rightwing cabinet were broken off in early September after the Freedom Party pulled out doubting CDA resolve to see the negotiations through. A letter by CDA co-negotiator Ab Klink voicing his reservations had been leaked to the press. After the resignation of Mr Klink, the Freedom Party agreed to come back to the negotiating table.

Ill-fated adventure
Earlier in the day, Labour Party leader Job Cohen has called the prospect of a right-wing government with support from the Freedom Party “the worst conceivable outcome of the coalition talks”. Socialist Party leader Emile Roemer says he is concerned about the measures in the agreements. Democrat D66 leader Alexander Pechtold called the development “an ill-fated adventure”. It was in the Freedom Party's interests to conclude the talks this week because as of Monday, Mr Wilders is due to appear in court in Amsterdam for a total of six days (over the course of a fortnight) on charges of inciting hatred and discrimination against Muslims.

Radio Netherlands Worldwide

Darlington College aids hate crime victims

Victims of 'prejudice crime' who do not want to go to the police are being urged to report their grievances to staff at a Durham college.

Police are training staff at Darlington College to deal with victims of hate crime who can remain anonymous if they wish.

The college will be known as a third party reporting centre, police said.

Hate crime is an offence motivated by a dislike of race, colour, religion, gender, sexuality or disability.

A spokesman for Durham Police said: "The person reporting the offence does not have to leave their details and can remain anonymous throughout.

"If they request police to attend then an officer will make an appointment to meet them.

"If problems aren't reported to the police we have no chance of solving them."

BBC News

Toon stars join forces in fight against racism

Toon stars joined forces to help a Tyneside anti-racism charity gain national recognition.

Whitley Bay-based Show Racism the Red Card wants to be crowned Charity of the Year.

If given the accolade by the Football Association, the organisation would get a huge publicity boost, as well as a share of fundraising carried out by the governing body.

And the Newcastle United team lent their support when the squad took time out from their pre-match preparations at St James’ Park on Sunday to pose for photographs and outline their support for the campaign.

It comes as more than 60 MPs rallied behind the efforts to be named charity of the year.

Bosses of the organisation, founded 14 years ago, want to get the support of 100 MPs and will host a special event in October to encourage as many as possible to sign up.

Those already on board include South Shields MP David Miliband, who narrowly lost out to brother Ed in the Labour leadership election this weekend. It is Mr Miliband’s Blaydon colleague Dave Anderson who has arranged for Show Racism the Red Card chiefs to gain access to the House of Commons on October 19, when they will aim to convince as many people as possible to follow them.

Other MPs to have given their backing so far are Stephen Hepburn, Chi Onwurah, Ian Mearns and Ian Lavery, alongside Sunderland chairman Niall Quinn, Toon manager Chris Hughton and former England Manager Graham Taylor.

And every member of the Magpies squad, along with Wallsend-born Emmerdale actress Charlie Hardwick, herself a Toon fan, posed for snaps holding aloft campaign placards at St James’ Park.

The photo shoot took place ahead of United’s defeat to Stoke City, which saw the Toon take the lead through a Kevin Nolan penalty, before ex-Sunderland striker Kenwyne Jones equalised and James Perch put through his own net to give the Potters the lead in front of the Sky TV cameras.

Ged Grebby, of the charity, said: “We have a great relationship with the club and, as ever, were thankful of their support.

“We hope we can push on now and be named charity of the year, which would mean a great deal to us.”

Chronicle Live

Police pledge swifter response to racism and homophobia than 'ordinary' crime

Police are looking to drive up reporting of hate crime by promising minorities will see a swifter and tougher response to offenders, than other victims.

The new hate-crime guidance manual is aimed at instigating a cultural change in policing and, as a result, throughout Scotland.

Police will stress to officers that victims from minorities suffer more when a crime is motivated by prejudice than a member of the general public would from the same offence.

Assistant Chief Constable Mike McCormick, of Lothian and Borders Police, said: "We wanted to make sure our own staff were aware of the impact hate crime has.

"If you punch me in the nose because you don't like me because of the colour of my skin, race, sexuality or whatever, that has a longer effect because I'm thinking that not only does this person not like me, but lots of other people won't like me either.

"If someone is already struggling with a disability then a hate crime can leave them thinking not only do I have a physical problem, but I also have a social problem because people don't like me.

"It has a much more significant effect on victims and I want people to pick up on that.

"If people say 'I had not meant any harm' it was just a bit of loose language, we're saying think hard before you say something. And we want victims of hate crime to know this is how we feel."

The new manual brings together best practice from the various eight Scottish forces that was put in place following the Stephen Lawrence inquiry in 1999.

The inquiry into the murder of the black teenager in 1993 found the Metropolitan Police to be "institutionally racist", a verdict has had repercussions that continue to affect UK policing.

The manual represents a promise to protect, not only ethnic minorities, but anyone who might be prejudiced against because of age, disability, gender including transgender, race including gypsy/travellers, religion or belief, and sexual orientation.

It is backed by new powers in the Offences Aggravated by Prejudice (Scotland) Act, which was passed in Scottish Parliament earlier this year.

Sergeant Martin White, of the diversity unit at Lothian and Borders Police, one of the officers who wrote the manual, said: "(Under the act] if someone is arrested for hate crime, we must look to put them before the courts as soon as possible, if not from custody then bailed to appear as soon as possible.

"In the courts, hate crime has to be recorded and reflected in the sentence. It gives the courts the chance to give an appropriate sentence.
That might mean restorative justice - addressing problems the victim might have within their community."

Mr McCormick added: "If it manifests again the court will take an even dimmer view of a person perpetrating homophobic or racist crimes."

Chief Constable Ian Latimer, chairman of the Acpos equality and diversity business area, said: "The manual, developed in consultation with partner agencies and victim support charities, gathers best practice and provides officers with guidance on how to recognise and investigate hate crime."

Justice secretary Kenny Mac-Askill said: "We live in a modern Scotland where there is no excuse for hate crime of any form. This new Acpos guidance has my full support."

Ros Micklem, National Director Scotland for the Equality and Human Rights Commission, said: "Recognition of the corrosive impact of hate crime upon individuals and communities is clear in this manual, as is the determination to continue to work with communities to provide an effective response."


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