http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/scotland/article6905279.ece

Mainstream parties say that Nick Griffin’s appearance on Question Time has raised the BNP’s profile.
.
The mainstream political parties are increasingly worried that British National Party could achieve a political breakthrough in Scotland in next week’s byelection.
.
Some privately believe that the BNP stands a chance of winning third place in Glasgow North East, ahead of the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats, or, at best, save its deposit — something the party has never achieved in an election in Scotland.
.
In the European elections in June the BNP won 545 votes in Glasgow North East — 4.4 per cent of the overall vote on a 21.5 per cent turn out. To save its deposit on Thursday, the BNP needs to achieve 5 per cent. If the turn-out in Glasgow North East is around the predicted 40 per cent, the BNP would require only 1,200 votes to reach that target.
.
The main parties believe that the BNP’s campaign was boosted by the appearance of Nick Griffin, the BNP’s leader, on Question Time last month. They also say that the BNP is feeding off voter antipathy created by the MPs expenses scandal
.
Allied to that, Glasgow North East is the only Scottish constituency with a relatively high number of asylum seekers. Ten years ago the city decided to take part in the Home Office’s asylum seeker dispersal programme and many of the several thousand asylum seekers who were sent to Glasgow ended up in the constituency’s notorious Red Road towers.
.
Asylum seekers say they regularly face accusations that they are given preferential treatment over local families when it comes to housing allocations.
.
Labour MPs out canvassing in the constituency say that they have come across growing support for the BNP among voters.
.
“It’s not just in these places where you would expect it but among some of the better-off people as well. I’m worried that the BNP could cause a real shock here,” said one.
.
Another was concerned that the BNP could achieve 10 per cent of the vote, although his colleagues disputed that support was as high as that.
.
Professor John Curtice, Britain’s most respected polling analyst, said: “You would have to say that this is potentially the best place in Scotland for the BNP.
.
“The social profile in Glasgow North East means it is the kind of area where the BNP tend to do well throughout the UK. But you do not expect them to do as well in Scotland as they would do in the same social situation down south.”
.
He said that the chances of the BNP coming third were slim. For it to do so would mean that support for parties other than Labour and the SNP had totally collapsed.
.
The BNP candidate in the byelection is Charlie Baillie, a long-time member of the party. “The message is that the BNP is opposed to the dispersal policy enacted by the city council. We are opposed to mass immigration and we seek an immediate return for bogus asylum seekers,” he said.
.
With the byelection campaign now in its final lap, the Labour candidate, Willie Bain, appears increasingly confident of holding off a strong challenge from the SNP and avoiding a repeat of Glasgow East byelection last year, when the SNP overcame a 13,000 Labour majority.
.
Political observers say that the SNP campaign has failed to develop any real momentum.
Labour has made great play of the SNP government’s recent decision to cancel a rail link project from Glasgow to the city’s airport. The SNP has tried to hit back by reminding voters that they have been electing Labour representatives at all levels of government for the past 74 years but that the constituency still remains one of the poorest in the UK.
.
The byelection was triggered by the decision of the former Commons speaker, Michael Martin, now Lord Martin of Springburn, to stand down in June as the MP for Glasgow North East in the wake of the expenses scandal.
.
Both the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives, which will also be fighting to save their deposits, did not contest the seat at the General Election in 2005, observing the Westminster tradition that the Speaker is not opposed.
——————————————————————————–
My information to date, which includes a very good estimate of the votes already cast via the postal votes, is that third place and a stunning shocker is ………..possible, very possible!

Lets not disapoint them! Every member who can get to Glasgow over the next week please contact 07827811008 or 07717774730

What a day, my phone has been ringing all day with people wanting to get information, join or wanting help. Here are a few of the emails recieved.

dear sir/madam,
i m not a member but i do think some of your policies are a good idea- i just wanted to let you know i feel that nick griffin didn’t get a chance at all to give his views-it was a farce- and he was just set up completely, could you let him know that many people do support him and his party but a lot of people are scared to admit it in case they are accused of racism etc.

I have been reading the BBC comments page regarding Question Time last night and felt that I just had to send something directly to you at the BNP. I should mention that I have made a comment on the BBC website too!

I was appalled at the way Nick Griffin was treated. I have never been so outraged at a programme being so one sided. It was as if the audience had been hand picked and the panel were allowed to say what they liked without any intervention by David Dimbelby.

I noted with interest that when a gentleman stood up to ask why we are still allowing immigration when there is so much unemployment in this country , the microphone and camera were swiftly moved away to a lady member to the audience who wanted to have another “pop” at Nick Griffin.

Other panel members were allowed to get away with avoiding a particular question being asked, but Nick Griffin answered the question and was still set upon by the “mob”.

He was asked over and over again what he meant by indigenous! P L E A S E ! One member of the panel had us going back as far as the ice age!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

I have voted labour in my earlier years and then lib dem for the rest. However I did vote BNP in the last election and will continue to do so. People are so afraid to mention that they vote for BNP because words like Nazi and Fascist get thrown around. Yes maybe Hitler went about his “cause” all the wrong way and NO I don’t condone wiping out races , cultures or religions, but he did say he wanted Germany for the German people. Well , like you, I want Britain for the British people. I am sick and tired of being told that certain things in British society “offend” certain people. Well as the Australian Prime Minister said “you don’t have to live here”.

I wish you the best of luck for the future and can assure you of my continued support.

Just a note to say, well done Mr Griffin, I thought Question Time was very unfair on you, which shows how scared the other parties are of your continuing success.
You can count on my vote at the next election.

One thing that the British love more than anything is the underdog. We howled for justice against King Charles the First but cried the moment his head rolled off the block.
Last night we witnessed the pillory of Nick Griffin. He was placed in front of a hostile audience by people who should have known better.
Outside the studios, people who were high on the catharsis of protest; latching on to something to be angry about, be it nuclear submarines, animal rights or the rights of a woman to scare school children by dressing like Darth Vader as a sign of her religious sincerity.
Nobody came away from Question Time with honour all that happened was that thousands of British people saw Nick Griffin as the underdog and warmed to him because his treatment was unfair and undemocratic.
People haven’t just voted for the BNP out of cruelty and hate, they have voted because no-one else is listening to them. No-one listens to the parents of the ten last remaining white children in a Rochdale School. No-one listens to the Parents in Acton whose children sit twiddling their thumbs while Moslem Children go to pray. No-one listens to the people of Warwick who have watched as a gigantic mosque, against which they have had no say, grows up to dominate their City.
It is not racist to say that the growth of a Political Religion in Britain that has no regard to the laws or the customs of Britain is wrong.
It is not racist to say that wherever Islam holds sway no other religion is allowed to survive.
But somewhere, somehow, someone has labelled these views as racist.
Ignore the Sikhs who have come to Britain to escape Islamic aggression. Ignore the Hindus and the Buddhists who have done the same. Ignore the fact that Bangladesh, a state 50/50 Islamic and other religions at the time of Partition is now 98% Moslem and kick the hell out of a misguided, inarticulate, unfortunate person who has spent his life following the wrong path.
Like it or not, the bedrock of Britain is Christianity. Out Politicians have ignored that fact, allowed other religions to usurp that fact and Nick Griffin is the product.

I was shocked at the tactics the Question Time team used to set up Nick Griffin, it shows the levels that our so called national broadcasting corporation will stoop to. It seems to me that being caucasian and proud to be British is a crime and not fashionable, so they try, unsuccessfully, to make Mr Griffin out to be nothing but a racist. Well their plan is backfiring as myself and others I have spoken to who have never voted for the BNP intend to at local and national level. I find the way the recent cash/expenses scandal was brushed under the carpet a disgrace to every British citizen who voted for these bloated overpaid excuses for politicians. Additionally selling the UK out to Europe, and letting unskilled immigrants who sneak across our borders stay, with full benefits, legal aid, and housing priority over British citizens an absolute disgrace. I am so disheartened with the UK, I feel like a second class citizen in the country that I love. We are allowing the minority retain the power of the majority, change our laws and milk the system, so dont loose heart and fight the good fight, you are waking a sleeping giant and people all over our great nation feel the same…..

Dear All
As a 40 something couple we have no interest or leaning towards any political party and indeed neither have bothered to vote for years.
However having seen Nick Griffin on Question Time we are disgusted in the way he was treated by the audience and other guests. We feel
little was mentioned about BNP policies with the emphasis on portraying him as a rac
ist.

Wishing BNP and Nick EVERYsuccess

The media are sitting up and taking notice of the BNP campaign in Glasgow, a small piece in the Sun last week and a splattering of local papers, and now Charlie has been invited to do an interview for the BBC which should get an airing wednesday 21st.

Charlie also heads the list of candidates on the BBC web site!

Local Campaign manager Walter Hamilton has called tonight for members to help distribute 5000 new leaflets saying ” Just think a few hours of your time will help change history in Scotland”.

This is no idle boast, the times are changing, the BNP have never been out of the news during the run up to Nick Griffin MEP appearing on Question time, this is your chance to play a part in making history, a few hours is all we ask, help let the good people of Glasgow North East know there is a real alternative to the expense swindling gang of four, the BNP is here and it is here to stay!

Contact Walter Hamilton on 07717774730

Last night saw the first Aberdeen City meeting since new Organiser Barry Scott had taken on the role. .

“As this was my first meeting I was naturally apprehensive about meeting members for the first time “, said Barry, “but after the introductions were over, we all simply got down to business discussing Branch Strategy”.

It was agreed that our efforts would be concentrated on contesting Aberdeen South, currently held by Anne Begg of Labour. Members proposed a leafleting campaign in the days following Nick Griffin’s Question Time appearance on the 22nd of November, in the hope of benefiting from the good publicity this should bring.

The highlight of the evening was the very generous offer from one of our members, of payment in full, for the deposit for our candidate in Aberdeen South, who is to be announced in the next upcoming meetings.

A collection was held at the end of the meeting of which Fifty Three pounds was raised. This will be put to good use as payment for a Wreath to commemorate Remembrance Sunday at BNP Scotlands service on the 8th November.

Mr Scott finished his report by saying, “The over whelming support for the British National Party in Aberdeen really is an ‘un-tapped resource’ and I believe as a group we have a very exciting future ahead of us”.

The British National Party in Scotland continues to expand and has appointed yet another new organiser and deputy leader, Scottish leader Gary Raikes has announced. “I am pleased to announce that Joe Finnie will be the new organiser for Renfrewshire and Walter Hamilton will take up the role of Scottish deputy leader,” Mr Raikes told a regional meeting of BNP Scotland over the weekend.
“The meeting opened with encouraging reports from Local Authority organisers on the activities which have already taken place in preparation for elections,” Mr Raikes told BNP News. “I told the meeting about the BNP’s ethos of authority and responsibility and why we have to adhere to a disciplined structure if we are to gain success,” he said. “The BNP Scotland is currently at an all-time record with the highest number of active members ever and we are building on our growing vote tallies.”
The meeting was given a roundup of articles from the Scottish press which had featured the BNP. These included many front page items which proved how newsworthy the party had become in Scotland. “Even though they were written with a negative slant, they were on average favourable to our cause,” Mr Raikes said.
Also on the agenda was the upcoming Glasgow by-election which provoked much lively discussion. Invaluable advice was provided by England’s North West regional organiser Clive Jefferson. “We all know Mr Jefferson ran the successful campaign which led to the BNP victory in his region in the European elections and we’re grateful for Mr Jefferson’s help,” Mr Raikes said. Also attending the meeting was BNP deputy leader Simon Darby who fielded a number of questions concerning the proposed changes to the BNP constitution and the importance of the coming appearance of the Chairman on Question Time.
“All organisers were given info packs and copies of Voice of Freedom to take away to help in promoting the party in their regions,” Mr Raikes continued. “In addition, BNP Scotland’s 23 seat electoral strategy was presented by one of our think tank members. This let everyone know the goal towards which we are working in the elections.”
“It was a pleasure to meet up with all our newly appointed local authority area organisers and to hear how keen they all are to get things moving in their regions,” Mr Raikes said. “All agreed this meeting was one of the best attended, most productive, and professionally run we have had so far. Thanks go to secretary Ian Wilson for preparing all relevant paperwork and meetings chairman Robert Bonnar for keeping proceedings running smoothly.”