London's secret BNP members exposed
HUNDREDS of Londoners are today exposed as secret members of the British National Party.
They include soldiers, advertising men, retired teachers and even a songwriter. Their BNP membership was revealed when their names, addresses and phone numbers were leaked and posted on the internet.
The leak revealed 10,000 members nationally, including serving police officers and prison staff whose contracts forbid them from belonging to the BNP. There were a large number of servicemen listed - including a member of the Intelligence Corps.
Among the people whose names and private details are disclosed was a Hackney man whose details had a footnote added: "No 'promotional material' requested. Concerned about his job."
Contacted by the Standard, the man was clearly nervous and said he had left the party. "My membership expired and I want nothing to do with the party," he said before hanging up.
Many of those listed have notes attached describing their professional skills that could be useful to the BNP.
A Forest Hill man, described as managing director of a security company was listed as offering "personal protection". Called by the Standard, he said: "I'm a former member, I have not been a member for two years now. I really just joined to see what they were all about." He then put the phone down.
The list reveals that the BNP values members with media skills that could be harnessed for propaganda. A woman in central London is described as skilled in television production and article writing, while in N18 a BNP member is said to be a skilled video editor. A man in Chiswick is noted to own an advertising and marketing company. A member in N2 is listed as a songwriter.
But another member has a note under his name warning he is an undercover journalist for the Guardian.
The list contains people not only in BNP strongholds such as Barking and Dagenham, but also addresses in Chelsea and Westminster.
BNP leader Nick Griffin demanded a police investigation into the leak, which he blamed on "a disgraceful act of treachery" by disaffected ex-party officials. "If we are able to prove it is one of them, they will go to prison, it's as simple as that," he said. Earlier this year, the party said it had obtained an injunction banning any publication of the list.
The internet was today buzzing with panicking BNP members and anti-fascists taunting them. Party spokesman Simon Darby said: "I wouldn't want to have done that - I wouldn't be sleeping very well tonight." Mr Griffin denied Mr Darby was hinting at reprisals, saying it was a threat of prosecution.
Mr Griffin added that the list was a year old. "Having spent a lot of money to secure our members' privacy we are disappointed that it's been breached."
