BNP leaked list claims first victims

A Genie free of its bottle...

is surely minus the bottle?

So shouldn't that tag line be genie - bottle = foot + mouth

"Fruit of teh poison tree" ?

is a US construct. Here in the UK the courts are quite happy to accept illegally obtained evidence, and have been for years.

"fruit of the poison tree"

It might not really matter.

If an organisation is receiving enough negative publicity they'll find a clause about "bringing the organisation into disrepute" or "outside activities interferring with the business" in their employment contract.

It also means that anyone arrested by the policewoman concerned who isn't white will immediately claim that her actions were racially motivated and the police would always be on the defensive.

Dilema

Boot out the BNP member from the police force, face legal backlash.

Don't boot out the BNP member, face public backlash.

I suggest the former; The law can't take the law into their own hands when they lose confidence in the police force.

Hmmm

Viva la internet?

Re: Don't lose sight of the issue.

These people may be card carrying members of the BNP. This should be immaterial.

If any of these people have been displaying behaviour motivated by racial prejudice (or whatever), then that is wrong, and they should be dealt with accordingly.

However it is immoral to penalise somebody for merely supporting a cause (albeit an unpopular one), when they've been doing their job to the required standard, and if they haven't then the blame rests with the employer for not being rid of them a long time ago.

In the Netherlands political beliefs are protected by the same laws that protect against as racial, or sexual descrimination. We have no such law in the UK.

"illegally obtained evidence"

What's so illegal? Looking at a blog?

The only possibly illegal aspect would be how the poster got the list, if s/he was unauthorised to do so.

Using the published list would be legally obtained second-hand illegaly obtained evidence (if it was illegaly obained in the first place).

Let us pray for all the white people

There was a vicar on there too I saw.

The BNP are a bunch of racist bastards

...but it's still political discrimination to sack someone for membership. So long as he has a good service record, it's bang out of order to give him the boot.

Frankly, I think the way the BNP is demonised in the media and by serious politicians is shameful. They're not the kind of people I'd want to associate with, but they do have a small number of councillors now - which means quite a lot of votes. Treating the BNP as a second-class party means treating BNP votes as second-class votes, and that is not a good road to go down...

Why don't we try to address the reasons for the BNP's growing popularity, instead of cracking down on the BNP itself?

What's the big problem?

I mean it's just a list of people with views different to your own. And I don't mean slightly different-in-a-way-you'll-accept-and-call-it-diversity, but views you actually find offensive. It doesn't really matter, so long as they conduct themselves properly.

For example, if the Merseyside Policeman was a Constable Savage-esque character at work then he should have been taken to task about it already. If he's not, and is generally a good copper then what's the problem?

Same with teachers- which would you prefer, a creationist who'll scare your kids with tales of damnation and fire into believing that an overblown fairy created the universe in 7 days, or someone who your kids might overhear using the "N" word?

If you let this happen, the time will come when they come for you because you have different views to the Ruling Party.

I'm not a member of the BNP- never have been, never will be. However, I'm actually scared at how much hate and anger is spewed forth at someone who you're mad at for spewing hate and anger.

I wonder if El Reg will post this comment?

Boot the lot.

They knowingly deceived their employer, boot them all. This is no different to lying about qualifications or a disability that would exclude you from a job.

Also...if they truly believed the BNP's views were not only the way to go but RIGHT, why would they be afraid of being identified? (other than the few that will lose their job, I can understand their concerns) I'm willing to bet that such a list of labour party members being released would not be so controversial

Who decides which parties are OK to support?

As a white person with a black partner and father to a mixed race child, I despise the BNP and everything they stand for. However, I am very uncomfortable with the notion that a person can be dismissed for being a member of a political party. I could just about understand a blanket ban on all political activism in certain professions. Naming specific parties though, no matter how unpleasant they may be, is starting down a slippery slope. Who decides which parties are OK to support?

A victory for the Thought Police

So some members of the BNP are going to lose their job because of their opinion, and everybody finds this normal. Hmmm. Who's next? Communist? Free-Masons? Scientologists?

It is ironic, though, that people claiming to act out of virtuous anti-facism are giving a punishment of Berufsverbot -- the prohibition of engaging in certain professions that Nazi Germany used to inflict on Jews.

Ambiguous title

There was I expecting a juicy story on how the first `victims' were claiming the BNP leaked its own list for publicity.

Poison fruit

Or the police force in question could just investigate the matter in response to "concerns that have been raised" and gather their own, untainted, evidence.

Pirate icon, because that's close to the traditional 'skull and crossbones' poison symbol.

Er ... hold on

Since when can you fire someone for their political affiliations? The BNP was a legitimate political party, last time I checked.

Quite a popular one too.

Oh, so the Home Office says it's unacceptable. What's next? Not allowed to vote Tory?

So What?

The BNP does actually make some sensible points, stuff that most of the UK would agree with if they actually read their policies and manifesto's. Unfortunately the BNP has been villanised to such a degree that anyone who supports them is automatically tagged a racist.

This country disgusts me - we are the only country who are so bothered about offending other people / religions that we are willing to sell our own beliefs, traditions and pride down the river just to stop us from looking the bad guys.

I am English -But I am not proud of being English for the very reasons stated above. This country and this government have stolen christmas from me - I am a Christian - not a strict one - but I still believe that Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Christ - why therefore in this countries 2nd Largest City can you not find one single "Merry Christmas" on the christmas decorations? Its disgusting! Yet when it was time for Eid celebrations the city took it upon itself to brightly decorate the streets / shopping malls with decorations and decrees of "Eid Mubarak".

I mean who is honestly offended by this? Certainly none of my Asian / Black / Chinese friends so why is it an issue? Heaven forbid someone might actually take offence at our culture - therefore (obviously) the only course of action is to ban our culture.

It makes me sick!

And by the way - no I am not a BNP supporter - Conservative all the way!

Not Sure that 'Name and Shame' is right...

My first response was "Good, name and shame the fascists in our midst" - but on sober reflection, now I'm not so sure.

First off - I have no love for the BNP. My grandmother's Goan, my mother born in Calcutta, and I have a black sister. The BNP are an odious political entity - evolved (in the loosest possible sense) from the primordial ooze of Mosley's Blackshirts, thence the National Front/Combat 18 and others who value their 'white heritage'. All the BNP do is hide their repugnant, racist philosophy behind the mealy weasel-words of the spin doctor.

It's also worth noting that the term 'BNP Member' is absolutely synonymous with the term 'Moron'. These are people (again, I use this term in the loosest possible sense) who believe in a white Britain - as if a fifth-generation descendant of an immigrant is somehow responsible for the fact they're too stupid to hold down a job. They must be wracked with shame at the thought that if you trace human lineage back far enough, we're all from Africa.

So what we have is repellent inDUHviduals paying others to propound their abhorrent 'policies', and 'Activists' wandering around, dropping leaflets off when they can keep their knuckles from scraping on the ground and desperately hoping for a fight with someone who challenges them (I know, this happened to me in Sussex). So why not name and shame them?

Because as disgusting, discredited and sordid as they are, we should still have principles.

Full article at http://dungeekin.blogspot.com, comments welcome.

Paris because even she's not stupid enough to join the BNP

Sacked for being a member of a "legitimate" political party?

Agree or not with the policies of te BNP (I don't) how can someone be sacked for being a member of a political party that is allowed to stand in public elections? It is not a banned organisation so being a member is not illegal and should be of no consequence.

Rule of Law

I'm vegetarian (OK, this is El Reg - contain your laughter). If I become a policeman, I might be less than lenient when investigating cases of animal cruelty etc. If I join the Vegetarian Society, I could still join the police but perhaps they would keep me off cases involving cruelty to animals ( I have no idea).

I guess it's a lot harder to accept a BNP member who hates coloured people, Jews, homosexuals etc. "minorities" are not contained, it's nearly impossible to assign duties where contact can be completely avoided. I can fully understand the restrictions on membership but would also expect there to be restrictions in all public employment (e.g. hospitals, social workers etc.).

Worse still is the case of a policeman who is racist/homophobic but hasn't bothered to register with the BNP.

Where is the relevance to the article ? This case is becoming about the leaking of the data and if it can be used whereas it should be raising concerns that there are members in all walks of life who have joined the BNP. As a society, we need to understand what has caused them to resort to such measures - is there genuine hatred because of the pigment in someone's skin or the fact they don't believe in Christ?

Out of interest, can our US readers tell us if membership of the Ku Klux Clan means you cannot join the US Police or other government jobs ? What would happen if a Klan membership list was leaked - would people get fired from Government jobs?

Values Incompatible with Profession

A number of professions (Social Workers, Teachers, Medical, Police Officers) have a very strong view that an appropriate set of values are a core competency. Included in those are generally some about the equal value of all recipients of the profession's services.

If a member of one of those professions is also a current, active member of a political party is antithetical to those values, it's reasonable to conclude that they have values that are incompatible with their membership of those professions.

The Thick Party?

So the leader went on national news and pretty much confirmed the authenticity of the list?

That's an own goal of pretty staggering proportions; we always suspected that the BNP were The Thick Party - it's nice to see it confirmed.

Another reason why All You Fascists [Are] Bound to Lose

http://www.woodyguthrie.org/Lyrics/All_You_Fascists.htm

(Paris: Positively MENSA-material by comparison)

Dangerous!!!

No one should be sacked or repremanded due to a belief, thought or joining a legal entity that agrees with their beliefs. Allowing this to happen opens the door to pandora's box of George Orwells 1984 and their thought police. We have already gone to far down that route!

I wonder ...

@Richard Cartledge :14.39

"So, if you want someone sacking who is a Police Offcier, sailor or your local councillor. Join them up to the BNP as a gift. Well worth £25 IMHO."

Would the same apply to MPs? I can think of a few prominent ones where it would be well worth the money.

@ Anonymous Coward

Christmas hasn't been stolen from you. Christians have hijacked various other winter and pagen festivals, stuck son-of-your-sky-fairy on the front cover,and sold it as "Christmas".

You are welcome to have a festival in honour of your Miracle Man at this time of year if you wish, but please don't pretend (or believe) that Christmas was the original festival in winter.

It's hard to feel "proud to be human" too, when we continue to screw ourselves thanks to various groups arguing whose sky-fairy is the best.

/rant

Paris...she might be rubbish, but at least she exists.