BNP Barnbrook joins English Democrats

Yesterday I was told that Richard Barnbrook, the former BNP London Assembly member, had joined the English Democrats.  I was also sent these two links to posts on the British Democracy Forum: The truth about the BNP rumours and Save your party before its to late [sic].  Read them, they are quite an interesting insight into the workings of the English Democrats.

I thought I would wait and see how this unfolded because I had also been told recently that the English Democrats had approached UKIP to discuss an electoral pact.  Sometimes it's better to wait and see what other people have to say rather than being the first one to comment!

Matters have clearly come to a head today with the following statement from Nigel Farage:

Some weeks ago I received a message from the South East Chairman of the English Democrats, Steven Uncles. He requested a meeting with me to discuss electoral cooperation.

At the time I was dubious and delayed answering. However, with their acceptance of Richard Barnbrook, originally elected to the GLA for the BNP, I am adamant that at no point now or in the future must the UK Independence Party be linked with the English Democrats.

With this move, the party have put themselves beyond the pale. As a non racist, non sectarian party UKIP at all levels must have nothing to do with them.

We urge all English Democrat who feel as we do about this to join UKIP now.

I won't disguise my feelings towards Steve Uncles: I can't stand the bloke.  He is a disgrace to English nationalism and a disgrace to English politics.  In fact, he's a disgrace to England.  He is a bad-mouthed, vindictive wannabe whose inept leadership (Robin Tilbrook is technically leader but Uncles is the one pulling all the strings) has led the English Democrats to possibly its lowest point electorally in finishing behind the Monster Raving Loony Party in the Oldham East & Saddleworth by-election last week.

I have been contacted by a number of English Democrats since that election who were telling me they would jump ship to UKIP if only we had a policy of supporting devolution.  Some of them will probably jump ship anyway now, unwilling to remain in a party that has courted Sinn Féin, employed the BNP's marketing people, had an electoral pact with the English First Party and has now admitted a former high-ranking BNP member into the party and promised him a place on their regional list for London.  As one high profile member of the English Democrats said to me this morning, "A dreadful mistake that undermines everything the party has said for years".

The English Democrats is a party in decline.  They are heavily in debt to their current leader Robin Tilbrook, to their former Vice-Chair Christine Constable and to the great man himself, Steve Uncles.  They are haemorrhaging members, those that are left in the party are becoming increasingly unhappy with the way the party is going and their reputation has never been worse.

I'm glad Nigel has ruled out a pact with the English Democrats because I would have left the party rather than be allied with any party that Steve Uncles is involved in.  I'm glad he's urging English Democrats to join UKIP because there is a place in UKIP for civic English
nationalists like myself who recognise that the EU is one of the biggest barriers to an English Parliament with their insistence that devolution in England has to be done at a euroregional level.  But UKIP's devolution policy does have to change - not just to attract disaffected English Democrats but to build on our electoral success.

The English Democrats have never been much of an electoral threat to UKIP but there are a lot of votes out there that we're not getting because of our anti-devolution policy.  It took the Tories a couple of years to see the writing on the wall and grudgingly accept that devolution was here to stay.  Now they're all for it (as long as it doesn't apply to England).  The SNP out-poll UKIP by an order of magnitude in Scotland, as do Plaid Cymru in Wales.  The nationalists in Scotland and Wales consistently reject UKIP and it's only the English Democrats' toxic reputation that has stopped English nationalists from abandoning UKIP in England.

I would urge those disaffected English Democrats thinking about joining UKIP to do it.  Hold your nose if you need to and join my efforts to change UKIP's anti-devolution policy.  The only big differences between UKIP and the English Democrats are their devolution policy and Steve Uncles.