This is a cross post by Nothing British about the BNP
Third Sector, the charity industry magazine, has highlighted the dangers of BNP-related veterans organisations preying on the warm feelings the general public feel towards our soldiers, an issue first raised by our investigation into Soldiers off the Street.
The article describes Nothing British’s complaint to the Charity Commission and repeats our warnings to bona fide charties to treat appeals for collaboration from unknown veterans’ organisations with caution (a copy of the article is here).
Third Sector also spoke to the Charities Commission who said it was reasonable for organisations with incomes of less than £5,000 to say they were “charitable” provided they did not say they were registered charities. She said people with political affiliations could establish charities provided the organisations did not have political purposes. The commission would treat Soldiers off the Street’s application “in line with the registration criteria”, she said.
Bill Murray, director of SOTS, claims his organisation is not a front for the BNP and that he is no longer involved with the extremist party. But he remains friendly with some of the high command and many of its BNP supporting blogs.
On Murray’s Facebook page he is “friends” with Andrew Brons’ chief of staff Chris Beverley. He also says he is a Facebook “fan” of Richard Barnbrook, French fascist Jean Marie Le Pen and the extremist organisation March for England.
Murray also says that he is a fan of Simon Weston. Murray may be interested to watch Simon’s film for Nothing British on his strongly-held views on the BNP.
(For more information on SOTS please see our SOTS Briefing Note.)
Maurice Cousins.