Well, it was on the cards, and now it has happened:
Richard Barnbrook, one of the British National party’s most senior figures, has been expelled as part of an increasingly bitter feud threatening to engulf the far-right organisation.
The London Assembly member, who was one of a group of rebels who tried to wrest control of the BNP from party leader Nick Griffin last month, was informed via an internal memo this week that he was no longer a party member.
“Sadly we have concluded that we are left with no alternative but to expel Richard Barnbrook from membership of the British National party,” it reads. “I have written to him informing him that I have taken that action today and he is no longer a member of our party.”
More woes for Barnbrook await:
A former staff member for Richard Barnbrook, the BNP’s former London leader and London Assembly member, says she has reported him to the GLA’s standards watchdog for his “unreasonable” and “bullying” behaviour towards her.
Tess Culnane, the “Nazi Granny” who was the BNP candidate for mayor of Lewisham this year, tells me she has made an official complaint to the City Hall standards officer, Ed Williams, calling for Mr Barnbrook’s suspension.
She says: “Richard Barnbrook failed to respond to requests for help from members of the public. When I did tell him about people who had come forward, he very often adopted a resentful manner towards me and threatened me with dismissal.
“His continual bullying manner and threats to sack me became intolerable. He would fall into a strop. He would make faces behind our backs when we were talking. He was a total embarrassment to those of us in his office.”
Mrs Culnane also says that Mr Barnbrook took out his anger on other members of his office, including another staffer, Emma Colgate. “She was forced to resign due to Richard’s perpetual hectoring manner,” she said. “At one point he followed her into the ladies’ toilet hectoring her.” Mrs Culnane says her complaint also alleges that Mr Barnbrook has been drunk during Mayor’s Questions.
What a comedown for a man who once shagged Tilda Swinton.
Barnbrook said yesterday that he would launch an appeal against his expulsion and that he would remain an assembly member as an independent.
Perhaps he can take some advice from Lutfur Rahman and his ex-Al Muhajiroun solicitor, Makbool Javaid