FREEDOM, TRUTH & JUSTICE
May 1999 - ISSUE 106 (Web Page 1 of 3)
Editorial
As well as contesting the May elections on local issues our candidates will be making much play of the party's national policies including, those on law and order, immigration and the European Union and we are hopeful of some good results.
We have had a number of readers ask us what our attitude is towards the European elections and we are happy to state that as the National Democrats will not be putting forward candidates we are recommending that all patriots vote for any democratic anti-E.U. candidate in their own areas and we are happy to encourage readers to help such candidates in any way they can.
We do not believe that there is much chance of any such candidates getting elected but a strong anti-E.U. vote at ANY election will have the effect of slowing down Britain's slide into European subjugation and that gives the National Democrats more time to build up to a point at which we can instigate our plan for national regeneration and rejuvenation.
Our only note of caution on this advice is to carefully examine the real credentials of all candidates. Eurosceptic Tories and Labour candidates are simply trying to fool you and we strongly suggest you do not vote for such people. Equally we strongly advise against voting for either anti-democratic candidates or simply the occasional ego-tripping one man band where there is usually no internal democracy - it is your vote, use it wisely, ideally for a National Democrat candidate, but otherwise for any candidate tat in your opinion puts the future of Britain first before personal self-interest.
THE END OF FAIR ELECTIONS?
ELECTRONIC ELECTIONS
Nick Raynsford, the junior Environment Minister, said he was studying different methods of electronic voting. The current favourite seems to be the installation of electronic machines in polling stations. Voters would then just touch a button to register their choice.
Such a system would be open to immense abuse with it being almost impossible for candidates to query results and with all the ingenuity of computer 'hackers' likely to home in on this new opportunity to cause chaos. We will, of course, all be told that such systems are infallible - just like bank cash machines and inland revenue income tax demands.
Because of the elimination of the traditional voting slip it will be impossible to question or query results and even if it can be proved that there is a discrepancy there is no opportunity for a recount.
There are other worrying aspects of such a system. Firstly the way in which the information in such a machine is to be transmitted to the main election counting centre - by means of print out, by means of disc or down the telephone lines? The safest would probably be by print out on a sheet of paper, however even this, or the transmission by disc method, makes it relatively easy for one person to switch the sheet or the disc. The current system of transporting the boxes of votes may be slower but it is certainly much less open to fraud: The worst system of all would be by telephone lines as this is mainly how 'backers' operate and altering the election results would be far from impossible.
One other major concern is the problem of elderly or infirm people. Many such people value their independence and regard it as a right and a duty to vote themselves no matter how difficult it is to get to the polling station. Yet now instead of the piece of paper they have become used to, they will be faced by something resembling a fruit machine with which they may have difficulty - or are they to be 'helped' to vote with all the attendant dangers: "Are you really sure you want to vote for that person - aren't you slightly confused, here let me help you".
On 11th March Mr. Raynsford announced that he would be inviting commercial companies to send in their own ideas for providing electronic equipment for such elections - but will they also be responsible for operating the systems or for troubleshooting if anything goes wrong - if so, they are likely to gain access to voting records. Will all such firms be British or will Japanese, American, French and German firms be able to tender - perhaps a major consideration if future European elections become 'electronic'.
Thirdly, if there are discrepancies or unusual results, exactly how are checks to be made or are we going to have to rely on bureaucrats telling us that they know what they are doing.
But even if all these problems can be overcome, and that is very doubtful, democracy, like justice, is not simply a matter of being done, it must be seen to be done. The first cry of many losers in an election is "we was robbed". To hand to extremist elements of left, right and even extreme liberal elements in our society the possibility that they may not have been credited with their rightful votes is opening the doors to the destabilisation of our democracy. In the opinion of The Flag this move must be resisted and open democracy defended.
However not everyone agrees with our point of view: with all the caution and foresight of a five year old, Ken Livingstone rushed off his views to newspapers hoping to gain yet more oxygen of publicity. Re blurted out that he was delighted at the news because with quicker results being possible under this new proposed system: "Instead of waiting until 4am for the results in Brent, I can be out celebrating at my victory party" - confidence of winning? Or does he just know a good hacker?
SYSTEMATIC ELECTION
FRAUD IN LONDON
Special Branch detectives have been concentrating their efforts on Hackney and they now believe that dozens of American and Israeli students were flown into Britain on holiday visas to take part in the fraud, creating hundreds of "ghost voters".
It is also thought that some party workers persuaded elderly people to sign proxy forms without realising that their votes would then be used Kr cast pro-Liberal Democrat votes.
In one ward more than 60% of voters who decided to vote by proxy have told police they were defrauded of their vote either by subterfuge or by forgery. These victims were mainly housebound, elderly or spoke very little English - the most vulnerable of people, yet apparently used as political cannon fodder.
There is a claim that Liberal Democrats engaged in a process whereby hundreds of "ghost voters" were falsely registered as living in local religious colleges. Detectives have discovered that electoral roll figures leapt from just one in February 1997 to 88 people in May 1998.
One American student, interviewed, by the police said he never actually voted and did not live at the college where he was registered as a voter.
A confidential Crown Prosecution Service report states: "It is mathematically possible therefore that the three Liberal Democrat councillors elected in Northwold ward owe their success to the combination of fraudulent entries on the electoral roll and the fraudulently obtained proxy votes".
Other Parties Not Much Better
She was eventually found Not Guilty because her solicitors managed to argue that the extra amount was not spent on promoting Fiona Jones but on promoting the Labour Party. It would thus seem that any idea that the amount of money that is spent on election campaigns is limited has now been torn to shreds. We are now in American election mode: the biggest wallet wins the day.
Ironically this decision may be one that the Labour Party will come to rue. From now onwards each party will effectively be allowed to spend as much as it likes as long as it is careful not to mention the name of the candidate. With the E.U. such a hot political potato it is inconceivable that multinational businesses will not seek to use this situation to fund parties with policies which suit them - and while, in theory, such donations have to be declared, this is only true if the donation is directly to apolitical party.
With the proliferation of pro-E.U. 'think tanks', 'policy forums' and downright propaganda agencies this restriction is hardly likely to be a problem, while both Labour and the Tories have used blind trusts as channelling operations to filter money through into their coffers.
Corruption inside political parties, as with the Labour Party in Slough and in other areas is likely to be given a real boost by this type of attitude -the end result being that the real wishes of the British people are ignored while the professional party politicians line their pockets but then along will come the National Democrats and democracy may once again flourish.
National Democrats Help To Expose
Tory Hypocrisy Over Fishing
Nowhere is this more blatant than over fishing. It was the infamous Ted Heath who signed away our fishing rights, and no Conservative government has ever done anything, other than bluster, to correct the situation, while thousands of our fishermen have been thrown onto the dole.
William Hague is now desperate to pick up votes and will do anything from having a new haircut to jigging along a the Notting Hill Carnival in a baseball cap.
He has now colluded with some of his M.P's from fishing areas to announce a new fishing policy - however it has not quite worked out as he had hoped.
One of these M.P.'s is John Townend, the M.P. for Bridlington who proudly announced in his local newspaper that he had "convinced the Conservatives to change their fishing policy - with proposals which would aim to restore control over British waters".
He went on to say: "The key factor here is that the Conservatives are now committed to re-establishing national control of our own waters. This would preferably be by tough negotiation along the lines taken by Margaret Thatcher when she won the British rebate in 1984".
The absurdity of all this is fairly evident - the fact that the Tories have been in government for most of the last twenty years and have done nothing, the idea of Hague as a 'tough negotiator', the likely attitude of our 'European partners' to such a proposal, the silly reference to "preferably by tough negotiation" presumably in preference to gun boats. - it's all fantasy land stuff and no one has really been fooled by this cheap attempt to win votes.
A spokesman for a leading Scottish fishermen's organisation immediately launched a scathing attack on this "new initiative". George MacRae, secretary of the Scottish White Fish Producers Association has called on Hague to "give a straight answer to a straight question - does the Tory Party support the unilateral withdrawal of the U.K. from the Common Fisheries Policy?"
In reply to a letter containing this question William Hague replied that the Tory party was "widely consulting" and "our intention is to establish control over our own waters through zoned management, coastal management or some other way....."
George MacRae swiftly retorted: Mr Hague's reply is really just a load of waffle which underpins the reasons why the Conservatives are in opposition it is a case of being vague with Hague".
Interestingly Mr. MacRae goes on to question Mr. Hague's boast of 'wide consultation' as neither his organisation nor the Scottish Fishermen's federation had even be approached by the Tories - "If Mr. Hague has consulted the industry we hope he will tell us just who he has consulted".
While just to emphasise what a slippery firm the Tory Party can be, Tory M.P. and fisheries spokesman James Provan said: "Leaving the CFP is not an option that Britain can consider".
Meanwhile back in the fishing port of Bridlington the same argument is going on. Local Tory M.P. (and very worried man) John Townend has immediately come under fire from the local branch of the National Democrats where Wayne Thornton is proving to be a real thorn in his side.
Mr. Townend's real problem is that Wayne Thornton is an ex-fisherman and still works with fishermen, and being a Yorkshireman he isn't going to take any Tory patty flannel.
Wayne pointed out that "As his own party (the Tories) want to be a major part of Europe at every level they should be truthful about their intentions instead of lying to us, the British fishermen. How can we expect a representative of another country to dictate policy and remain neutral -Emma Bonino is the classic case of this going wrong".
Of course, Wayne has another ace up his sleeve, because there is absolutely no question about the attitude and policy of the National Democrats which is to tear up the Common Fisheries Policy along with all other Acts which act against the interests of the British people - most of which were signed by Conservatives from the Treaty of Rome to Maastricht.
Labour will have trouble over these issues because they have also gone along with these sell outs, even supposedly Eurosceptic M.P's from fishing areas such as Austin Mitchell from Grimsby happily signed up for and voted for the Amsterdam Treaty which conferred yet more powers on the European Commissioners.
The Labour Government has also come under heavy fire from fishermen's leaders. Dave Pessell, the chairman of the Plymouth Fishermen's Association chairman, recently slammed the Labour Government and its fisheries minister Elliot Morley: "With Mr. Morley's vast wealth of experience in managing the fishing industry for 21 months by letting the whole matter be managed from Brussels" To loud applause from the audience who were mainly fishermen attending the annual Crabbers Ball in Paignton Skipper Dave Pessel likened the fate of today's UK fishing industry to that of access to countryside areas like Dart-moor National Park which is currently under severe threat.
London Bounces Back To Life
The activities team will therefore obviously be very busy over the next month or so (and volunteers to help are always welcome). However after June, Gary Cartwright, the Regional Organiser, has told The Flag that he would like to see the party expand into new areas so that it can have active units right across the South East Region.
He told The Flag: "While the party is progressing well at the moment we are still very short of members willing to help get new branches off the ground in their own areas. We can help anyone who wants to have a stab at this, but we need them to come forward and contact us so that we can get things moving".
Gary Cartwright can be contacted by writing to the National Democrat head office at BCM NATDEMS, London WC1N 3XX.
GRITTING AND GRAFT
IN YORKSHIRE
Wayne has managed to use the letters column of the local paper to a~ tack the Tories over their record on Europe, to stand up for local fisher-men, even to suddenly get the council to increase the number of gritting bins in the area.
At the same time head office receives regular phone calls for new batches of leaflets for distribution.
It is therefore no surprise to learn that Yorkshire is growing steadily as membership increases. Still based in East Yorkshire they have not limited themselves to this area, but have expanded and have been picking up a number of new members in North Yorkshire and are beginning to spread into West Yorkshire as well.
As with all branches, the biggest problem that Wayne has, is getting members to come out and help him and his team of activists. However his persistence and the rapidly improving quality of his local newsletters is slowly encouraging more people to help in the work required to build the Region.
When interviewed by The Flag, Wayne said: "I appreciate that not every member can come out and be active, and some members more than make up for this by their generosity, but the branch needs every person who can help to make our first foray into local elections a success".
Child Rapist had two
previous convictions
Carrington was found guilty of six counts of rape and six other serious sexual offences in January, all committed on two young girls, one of them just six years old, over a twelve year reign of terror. He bribed the girls to visit him at his home in Bridlington and then raped them, warning them to keep quiet about what had happened.
After the guilty verdict it was revealed in court that Carrington had two previous convictions for indecent assault on an-other girl when she was aged just 13 and again when she was 18 - yet he had only received sentences of six months and nine months respectively.
Care worker rapes
mentally retarded woman
Unbelievably even after being found guilty Judge Philip Clegg allowed Neamatalli to be released on hail pending sentencing.
Outside the court the victim's sister angrily said: "It is clear the social services people should get their act together. They should change their policy immediately when it comes to vetting care workers. This man should never have been allowed anywhere near my poor sister".
The Prosecutor in the ease said that Neamatalli was a "calculating man" who had tried to trick the jury into thinking he was simple-minded. When interviewed by police he had been asked to name the colours of the Union Jack. He had replied: "Black, pink and yellow - but it might be the other way round".
Pervert released on bail
The young girl had to be put through the ordeal of giving evidence and thus re-living the experience, albeit through a video link. She told the court how he had felt her chest and then taken her upstairs into a bedroom where he further indecently assaulted her.
However despite all this Judge Michael Mettyear decided to release Willoughby on bail to await sentencing.
Prince Charles houses sex case Bishop
Peter Ball said. The Prince of Wales has been wonderfully kind, he has kindly allowed me to have a duchy house".
Is this the sort of message that the man who one day might be the King should really be sending out?
Law and Order Lunacy 1
Now some Flag readers will think that Mr. Fifield went too far, others may feel that the youth deserved a good fright. But the real point is that while Mr. Fifield was ordered by Judge David Aubrey to do 100 hours community service and was told that: "There can be no justification for the way you reacted", the youth was conditionally discharged.
No wonder Mr. Fifield and many other people have given up on judges and are prepared to take the law into their own hands. If the law acted responsibly then the likes of Mr. Fifield would never dream of taking it into their own hands - it is only because of the prevalence of cautions, conditional discharges, etc. that responsible people are driven to such actions.
Law and Order Lunacy 2
The youth was convicted of theft and was given a conditional discharge by local magistrates. As part of a crime prevention programme `Business Watch' his photograph was circulated to a number of local shops and he was barred from entering their premises.
However a report to the police authority said the force was at fault because it provided information about a juvenile that would not otherwise have been in the public domain. The police also paid the court costs of the 16 year old of £l.057.
Perhaps it is not the police that are at fault, so much as a damned silly law which urgently needs changing.
Labour M.P. in Two Minds
over Drug Legalisation
Mrs. Hodge may be flattering herself if she thinks she is in two minds over the issue, the presence of one mind would seem to be of some doubt.. ..or perhaps she has just gone Barking mad. Margaret Hodge became Barking M.P. after a stint with Islington Council. ..enough said.
Business Failures Soar by 21%
According to business information firm Dunn & Bradstreet the figure leaped from 9,185 in l998 to over ll,000 this year. The worst hit region was the East Midlands where the number of business failures jumped by a staggering 62%.
A spokesman for Dunn & Bradstreet said: 'The sudden increase in failures is a reflection of the slowdown in the economy and is a cause for concern".
In fact the figure is now starting to reach similar figures to those experienced at the height of the last recession when they were running at about 15,000 per quarter.
£ SAVE THE POUND £
We understand that, so far, meetings have taken place in four or five areas of the country, and in stark contrast to other such meetings, there is very little waffle about how evil the E.U. is and how terrible it is that we have joined, etc. etc,, instead there is plenty of discussion about organising events, activities and publicity to fight the E.U. Local committees are being formed and already include officials from C.I.B., the Democracy Movement, U.K.I.P. and other organisations as well as the National Democrats. The motivators behind this initiative are keen to emphasise that this is not yet another new organisation but simply a mechanism to bring people together at local level.
The person who organised the Leicestershire meeting, Ken Brown, 76, told The Flag that, he had been an opponent of the Common Market and its successor organisations and he was sick and tired of the endless meetings and arguments and especially the petty rivalries that prevented real opposition to the E.U. he said: "I want to see anti-E.U. campaigns on the streets not tottering from one meeting to another. I don't care whether people are Communist or Conservative - if they believe the British people should decide their own fate then they should fight this E.U. nonsense.
Some of the meetings that have taken place so far have been just committee meetings, others have been full public meetings and the attendances of these have been excellent.
Chairman of the National Democrats, Ian Anderson, was invited to speak at one of these public meetings in Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire. A packed room of about 80 people listened to Ian talk about his passionate opposition not only to the Euro but to Britain's membership of the E.U. At the end of his speech Ian received an enthusiastic ovation and he also took part in the rest of the meeting discussing future activities and arranging for the formation of a local committee to run the Save The Pound campaign.
The only sour note of the evening was the presence of a couple of "C.I.B. Zimmer Frames" who seemed more intent on finding out which party different people belonged to, presumably so that they could find a reason why nothing should be done to organise the fight against the E.U. just like they have done for the past twenty years. However the audience were having none of it and they were quickly silenced and the meeting then proceeded with plotting to form resistance to the E.U. enemy. Ian Anderson has already been approached to speak at two more of these 'Save The Pound' meetings.
In Northamptonshire a 'packed meeting heard several speakers on the E.U. but they all kept their speeches to just ten minutes and then the rest of the evening was spent electing a committee and discussing ideas for future activities including days of action in various Northamptonshire towns.
We understand that committee meetings have taken place in East Anglia and in the West Midlands and that several more have already been planned.
Don't Just Sit There!
Of course, in many areas this already happens, but as they pointed out a campaign to Save The Pound is one on which every anti-E.U. activist can agree and it provides a focus for activities and organising events. It is a campaign where members of different parties and groups can work together, even distributing their own literature at the same activity.
The organisers of these first events are elderly and they have told us that they do not wish to help organise such county campaigns in other areas. However they have produced an information sheet on how they went about forming their local campaign and these are available free of charge.
These sheets do give much useful advice about how to go about such a campaign and all the way through they stress that it is only for people who want to get out there and convince more people to fight for Britain's survival and not for people who enjoy sitting in rooms listening to the same speeches from the same people who have been making them for the past twenty years.
It doesn't matter which party, which organisation you belong to, or even if you belong to none. If you want to do something locally then this is an ideal starting point.
The Flag has supplies of these information sheets, available free of charge by phoning (07071 226074) or writing to The Flag at BCM NATDEMS, London WC1N 3XX.
FORTHCOMING EVENTS
Details of all these events can be obtained nearer the date by phoning The Flag on 07071 226074.
If you are organising an anti-E.U. event why not advertise here FREE! Send details to The Flag, BCM NATDEMS, London, WC1N 3XX.
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