The BNP list

There's been a lot of media interest today on the leaking of all BNP members' details on the web. Nick Griffin, the BNP's leader, has taken to the airwaves during the day, initially blaming disgruntled insiders, and then later blaming the Labour party for the leak.

Clearly the leak of such data is a breach of data protection laws and the police should investigate this case, as members of the BNP have the same right to privacy as members of the Tories, Labour and the Lib Dem parties.

The social breakdown of the membership is what has caused much of the interest. A vicar. A pig farmer. Some 40 teachers. Members of the armed forces. Some serving police officers. A broader range than one might, I suppose, expect. But the total list of members of less than 15,000 is lower than might have been feared.

Some of the members whose details have been leaked are now experiencing problems. Police officers, for example, are not permitted to be a member of the BNP, as it runs contrary to the police's stated aims to serve the entire community. Merseyside police are reportedly investigating the membership of one serving officer.

Others have apparently received 'hate calls' from strangers.

Secondary to the social breakdown, the geographical breakdown has been the media's focus. The Times has a Google Map style search to locate members, and I understand on Google Earth, you can view an overlay identifying the streets (but not exact addresses) of members. And the Guardian has a click-map online.


A BNP representative was elected to the Greater London Authority in the recent London-wide elections thanks to proportional representation and there is a risk that the BNP could make a breakthrough in the Euro elections in June next year, as these elections are being fought under PR for the first time.

If ever there was a reminder to us all that our first-past-the-post voting system, while imperfect, is the best way to prevent extremist minority parties from achieving electoral success. 'No' to any more trials of PR.