| Written by Rich | Permalink |
| Published at 22:16:40 on 20 November 2008 | Add comment |
Much mirth at Citywire today when we discovered that the leaked BNP list (freely available at Wikileaks) included several IFAs including at least one of our readers.
Someone I've met, in fact - I recently interviewed his boss. He made me a cup of tea. Apparently he's a 'patriot', not a 'racist'.
Anyway, we're taking the highly risky step of exposing them in next week's magazine, which could be interesting. Having stayed semi-conscious through at least some of my media law sessions at journalism school, I'm not entirely convinced we're in the clear, but what thehey - it's a laff, innit?
They include, in addition to the aforementioned individual (who is bald but with a beard, and lists 'motorcycles' among his hobbies - draw your own conclusions), a partner at one of the UK's most distinguished wealth management houses and a senior individual at one of the largest IFA firms.
My favourite theory about the leak is that the BNP are trying to prove they're a serious political force by emulating the government's procedures on data security.
Adorably, a BNP spokesman said 'It's because we are regarded as a particularly strong threat in the forthcoming European elections in June'.
Some other highlights from the list (randomly selected, since I'm not going to trawl through all 10,000 entries):
- Someone called Richard Harris. Err....
- A young husband and wife, the former of which has the intriguing email address comeonmyglasses@******.co.uk
- Someone whose notes say 'Renewal to be refused'. What sort of person do you have to be in order to be barred from the BNP?
- In a similar vein, this bloke was suspended: 'Activist. Membership suspended 20.9.05 (inappropriate tattoo). Suspension lifted 27.09.05'. Seriously, what was that tattoo of? (Office suggestion earlier today: 'One World One Love')
- A member whose file features a warning from a BNP activist: 'member describes himself as a witch: potential embarrassment if active'
- The owner of a shopfitting and surveying business who has decided against renewing his membership because 'Jehova God only real hope for mankind'
- A ham radio enthusiast who also lists playing the keyboard among his interests. One person you really don't want to get stuck in a lift with.
- One poor chap whose files notes say "No 'promotional material' requested. Concerned about his job"
- A 'holistic therapist': 'Qualifications in reflexology head massage, Swedish massage, aromotherapy, anatomy and physiology. Hobbies: metaphysics, cartoon drawing'
- Any number of people who have cancelled memberships due to ill health, i.e. old age, i.e. little old ladies who sit around grumbling about wogs and dagos taking over the country
Ah, bless them. But the truth is I do feel rather ambivalent about this whole episode. I'm a big fan of Wikileaks, but this doesn't feel like the proper way to use it. A lot of its members will be people who joined quite innocently because they were tired of the mainstream parties and genuinely thought the BNP might offer them something different, and have no more antipathy to foreigners than any reasonable person (which is to say enough to find jokes about the French and the Germans funny).
Granted, the vast majority are fuckwits. But by opening those people up to vilification and mob judgment, we've gone further down the slippery slope that the News of the World first pushed us down with its campaign to name and shame paedophiles (which, for those of you with short memories, culminated in an attack on a paediatrician by an illiterate neighbour).
Anyway, enough seriousness. Time to go and chuckle at some LOLGriffins - kind of like a xenophobe's edition of I Can Has Cheezburger. And when you get bored of that go and watch the BNP party political broadcast again.
