Collusion, It's no illusion 2

Is there a plot to kill the independent Nationalist Trades Union Solidarity? That is now a question being seriously asked by many political veterans. For the first year of the existence of Solidarity little was done. Former President Clive Potter found reasons not to do things. He failed even to produce a membership card for those enthusiasts who joined despite his almost complete lack of promotional work.

When I took the position of General Secretary, Potter did everything he could to delay the progress of the Union using every bureaucratic objection he could. He sought to block every suggestion I made. As a non-BNP member (and indeed a member of a rival Party) I found myself in the curious position of having to argue with Potter (a BNP member) that we should attend BNP events for recruitment purposes. I was further alarmed when he started referring to Nick Griffin (the BNP Chairman) as 'our Beloved Leader' in a sarcastic tone. I wondered exactly what his agenda was! When I spoke to members of the Christian Council (which Potter was also an official of) I was told that they were also concerned by his lack of activity and drive. Nothing was being done. He appeared to be an obstacle to any progress.

When I looked into his personal background I became even more concerned. He was some kind of gnostic Christian, interested in ufos and living with a girlfriend who was a wacko jacko 'stalker' promoting celibacy! Now, as anyone will tell you I'm a pretty liberal kind of guy, but I wondered why Potter never spoke about any of this. I also wondered why he had promoted in the past a spoof march through one of the most Asian areas of Leicester. Alarm bells were starting to ring.

When he failed he tried to expel me and prevent the election of an expanded Executive team. Reason enough for many to suspect that something untoward was going on! Yet this is by no means the end of the story...

When the British National Party asserted that that agents were being used against the Union the State allied Searchlight magazine specifically responded:-

"Searchlight makes no comment about this allegation. However when Solidarity was set up, we examined its frules and wrote in an internal briefing note in January 2006: 'It would seem difficult for Solidarity to exercise firm control over who joins, and once people are members they can exercise thier democratic rights to elect the Executive Committe, etc. Any attempt to prevent members exercising their rights could result in a complaint to the Certification Officer [the regulatory authority for trade unions]'"

- 'Not so solid now' , Searchlight July 2007, p16.

In the light of this statement it is interesting to note that three people, Potter, McLinden and Mullen have made two 'Breach of Rule' complaints each against the Union in the same time period and in collusion to the Certification Office (CO). Additionally Potter and McLinden have brought about a financial investigation into the Union by the CO.

To give an example of the spurious nature of the complaints Mullen has brought one saying that the Union required candidates in Union Exec elections to be members of the BNP or Third Way. Of course the Union did no such thing. Statements in the Union bulletin and on the website made it clear any member could stand. Indeed one of the candidates was not a member of any Party. There is little doubt that this complaint will eventually fail - it has no basis whatsoever. Yet that is not the point - it is an attempt to muddy the waters in the meantime and waste Union time.

Solidarity is answering all such vexatious and unfounded complaints but nonetheless it is time-consuming and a diversion from the proper functions of the Union. Not only that but it appears to many that the Certification Office is being unwittingly misused as a tool to bureaucratically harass the Union.

On a side note one name keeps being whispered into my ear - Megan Dobney. Suggestions as to why this might be the case would be welcome!