Two men were arrested in Lancashire last week in the biggest explosives haul ever found at a house in the UK.
BNP leader Nick Griffin with bodyguard facing race hate charges
Robert Cottage (49), of Talbot Street, Colne, and David Bolus Jackson (62), of Trent Road, Nelson, appeared at a Pennine magistrate's court charged under the Explosive Substances Act 1883. Mrs Christiana Buchanan, acting for the prosecution in court, suggested that the pair had "some kind of masterplan".
Chemicals, a rocket launcher, BNP literature and a nuclear biological suit were found in a search of Jackson's house. It is not yet clear what the intended target of the explosives might have been, and police were keen to make it clear that anti-terrorist powers had not been used in the case.
Cottage, a sub-contracted driver for Lancashire County Council, was a BNP candidate in the May elections in the Vivary Bridge ward of Colne. Jackson is employed as a dentist. Both men were remanded in custody to appear at Burnley Crown Court on October 23rd.
Local press have reported Cottage as an "ex-BNP" member, however, libcom.org spoke to Paul Marsh from the anarchist and anti-fascist group Class War, who stated:
"BNP membership runs for the calendar year January to December - as he had to be a member when he stood in the elections in May, he must be a member now.
"Of course the other interesting question is why the few papers covering this story are describing him as an ex-member.
"I assume the two likely sources for this are the BNP themselves or the police. You can understand why the BNP would wish to say this, but the cops?"
This was further confirmed by a quick look at the BNP's own website:
membership is for the 12 months of the calendar year - January to December but those signing up from Oct 1st through to Dec 31st qualify for the following year’s card.
As yet, this story has only been reported in the local press and on a couple of alternative media websites. With the recent media frenzies over the Forest Gate and Walthamstow arrests, there is a clear discrepancy in media treatment of the incident, with no sign of any major media outlets taking any interest at all in what are quite significant events.
Discuss this article in our forums
Comments