UK: BNSP launched
01 July 1996
A new far-right political group, the British National Socialist Party (BNSP), announced its formation in July when it sent out its manifesto and an invitation to a launch meeting. Initial questions about which disaffected group of nazis was behind the new group faded as a number of even more disturbing queries concerning its origins, and intentions, came to the fore.
The story of the BNSP begins in 1995 when a British National Party (BNP) office worker, Alf Waite, had a number of computers stolen from his home. Immediately following the theft the BNP issued statements blaming "the reds" despite strong rumours suggesting the involvement of a rival fascist organisation, Combat 18. The BNP also made unequivocal assurances to their members that, due to their stringent security measures, no information such as names and addresses had gone missing.
In the July issue of their journal Spearhead the BNP were forced to retract their earlier, self-serving, statement lauding their foolproof security precautions. They now admit that subscription information did indeed go astray and hinted strongly at Combat 18 involvement.
Whoever was responsible for the theft of membership details they appear to have ended up in the hands of the embryonic BNSP, who used it to mail potential new recruits - most of them members of the BNP. The incompetence of the BNP's leadership is further compounded by their admission that the only identified person known from the new organisation is a former BNP member who was expelled from the party after having a sex change.
A final twist to the story has been added by the anti-fascist magazine, Searchlight, who have suggested that the British security services (MI5) might be involved in the dissemination of the mailing list. Whoever is responsible the one thing that is clear is that the BNSP is not the genuine article.