I see the BNP are out in force on Indymedia - spreading their lies and bullshit. The truth about this is rather different from the BNP's weird idea of reality. When I spoke to council officers at Barking and Dagenham a few days ago after reading this crap from the BNP, they were horrified and angry that the fascists would try to grab the credit for something that was bugger all to do with them.

BNP tries to take credit for new council housing bonanza

The dishonest British National Party contingent on Barking and Dagenham Council have shamelessly attempted to take the credit for a radical plan that will see the first council homes built in Dagenham for thirty years. The plan, which will see thousands of new homes built for local people, has just been given government approval.

The council is planning to set up a series of joint venture companies with the help of private investors but unlike previous partnerships between the public and private sector, this time the Council will keep control of important decisions, including the type of homes built and the location of new developments. It is believed that the Council, instead of housing associations or developers, will also be in charge of allocating any new social homes, ensuring that they go to local people first.

In a press release dated May 19th, the council's Director of Housing, David Woods, says; 'I believe that we could raise around £400m against the value of our land, a sum that could fund the development of several thousand homes. It also means that the Borough's land - which has previously been given away to private companies to fund housing developments - will remain in public ownership and will continue to increase in value.'

This plan has been in the pipeline for around six months, long before the BNP took any seats on the local authority, and their claiming any kind of credit for it is, quite simply, a lie.

The BNP attempts to mislead readers all the way through an article on its website entitled, 'BNP Group scores first victory in Dagenham'. At one point they say; 'This means the BNP as the official opposition in the council will also be in position to ensure that the houses are made available to local people and not outsiders.' That was always the plan and the BNP had absolutely nothing to do with it.

Richard Barnbrook, the BNP's group leader on the council, had this to say:

'We welcome this great new for local people, it is an historic decision by the Council and it just goes to show the BNP in power creates real changes for local people.'

Yes, it is great news for local people and it is indeed an historic decision that will make a huge difference to the people in Barking and Dagenham - but Barnbrook knows full well that he and his merry band of liars had absolutely no input into the planning, the finances or indeed any part of the decision-making process that resulted in this triumph.

This appears to be the way the British National Party intends to go on in Barking and Dagenham - and no doubt anywhere else they think they can mislead the public. When a decision is made that doesn't suit them and their fascist ideals, they can shrug their shoulders and say 'not our problem - we're in opposition' but when a decision is made on something that they know the public will welcome, they claim all the credit as though they'd thought of the idea, worked hard at getting it together and brought it to a successful conclusion.

Every councillor and council officer on every council polluted with even a single BNP councillor needs to be watching out for this opportunistic bunch of nazis to leap on the back of any success, and to refute their claims in the press loudly and immediately. We need to be relentless in showing the BNP and the other far-right groups out there up for precisely what they are - thieves and liars bereft of both ideas and ethics.