Monday 24 November 2008

Police alerted over BNP threats to 'visit' journalists who publish membership list

Police have been alerted over threats made to journalists who have published the BNP membership list which has been leaked online. NUJ general secretary Jeremy Dear, who has himself been a BNP target, says in his blog: "We are dealing with the fall out of journalists being threatened who write about the leak and provide any details and or links. I understand the BNP legal team and security will be visiting errant journalists. The police have been alerted."
Surprisingly, given their divergent political views, Dear's blog praises Jon Gaunt's column in The Sun about the BNP on Friday. I also hear that Gaunt has been getting some advice about his sacking from talkSPORT, for calling a councillor a "Nazi", from NUJ communications officer Miles Barter. "Gaunty" and Miles used to work together at BBC Radio Coventry. The advice is being given as a friend rather than in an official union capacity. Gaunt is gaining support from some unlikely sources like Mark Lawson in The Guardian. Whatever next ? Will the right-wing shock jock be getting the backing of Amnesty, Liberty or even Matthew Norman?

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