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BNP’s secret Belfast lair
Hardline ex-criminal boasts that he makes £500k each year for reviled political party
Sunday, 14 June 2009
Dowson?s firm operates out of this building, which still bears the name of previous occupants Alphagraphics, who have absolutely no connection with the BNP
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The British National Party is peddling its vile fascist propaganda from a secret Belfast bunker. The BNP’s national call centre is tucked away in an industrial estate in Dundonald — right under the nose of First Minister Peter Robinson, who lives just minutes away.
The man who runs it is Ballygowan-based Jim Dowson — a top BNP fundraiser and a militant anti-abortion campaigner who has a string of criminal convictions and has had links to mass-murderer Michael Stone.
In online BNPtv footage filmed at the Belfast HQ, Scotsman Dowson brags that the Belfast base is raking in £1,500 per day — more than £500,000 per year — and has 12 staff.
Visitors to Carrowreagh Business Centre are blissfully unaware that work is being carried out for the BNP at Unit 5 — there are no signs to advertise their existence.
And even staff at the Dundonald base — who had innocently replied to call centre job ads — do not have their wages paid directly by the BNP.
Staff wages come from Dowson’s company Adlorr-ies.com Ltd, which has registered address in Leicestershire. Dowson is the only named director of the firm.
Adlorries.com keeps a low profile — its website lists no phone numbers or address, you can only contact them by email.
A former worker at the centre told Sunday Life that one man at the centre enjoyed dishing out verbal abuse to anti-fascists when they call to complain about the BNP. The source said: “There is one bloke who will literally run across the room to take over a call if he knows it’s someone giving out about the BNP.
“I was shocked and decided there and then I wasn’t working in a place like that.”
The outraged ex-worker also said that the sackloads of mail to the Belfast HQ would often include hatemail — some with human excrement and vomit inside.
The insider added: “I couldn’t believe that, it was disgusting but obviously it shows the extent to which people hate the BNP.”
Dowson is the man who has masterminded the set-up of the BNP’s nerve centre in Belfast.
In a BNPtv News broadcast which can be found on YouTube, he brags: “I’m speaking to you from the reception of the British National Party’s latest plant to open.
“The British National Party is now mainstream and is growing so incredibly quickly that these plants are absolutely necessary to keep the party running and to cope with the growth.”
The footage then cuts to BNP leader Nick Griffin in the ‘distribution warehouse’ who boasts that they have 29million BNP leaflets there and states “it’s a huge operation here”.
It then cuts back to Dowson at the ‘political headquarters’ —which is in fact the Belfast office, which Dowson says is the “adminsitrative hub for the party”.
He says: “Here we’ve recruited staff of the highest calibre to take the party to the next level.”
Later in the video he says there are 12 staff at the call centre dealing with 35,000 calls over the election period.
Dowson says the operation cost £100,000 to set up — but boasts that the centre is taking in £1,500 per day.
He adds: “It’s a very worthwhile and intense operation and certainly no other political party in the United Kingdom has anything like this, it’s going very well.
“There is no other political party in Britain or Europe that has anything like this, it’s very
modern and very efficient.” Workers are handed a ‘British heritage script’ which provides a template and information to promote the BNP and products to callers to boost the party’s coffers.
Among the ‘pointers to mention’ in the script it says “mention the trouble with the Muslims and our troops”. Staff at the Belfast HQ handle incoming enquiries and mail, post out BNP propaganda, take donations and pester lapsed members to try and get them back in the BNP fold.
The office used to be occupied by Alphagraphics, a firm which has no association to the BNP.
But outside Dowson’s home in Ballygowan is an advert for a plumbing business called ultraplumb.com and vehicles with the company logos were parked both at his home and at the BNP’s east Belfast hideaway.
Dowson’s son James is listed as a director of ultraplumb.com and also works at the BNP office.
When Sunday Life called at Dowson’s home yesterday to ask him about his BNP work, he said: “This is private property, get off my land or I’ll call the police.”
BNP leader Nick Griffin made a secret trip to the Belfast base less than two weeks ago to film a propaganda video.
Our exclusive picture shows Griffin pictured at the Belfast HQ flanked by two members of staff, whose identity we have protected.
His victory at the polls has been met with outrage and the 50-year-old and colleague Andrew Brons were besieged by protesters and pelted with eggs at Westminster last week.
Comments
64 Comments
all the people on here giving it the old 'facist' kneejerk thing, why not go to the bnp website where they state their policies very clearly. On law and order -
The liberal fixation with the ‘rights’ of criminals must be replaced by concern for the rights of victims, and the right of innocent people not to become victims.
education - We are against the ‘trendy’ teaching methods that have made Britain one of the most poorly educated nations in Europe. HEAR HEAR to a lot of it!
Posted by Steve | 17.06.09, 20:26 GMT
... The IRA also indulged in a policy of ethnically cleansing rural N.Ireland of 'the wrong type' of Irishman (Tyrone/Down/Fermanagh). Finally, regarding the slicing up of Robert McCartney and murder of Paul Quinn - have the IRA's counterparts in Britain, the BNP, committed similar acts (as well as over 2,000 murders)? If so, I need to be enlightened.
Posted by bhamilton | 17.06.09, 14:01 GMT
Gareth - firstly, I have not 'bought into' the BNP's ideology. I am merely showing up the hypocrisy of many here and in the media. You can't really compare SF and the BNP? What nonsense. IRA had a slogan of 'Brits Out' and targeted protestants/British subjects. The fact that their victims were 'white' does not mean the attacks were not racist. This was not 'a war' and the 'occupying force' were the prods/Brits in their eyes - British soldiers arrived initially to protect RCs remember.
Posted by bhamilton | 17.06.09, 13:57 GMT
bhamilton: can't really compare SF and the BNP. Off topic but the IRA Fwere fighting a war against an occupying force as they seen it (I'm a unionist). The BNP hate people because they are non-white. There is a distinction there surely?
Anyone who buys into any of the BNP ideology is completely retarded. Immigration needs drastically reduced but seriously, snap out of it...
Posted by gareth | 16.06.09, 23:16 GMT
Soarer. You are proving my point. There seems to be a lot of people out there saying what the BNP stand for except the BNP themselves. You have made quite a few accusations but maybe you could corroborate them with sources or even refer them to any past BNP manifesto. I also still cannot see the difference between what many criticise the BNP for believing in and apparently doing, and the 'Irish nationalist' policies and activities of SF/IRA.
Posted by bhamilton | 16.06.09, 19:29 GMT
D.O'Connor. Firstly, should all migrants who come to the UK because of 'persecution and war' be let in? Should it be unlimited? If so, who pays for all of this and how? Secondly, you are gullible to the hilt if you believe every story told by those who are intent in getting into the UK come what may. Most are economic migrants taking a chance. I know many in London who openly admit their lives were not in danger in their native countries; they told the Home Office the opposite and hey presto.
Posted by bhamilton | 16.06.09, 19:20 GMT
The whole sexist, homophobic, skin-headed, holocost-denying stuff just won't attract mainstream voters fed-up with the current bunch. A more moderate version of the BNP would probably attract a lot of support here.
Posted by mi-ck-ey | 16.06.09, 16:37 GMT
David O'Connor z : "Clare...there are many people in the UK who have sought asylum from persecution and war. If they were to go back they will face certain death or torture. Your vote is directly contributing to that. Blood directly on YOUR hands, not on the states."
Your coment is a SLIGHTLY exaggeration.
Connor these countries where they torture people etc are 1000s of miles away. Why cant many that come here claim asylum in one of the umteen countries they travel through to get here?...
Posted by Honest not Facist Q | 16.06.09, 13:23 GMT
Why don't the lot of you chill out and and put a smile on your mugs!
Posted by ciaran | 16.06.09, 13:15 GMT
Jimmy, I have throughout my life been Tory. I would consider myself more right wing than left wing. That does not mean I dont hate vile pathetic rascists. Anyone who judges a person on their skin colour, accent or religion is totally and utterly backward. it is nonsensicle. Which is worse, someone of a different colour who is pleasant and causes no problem or someone of the same colour and religion who causes anti-social behaviour, threatens you etc? Just think for a minute braindead folks.
Posted by soarer | 16.06.09, 10:36 GMT
stevie b says "your comments about BNP in "Ireland" shows your level of intelligence. Belfast is the capital of Northern Ireland..."
I don't like to split hairs, but Northern what, on the island of what? And what National Party is it? Where is Gregory Campbell when you need him? If they are going to organise in Northern Ireland they need to rename themselves the UKNP...
These Fascist, racist and likely sectarian thugs collectively sicken me!!! I pray they are just stupid and uninformed...
Posted by Bren | 16.06.09, 09:39 GMT
Call me naive if you like,but I should have thought that the experience of Northern Ireland is proof of the BNP position, ie that multiethnic societies don't work very well and it is best not to encourage them. People are happier amongst their own kind and running their own affairs.
Why is it encouraging race hate or 'fascist' to point this out? Surely it is 'fascist' to try to gag this opinion - or indeed any political opinion which does not encourage violence.
Posted by Tim | 15.06.09, 21:21 GMT
I'm not impressed with this piece which seems ot be a bit of anti-BNP propaganda rather than a news item attempting to be serious and objective.
Posted by Tim | 15.06.09, 21:03 GMT
Steve, Is that the same Billy Connolly who hasnt been remotely funny for well over a decade and made crass jokes about Ken Bigley and was booed off?
What political paty are you on about by the way?
Posted by Sean | 15.06.09, 20:29 GMT
Isn't it interesting that all the lefty, politically correct people who attack the BNP with such venom, are probably the same people who have endlessly pandered to an organisation which murdered and bombed its way into government - an organisation who murdered thousands of innocent people in their bloody quest for what they wanted. Now they are happily residing in government over a country.
Such total and utter hyprocrisy!
Posted by Jimmy | 15.06.09, 20:25 GMT
What political party is that then Steve?
Stephen, not everyone who votes BNP is dumb. Some are very clever racists. The fact remains where they get in are the lowest places in Britain. No 'normal areas'. Real squalid dives filled with the underclass of benefits britain, the cerebrally challenged, devoid of empathy and thinking no further than the next episode of Eastenders or where the next beer is, angry because it isnt so easy for Chardonnay to get a free house after getting pregnant at 15.
Posted by David O'Connor | 15.06.09, 20:21 GMT
Yes bhamilton. Nick Griffin describe the holocaust as a 'big fat lie' on various occasions.
Play BNP quotes on the net. Their members have said-
They hate ethnic minorites (obviously)
They hate gays
They hate the working classes
They describe themselves as 'pure evil'
They compare rape for a woman the same as eating chocolate cake
They think all women should stay at home
So if you a middle class, sexist, straight, racist with no conscience and no empathy and love a financial mess then vote away!
Posted by soarer | 15.06.09, 20:09 GMT
So it's ok to have an organisation representing the views and aspirations of blacks, muslims, gays etc etc. Yet if you form a group to represent the interests of whites, you are suddenly racist, fascist, etc. Typical hpocritical nonsense from all the BNPs enemies.
As Billy Connolly once so rightly said...'the only people you can make fun of and get away with it nowadays, are white hetrosexual men'!
I actually quite like a lot of what the BNP stand for and I'm an ordinary law-abiding citizen.
Posted by Steve | 15.06.09, 19:56 GMT
Hi David
The "dumb" are people who don't vote for the same party as you?
The BNP don't have an armed wing so as far as I'm concerned are perfectly entitled to stand for election.
Very intelligent people like you can vote for someone else, it's called democracy.
Stephen
Posted by Stephen | 15.06.09, 19:36 GMT
Valid point Clare. However there are many people in the UK who have sought asylum from persecution and war. If they were to go back they will face certain death or torture. Your vote is directly contributing to that. Blood directly on YOUR hands, not on the states.
Learn from history. The Germans took a long time to get over their guilt and shame of voting neo-nazi's in. I can quite easily seeing a full civil war if they ever got in. Thankfully they never will.
Posted by David O'Connor | 15.06.09, 19:33 GMT
64 Comments