Britain First - Paul Golding

[agchristie]

Appears at court today but what of the charges he faces? The 'uniform' charge is bizarre to say the least. Short video in the link where Golding outlines the situation.

https://www.britainfirst.org/video-britain-first-leader-paul-golding-speaks-essex-court-today/

[jourdain2]

I mean, in that BF members are told not to hide their faces.

[THECORBYLOON]

Clearly they ignored their Code Of Conduct if it has any impact at all.

[agchristie]

Methyl

I haven't rubbished your opinions. In fact you twice stated 'what a waste of news space'. 260 posts in, people are still debating. Care to reconsider?

TCL

There is no compulsion to wear BF merchandise in public campaigns. The prosecutor will have to prove 'beyond reasonable doubt' that it is compulsory to wear. This, in my opinion is not possible.

[BlackadderV]

If the bowler hat, brolly and collar of the Orangemen is not political uniform I don't know what is. Why are they not prosecuted?

[agchristie]

Blackadder

Maybe someone like ichkeria may explain that one, failing that, google it?

[Zacs-Master]

Thanks to others for taking up the baton opinion my absence. Ag, you seem to know a lot about BF (where merchandise can be obtained / what is normal dress). Why don't you come out and either admit you're a supporter or give clarity to your apparent support for them?

[THECORBYLOON]

'Prohibition of uniforms in connection with political objects.

(1)Subject as hereinafter provided, any person who in any public place or at any public meeting wears uniform signifying his association with any political organisation or with the promotion of any political object shall be guilty of an offence:

Provided that, if the chief officer of police is satisfied that the wearing of any such uniform as aforesaid on any ceremonial, anniversary, or other special occasion will not be likely to involve risk of public disorder, he may, with the consent of a Secretary of State, by order permit the wearing of such uniform on that occasion either absolutely or subject to such conditions as may be specified in the order'

No compulsion mentioned in the Act.

[agchristie]

Zacs

You sound like you are a self-appointed captain for the opposition! Anybody can look at the BF website to see the various merchandise, it doesn't require any special knowledge. Then you link in the question of my allegiance on the back of that for some reason, quite why you think this is so important I don't know.

[ichkeria]

The Orange Order is not illegal. And bowler hats and sashes and gloves etc are not per se regarded as dubious items of dress normally even if they may not exactly be much of a fashion statement. So I guess that is why no one is prosecuted for wearing them

[agchristie]

Ichkeria

Thanks for confirming.

[BlackadderV]

Neither are scarves and caps regarded as dubious items of dress normally. Nor is BF as yet an illegal organisation.

[THECORBYLOON]

The Orange Order is not a political group so the Act would not apply to them.

[Ellipsis]

So to be clear:

1) Golding goes round to somebody's house to "out" him as a terrorist
2) However this person had already been "outed" in the media and the authorities are well aware of this, so it's unclear what Golding was hoping to achieve by going round to this person's house dressed in his "uniform"
3) But what he did manage to achieve was getting himself arrested and charged for harassing a woman in her own home

I think this tells us something about his character. He is unwilling to let British justice take its course, and instead seeks to dish out his own vigilante justice. Can he really be surprised when he's arrested?

You only have to Google Britain First to discover many well-researched and well argued cases against them, for example this very recent one in The Telegraph:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/world-war-one/11207973/The-loathsome-Britain-First-are-trying-to-hijack-the-poppy-dont-let-them.html

As for how many of the 500,000 Faecbook fans wouldn't follow "the BF" if they realised what they were really all about ... Among my own friends and family, every single one that has posted a piece of Britain First propaganda has removed it and stopped following them after I've pointed out articles like these that describe what Britain First is really all about:

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/news-opinion/jade-wright-says-think-twice-7230185
http://anotherangryvoice.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/12-things-britain-first.html

So, in my experience, 100% of people in my circles have been duped into supporting something they did not mean to support.

One of the worst things that Britain First has done is to use Lee Rigby's name without permission and caused great upset to the Rigby family in so doing. Apologists say this was an error (one of many!), but they continue to do it - two recent examples being posts about the deaths of Rik Mayall and Lynda Bellingham, neither of whom would ever have supported Britain First when alive ...

[agchristie]

Ellipsis

Information about the 'outed' guy's background is available on the web but his address wasn't in the public domain. BF tracked him down and Golding stated, as said before, he was acting in the public interest. He states he went without seeking to cause harassment and was surprised to be arrested.

One of your links has already been posted (by Zacs) and I have commented on that as I have with the reference to Lee Rigby.

The social media side is interesting, is it clever spin, as commented by ichkeria, which deceives so many people? There are many articles like the ones you have posted so why hasn't the FB site been closed down?

[Zacs-Master]

It wasn't my intention to come across as 'captain' of anything. 'Championing' the cause for the truth maybe, which seems very elusive.

[BlackadderV]

The Orange Order is not a political group.

Really?

[agchristie]

Blackadder

I'm sure that the legal definition of a political group is clear, what is less certain, in the case of the BF, is whether the organisation has a political uniform.

This is going to be a matter for the court.

[agchristie]

Zacs

///championing the cause for the truth///

Exactly what 'truth' are you referring to that remains 'elusive'?

[ichkeria]

I am much baffled by all this talk of "political uniforms".
Having grown up in Northern Ireland I never heard of such a thing (and you would expect to have done so living there).
There were uniforms deemed to be paramilitary, and they were illegal in certain contexts, but the Orange Order (not a "political" organisation as such) was/is not one of those.
If members of the DUP had all started going round Paisley-style in clerical collars and Paisley haircuts that might have been deemed "political uniform" but it would not have been illegal.
Obviously a new thing.

[agchristie]

Ichkeria,

The legislation banning political uniforms has been around since 1936 if I recall. However, there have not been any convictions for this offence for over 40 years.

I think that says it all...