Andrew Brons
Encyclopedia
Andrew Henry William Brons (born 3 June 1947, London
) is a British
politician
. Long active in far right
politics in Britain
, he was elected as a Member of the European Parliament
for Yorkshire and the Humber
for the British National Party
(BNP) at the 2009 European Parliament election
. He was previously the leader of the National Front during the 1980s.
, East London, spending his early childhood in Sidcup
, on the outskirts of London, before his family moved to Harrogate
when he was 11. He attended at Harrogate Grammar School
until the age of 16, when he left to join the civil service, where he remained for 16 months before following part-time A Levels in law and economics at Harrogate College
. He studied politics at the University of York
, graduating in 1970.
After graduation, Brons started work as a lecturer at Harrogate College in 1970, continuing to work there until 2005, lecturing in A Level Law and Government and Politics. He has two daughters.
's birthday by Colin Jordan
. In 1980, Searchlight
published two letters Brons had written in 1965 to Colin Jordan's wife
, in which he firstly reported meeting an NSM member who "mentioned such activities as bombing synagogues", stating in response to this that: "On this subject I have a dual view, in that I realise that he is well intentioned, I feel that our public image may suffer considerable damage as a result of these activities. I am however open to correction on this point."; the second letter requested materials such as a swastika
, a copy of Horst-Wessel-Lied
, and posters and stickers in furtherance of Brons' goal of forming a local NSM group. Questioned about his membership of the NSM in 2009, Brons said "People do silly things when they are 17. Peter Mandelson
was once a member of the Young Communist League
but we don't continue to call him a communist." Brons was forced to return to the issue in March 2011 when - on the BBC's 'The Daily Politics
' program - Dominic Carman
, the Liberal Democrat
candidate for the 2011 Barnsley Central by-election
, called Brons, in his absence, a "Nazi and an admirer of Adolf Hitler". In response Brons released a statement on his website, stating:
's British National Party (not the same as the current incarnation), which later merged with the League of Empire Loyalists
to form the National Front (NF) in 1967. Brons was voted onto the National Front's national directorate in 1974, and "as the NF's education officer, he hosted seminars on racial nationalism and tried to give its racism a more 'scientific' basis."
Brons contested Harrogate
for the National Front in both 1974 general elections, polling 1,186 votes (2.3%) in February
and 1,030 (2.3%) in October
, with Labour's
Roy Jenkins
retaining the seat on both occasions. With the departure of Jenkins to the European Commission
in early 1977,the seat became vacant once again and Brons contested it for the National Front for the third time
in the by-election on 31 March 1977 he polled 2955 votes (8.2%), forcing the Liberal
candidate into fourth place, and helping his stature to grow within the party.
, and John Tyndall
's subsequent departure, Brons became chair of the NF in 1979 and in doing so broke with his former mentor. Brons, though, led the NF in name only. Initially Martin Webster
, who became National Activities Organiser, exerted the most influence before the Political Soldier
wing of the party became more important. Brons tended to support the Flag Group
although he lost influence to Ian Anderson
and faded from his leading position. Nevertheless, Brons had links to the Political Soldier wing and is credited with having introduced the concept of distributism
into the party, which formed a central part of the new ideology of the NF. Brons co-edited the NF journal New Nation, with Richard Verrall
, the author of a work of holocaust denial
, Did Six Million Really Die?
Brons edited the National Front's June 1983 general election
manifesto, which "called for a global apartheid to prevent the 'extinction' of whites everywhere." The manifesto declared that "The National Front rejects the whole concept of multiracialism. We recognise inherent racial differences in Man. The races of Man are profoundly unequal in their characteristics, potential and abilities."
On at least two occasions in the early 1980s Brons' far-right activities caused difficulties for his employer: on 24 June 1981, more than 500 student and Anti-Nazi League
campaigners marched through Harrogate, taking over the college building where Brons was teaching; six protesters were arrested. In February 1982, more than 300 protesters clashed with 100 National Front supporters outside Brons' classroom in central Harrogate, and in the process two students were stabbed and six people arrested.
Subsequently in October 1983, Brons called upon the Principal of Harrogate College as a character witness, when Brons was convicted by magistrates of using insulting words and behaviour likely to cause a breach of the peace and fined £50. Brons had been leading a group leafleting in Leeds city centre. A shop assistant reported that the group had been shouting "National Front" and making clenched fist salutes, while an unnamed policeman is supposed to have heard "white power" and "death to Jews". When a police officer of Malaysian origin asked the group to disperse, the policeman said that Brons replied: "I am aware of my legal rights. Inferior beings like you probably do not appreciate the principle of free speech." An allegation which Brons has always denied. His appeal to Leeds Crown Court was unsuccessful.
Although Brons continued as a leading member and even wrote a number of articles for the Political Soldier-supporting Nationalism Today, he was generally opposed to the positions of the Official National Front
and resigned from the leadership in November 1984. He resigned from the party altogether in 1986, along with Martin Webster
and others but, unlike Webster, became involved in the Flag Group. It was Brons who, in 1986, approached Tyndall with a view to a reconciliation between the Flag Group and the modern British National Party
but the proposed deal came to nothing after it was repudiated by Martin Wingfield
in The Flag newspaper.
Brons had a "tentative agreement" to return to work at Harrogate College in September 2009; he had however been selected as BNP candidate for the European Elections 2009
in the Yorkshire and the Humber constituency
, and upon becoming the BNP's first ever MEP
(along with BNP chairman Nick Griffin
) he declined the offer.
He stood as a parliamentary candidate for the Keighley constituency
in the 2010 general election. He came fourth in the election with 1,962 votes.
In August 2010 Brons and fellow members of the BNP Policy Committee were asked by the Chairman and Advisory Council to carry out a consultation of members about possible changes to the party's constitution, with particular reference to two areas, governance of the party nationally and the rules for internal elections. On 8 November, his findings were published online.
On June 10,2011, Brons announced that he would be standing for the leadership of the British National Party against Nick Griffin
in an internal election, held at the end of July, and in which election Brons was narrowly defeated, receiving 1,148 votes to Griffin's 1,157
as a consequence. A member of the Constitutional Affairs Committee
and a substitute for the Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee
Brons has, up to 1 December 2010, made seventy-eight speeches in plenary sessions. He has also submitted twenty-seven written questions to the Parliament.
Brons was designated to the Delegation to the EU-Croatia Joint Parliamentary Committee this being a joint delegation to create dialogue with the Croatian Parliament as a candidate country
. On 29/30 March 2010 the delegation along with Brons met in Zagreb
, Brons spoke in the Croatian Parliament on the state of play of the accession negotiations and EU-Croatia relations
in the presence of representatives of the Croatian Government. He went on to say:
Although having, made a direct speech as a warning to the Croatian Parliament, Brons ended with an abstention
in voting to continue negotiations. He justified this by stating:
The remaining members of the Committee voted unanimously in favour.
On 30 November 2010, Brons again spoke of the negative impact that EU accession would have on the Croatian People
, this time in the European Parliament. He used the opportunity to express his concerns over the double standards of the EU in relation to the Lisbon Treaty; he also questioned member states governments' and media impartiality regarding the EU Question, saying:
European Parliament elections
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
) is a British
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
. Long active in far right
Far right
Far-right, extreme right, hard right, radical right, and ultra-right are terms used to discuss the qualitative or quantitative position a group or person occupies within right-wing politics. Far-right politics may involve anti-immigration and anti-integration stances towards groups that are...
politics in Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, he was elected as a Member of the European Parliament
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
for Yorkshire and the Humber
Yorkshire and the Humber (European Parliament constituency)
Yorkshire and the Humber is a constituency of the European Parliament. It currently elects 6 MEPs using the d'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation.- Boundaries :...
for the British National Party
British National Party
The British National Party is a British far-right political party formed as a splinter group from the National Front by John Tyndall in 1982...
(BNP) at the 2009 European Parliament election
European Parliament election, 2009 (United Kingdom)
The European Parliament election was the United Kingdom's component of the 2009 European Parliament election, the voting for which was held on Thursday 4 June 2009, coinciding with the 2009 local elections in England. Most of the results of the election were announced on Sunday 7 June, after...
. He was previously the leader of the National Front during the 1980s.
Family background and early life
Brons was born in HackneyMetropolitan Borough of Hackney
The Metropolitan Borough of Hackney was a Metropolitan borough of the County of London from 1900 to 1965. Its area became part of the London Borough of Hackney.-Formation and boundaries:...
, East London, spending his early childhood in Sidcup
Sidcup
Sidcup is a district in South East London in the London Borough of Bexley and small parts of the district in the London Borough of Greenwich.Located south east of Charing Cross, Sidcup is bordered by the London Boroughs of Greenwich and Bromley and Kent County Council, and whilst now part of...
, on the outskirts of London, before his family moved to Harrogate
Harrogate
Harrogate is a spa town in North Yorkshire, England. The town is a tourist destination and its visitor attractions include its spa waters, RHS Harlow Carr gardens, and Betty's Tea Rooms. From the town one can explore the nearby Yorkshire Dales national park. Harrogate originated in the 17th...
when he was 11. He attended at Harrogate Grammar School
Harrogate Grammar School
Harrogate Grammar School is a specialist Language and Technology College in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England. It has about 1700 pupils and there are about 400 pupils in the sixth form...
until the age of 16, when he left to join the civil service, where he remained for 16 months before following part-time A Levels in law and economics at Harrogate College
Harrogate College
Harrogate College is a further education college in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England. It traces its origins to the University Extension movement, which began in 1873 under the auspices of Cambridge University. It offers several levels of qualifications, including further- and higher-education...
. He studied politics at the University of York
University of York
The University of York , is an academic institution located in the city of York, England. Established in 1963, the campus university has expanded to more than thirty departments and centres, covering a wide range of subjects...
, graduating in 1970.
After graduation, Brons started work as a lecturer at Harrogate College in 1970, continuing to work there until 2005, lecturing in A Level Law and Government and Politics. He has two daughters.
Early activity
Andrew Brons began his political career in 1964 when, aged seventeen, he joined the National Socialist Movement (NSM), a Neo-Nazi organisation founded on Adolf HitlerAdolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
's birthday by Colin Jordan
Colin Jordan
John Colin Campbell Jordan was a leading figure in postwar Neo-Nazism in Britain. In the far-right nationalist circles of the 1960s, Jordan represented the most explicitly 'Nazi' inclination in his open use of the styles and symbols of the Third Reich.Through organisations such as the National...
. In 1980, Searchlight
Searchlight (magazine)
Searchlight is a British anti-fascist magazine, founded in 1975 by Gerry Gable, which publishes exposés about racism, antisemitism, and fascism in the UK....
published two letters Brons had written in 1965 to Colin Jordan's wife
Françoise Dior
Marie Françoise Suzanne Dior, also known as Françoise de Caumont La Force, Françoise Dior-Jordan, and Françoise Dior-de Mirleau , was a French socialite and post-war Nazi underground financier...
, in which he firstly reported meeting an NSM member who "mentioned such activities as bombing synagogues", stating in response to this that: "On this subject I have a dual view, in that I realise that he is well intentioned, I feel that our public image may suffer considerable damage as a result of these activities. I am however open to correction on this point."; the second letter requested materials such as a swastika
Swastika
The swastika is an equilateral cross with its arms bent at right angles, in either right-facing form in counter clock motion or its mirrored left-facing form in clock motion. Earliest archaeological evidence of swastika-shaped ornaments dates back to the Indus Valley Civilization of Ancient...
, a copy of Horst-Wessel-Lied
Horst-Wessel-Lied
The Horst-Wessel-Lied , also known as Die Fahne hoch from its opening line, was the anthem of the Nazi Party from 1930 to 1945...
, and posters and stickers in furtherance of Brons' goal of forming a local NSM group. Questioned about his membership of the NSM in 2009, Brons said "People do silly things when they are 17. Peter Mandelson
Peter Mandelson
Peter Benjamin Mandelson, Baron Mandelson, PC is a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Hartlepool from 1992 to 2004, served in a number of Cabinet positions under both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, and was a European Commissioner...
was once a member of the Young Communist League
Young Communist League (Britain)
The Young Communist League is the name of both the youth wing of the former Communist Party of Great Britain and the current youth wing of the Communist Party of Britain ; an organisation that sees itself as the successor to the Communist Party of Great Britain.-Original Young Communist League...
but we don't continue to call him a communist." Brons was forced to return to the issue in March 2011 when - on the BBC's 'The Daily Politics
The Daily Politics
The Daily Politics is a British television show launched by the BBC in 2003. Presented by Andrew Neil and Jo Coburn, the programme takes an in-depth and sometimes irreverent look at the daily goings on in Westminster and other areas across Britain and the world, and includes interviews with leading...
' program - Dominic Carman
Dominic Carman
Dominic Carman is a British journalist, writer and Liberal Democrat politician.-Family:Carman is the son of barrister George Carman. He wrote a controversial biography of his father, No Ordinary Man: A Life of George Carman ....
, the Liberal Democrat
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
candidate for the 2011 Barnsley Central by-election
Barnsley Central by-election, 2011
The Barnsley Central by-election was a by-election for the Parliament of the United Kingdom's House of Commons constituency of Barnsley Central which took place on 3 March 2011...
, called Brons, in his absence, a "Nazi and an admirer of Adolf Hitler". In response Brons released a statement on his website, stating:
- "It is on record that I was a member of the National Socialist Movement between the ages of seventeen and eighteen. I am now sixty-three, nearly sixty four - forty six years ago, nearly half a century! From the age of eighteen, I have been a committed supporter of Parliamentary democracy and the rule of lawRule of lawThe rule of law, sometimes called supremacy of law, is a legal maxim that says that governmental decisions should be made by applying known principles or laws with minimal discretion in their application...
. The parties of which I have been a member, since then, have all been committed to democracy. Many Labour politicians have been members of the Communist PartyCommunist Party of Great BritainThe Communist Party of Great Britain was the largest communist party in Great Britain, although it never became a mass party like those in France and Italy. It existed from 1920 to 1991.-Formation:...
in their teens, twenties and even thirties. Dennis Healey was a member of the Communist Party at the height of the Stalinist purges. Would anybody be allowed to call Mr. Healey an avowed Communist and admirer of Joseph StalinJoseph StalinJoseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
?"
National Front
In 1965, Brons joined John BeanJohn Bean
John Edward Bean is a long-standing participant in the British far right, who has been active within a number of movements during the course of his life and is the voice behind the BNP election broadcasts.-Early life:...
's British National Party (not the same as the current incarnation), which later merged with the League of Empire Loyalists
League of Empire Loyalists
The League of Empire Loyalists was a British pressure group , established in 1954, which campaigned against the dissolution of the British Empire. The League was a small group of current or former members of the Conservative Party led by Arthur K...
to form the National Front (NF) in 1967. Brons was voted onto the National Front's national directorate in 1974, and "as the NF's education officer, he hosted seminars on racial nationalism and tried to give its racism a more 'scientific' basis."
Brons contested Harrogate
Harrogate and Knaresborough (UK Parliament constituency)
Harrogate and Knaresborough is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...
for the National Front in both 1974 general elections, polling 1,186 votes (2.3%) in February
United Kingdom general election, February 1974
The United Kingdom's general election of February 1974 was held on the 28th of that month. It was the first of two United Kingdom general elections held that year, and the first election since the Second World War not to produce an overall majority in the House of Commons for the winning party,...
and 1,030 (2.3%) in October
United Kingdom general election, October 1974
The United Kingdom general election of October 1974 took place on 10 October 1974 to elect 635 members to the British House of Commons. It was the second general election of that year and resulted in the Labour Party led by Harold Wilson, winning by a tiny majority of 3 seats.The election of...
, with Labour's
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
Roy Jenkins
Roy Jenkins
Roy Harris Jenkins, Baron Jenkins of Hillhead OM, PC was a British politician.The son of a Welsh coal miner who later became a union official and Labour MP, Roy Jenkins served with distinction in World War II. Elected to Parliament as a Labour member in 1948, he served in several major posts in...
retaining the seat on both occasions. With the departure of Jenkins to the European Commission
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
in early 1977,the seat became vacant once again and Brons contested it for the National Front for the third time
Birmingham Stechford by-election, 1977
The Birmingham Stechford by-election, in Birmingham, on 31 March 1977 was held after Labour Member of Parliament Roy Jenkins resigned his seat following his appointment as President of the European Commission. A seat that had been solidly Labour since its formation in 1950, it was won by Andrew...
in the by-election on 31 March 1977 he polled 2955 votes (8.2%), forcing the Liberal
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
candidate into fourth place, and helping his stature to grow within the party.
Leadership
Following the poor showing by the National Front in the 1979 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1979
The United Kingdom general election of 1979 was held on 3 May 1979 to elect 635 members to the British House of Commons. The Conservative Party, led by Margaret Thatcher ousted the incumbent Labour government of James Callaghan with a parliamentary majority of 43 seats...
, and John Tyndall
John Tyndall (politician)
John Hutchyns Tyndall was a British politician who was prominently associated with several fascist/neo-Nazi sects. However, he is best known for leading the National Front in the 1970s and founding the contemporary British National Party in 1982.The most prominent figure in British nationalism...
's subsequent departure, Brons became chair of the NF in 1979 and in doing so broke with his former mentor. Brons, though, led the NF in name only. Initially Martin Webster
Martin Webster
Martin Guy Alan Webster is a former leading figure on the far-right in British politics.-Early political activism:An early member of the Young Conservatives, from which he claimed to have been expelled, Webster was associated loosely with the League of Empire Loyalists until he joined the National...
, who became National Activities Organiser, exerted the most influence before the Political Soldier
Political Soldier
Political Soldier is a political concept associated with the Third Position. It played a leading role in Britain's National Front from the late 1970s onwards under young radicals Nick Griffin, Patrick Harrington and Derek Holland of the Official National Front...
wing of the party became more important. Brons tended to support the Flag Group
Flag Group
The Flag Group was a British political party, formed from one of the two wings of the National Front in the 1980s. Formed in opposition to the Political Soldier wing of the Official National Front it took its name from The Flag, a newspaper the followers of this faction formed after leaving and...
although he lost influence to Ian Anderson
Ian Anderson (politician)
Ian Hugh Myddleton Anderson was a leading figure on the British far-right in the 1980s and 1990s.- Early background :Anderson was born in Hillingdon...
and faded from his leading position. Nevertheless, Brons had links to the Political Soldier wing and is credited with having introduced the concept of distributism
Distributism
Distributism is a third-way economic philosophy formulated by such Catholic thinkers as G. K...
into the party, which formed a central part of the new ideology of the NF. Brons co-edited the NF journal New Nation, with Richard Verrall
Richard Verrall
Richard Verrall is a former Deputy Chairman of the British National Front , he edited the magazine Spearhead from 1976 to 1980.-National Front career:...
, the author of a work of holocaust denial
Holocaust denial
Holocaust denial is the act of denying the genocide of Jews in World War II, usually referred to as the Holocaust. The key claims of Holocaust denial are: the German Nazi government had no official policy or intention of exterminating Jews, Nazi authorities did not use extermination camps and gas...
, Did Six Million Really Die?
Did Six Million Really Die?
Did Six Million Really Die? is a Holocaust denial booklet written by British National Front member Richard Verrall, under the name Richard E. Harwood, and published by Ernst Zündel in 1974...
Brons edited the National Front's June 1983 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1983
The 1983 United Kingdom general election was held on 9 June 1983. It gave the Conservative Party under Margaret Thatcher the most decisive election victory since that of Labour in 1945...
manifesto, which "called for a global apartheid to prevent the 'extinction' of whites everywhere." The manifesto declared that "The National Front rejects the whole concept of multiracialism. We recognise inherent racial differences in Man. The races of Man are profoundly unequal in their characteristics, potential and abilities."
On at least two occasions in the early 1980s Brons' far-right activities caused difficulties for his employer: on 24 June 1981, more than 500 student and Anti-Nazi League
Anti-Nazi League
The Anti-Nazi League was an organisation set up in 1977 on the initiative of the Socialist Workers Party with sponsorship from some trade unions and the endorsement of a list of prominent people to oppose the rise of far-right groups in the United Kingdom. It was wound down in 1981...
campaigners marched through Harrogate, taking over the college building where Brons was teaching; six protesters were arrested. In February 1982, more than 300 protesters clashed with 100 National Front supporters outside Brons' classroom in central Harrogate, and in the process two students were stabbed and six people arrested.
Subsequently in October 1983, Brons called upon the Principal of Harrogate College as a character witness, when Brons was convicted by magistrates of using insulting words and behaviour likely to cause a breach of the peace and fined £50. Brons had been leading a group leafleting in Leeds city centre. A shop assistant reported that the group had been shouting "National Front" and making clenched fist salutes, while an unnamed policeman is supposed to have heard "white power" and "death to Jews". When a police officer of Malaysian origin asked the group to disperse, the policeman said that Brons replied: "I am aware of my legal rights. Inferior beings like you probably do not appreciate the principle of free speech." An allegation which Brons has always denied. His appeal to Leeds Crown Court was unsuccessful.
Although Brons continued as a leading member and even wrote a number of articles for the Political Soldier-supporting Nationalism Today, he was generally opposed to the positions of the Official National Front
Official National Front
The Official National Front was one of two far-right groups to emerge in the United Kingdom in 1986 following a split within the National Front...
and resigned from the leadership in November 1984. He resigned from the party altogether in 1986, along with Martin Webster
Martin Webster
Martin Guy Alan Webster is a former leading figure on the far-right in British politics.-Early political activism:An early member of the Young Conservatives, from which he claimed to have been expelled, Webster was associated loosely with the League of Empire Loyalists until he joined the National...
and others but, unlike Webster, became involved in the Flag Group. It was Brons who, in 1986, approached Tyndall with a view to a reconciliation between the Flag Group and the modern British National Party
British National Party
The British National Party is a British far-right political party formed as a splinter group from the National Front by John Tyndall in 1982...
but the proposed deal came to nothing after it was repudiated by Martin Wingfield
Martin Wingfield
Martin Wingfield is a long-standing figure on the far right in British politics. He and his wife, Tina WIngfield, have contested several elections.-National Front:...
in The Flag newspaper.
British National Party
After leaving the National Front in 1986, Brons dedicated himself to his lecturing position at Harrogate College, which he continued in until his retirement in 2005. Upon retirement Brons joined the BNP in 2005/2006. He subsequently wrote at least two articles for the BNP's official magazine Identity.Brons had a "tentative agreement" to return to work at Harrogate College in September 2009; he had however been selected as BNP candidate for the European Elections 2009
European Parliament election, 2009 (United Kingdom)
The European Parliament election was the United Kingdom's component of the 2009 European Parliament election, the voting for which was held on Thursday 4 June 2009, coinciding with the 2009 local elections in England. Most of the results of the election were announced on Sunday 7 June, after...
in the Yorkshire and the Humber constituency
Yorkshire and the Humber (European Parliament constituency)
Yorkshire and the Humber is a constituency of the European Parliament. It currently elects 6 MEPs using the d'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation.- Boundaries :...
, and upon becoming the BNP's first ever MEP
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
(along with BNP chairman Nick Griffin
Nick Griffin
Nicholas John "Nick" Griffin is a British politician, chairman of the British National Party and Member of the European Parliament for North West England....
) he declined the offer.
He stood as a parliamentary candidate for the Keighley constituency
Keighley (UK Parliament constituency)
Keighley is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.- Boundaries :...
in the 2010 general election. He came fourth in the election with 1,962 votes.
In August 2010 Brons and fellow members of the BNP Policy Committee were asked by the Chairman and Advisory Council to carry out a consultation of members about possible changes to the party's constitution, with particular reference to two areas, governance of the party nationally and the rules for internal elections. On 8 November, his findings were published online.
On June 10,2011, Brons announced that he would be standing for the leadership of the British National Party against Nick Griffin
Nick Griffin
Nicholas John "Nick" Griffin is a British politician, chairman of the British National Party and Member of the European Parliament for North West England....
in an internal election, held at the end of July, and in which election Brons was narrowly defeated, receiving 1,148 votes to Griffin's 1,157
Member of the European Parliament for Yorkshire and the Humber
On entering the European Parliament Brons and his fellow BNP MEP Nick Griffin have been heavily critical of any legislation current and pending which has been designed to reduce the national sovereignty and independence of member states or has had a negative impact upon Britain and the British PeopleBritish people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
as a consequence. A member of the Constitutional Affairs Committee
Committee on Constitutional Affairs
The Committee on Constitutional Affairs is a committee of the European Parliament dealing with institutional matters such as the treaties and the Parliament's rules of procedure. As of 2008, it is chaired by Jo Leinen MEP .-External links:*...
and a substitute for the Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee
Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs
The Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs is a standing committee of the European Parliament.-External links:*...
Brons has, up to 1 December 2010, made seventy-eight speeches in plenary sessions. He has also submitted twenty-seven written questions to the Parliament.
Committee on Croatia
On entering the European ParliamentEuropean Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
Brons was designated to the Delegation to the EU-Croatia Joint Parliamentary Committee this being a joint delegation to create dialogue with the Croatian Parliament as a candidate country
Enlargement of the European Union
The Enlargement of the European Union is the process of expanding the European Union through the accession of new member states. This process began with the Inner Six, who founded the European Coal and Steel Community in 1952...
. On 29/30 March 2010 the delegation along with Brons met in Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
, Brons spoke in the Croatian Parliament on the state of play of the accession negotiations and EU-Croatia relations
Accession of Croatia to the European Union
Croatia applied for European Union membership in 2003, and the European Commission recommended making it an official candidate in early 2004. Candidate country status was granted to Croatia by the European Council in mid-2004...
in the presence of representatives of the Croatian Government. He went on to say:
- "I am sometimes seen as somebody who exaggerates when I say that Croatia is about to surrender its independence so I shall let the Croatian people make that judgment. Unfortunately, they have not yet been consulted directly. I just hope that that consultation will be carried out freely and fairly. However, I note that the rules for referendums in the Constitution, the goal posts if you like, are being changed to facilitate a 'Yes vote'."
Although having, made a direct speech as a warning to the Croatian Parliament, Brons ended with an abstention
Abstention
Abstention is a term in election procedure for when a participant in a vote either does not go to vote or, in parliamentary procedure, is present during the vote, but does not cast a ballot. Abstention must be contrasted with "blank vote", in which a voter casts a ballot willfully made invalid by...
in voting to continue negotiations. He justified this by stating:
- "I should like my abstention to be placed on record. I shall not vote against Croatia's accession because that might imply that I have some right to act on behalf of Croatian opponents of accession, when I clearly have no such right. The Croatian people must decide for themselves. Furthermore, It might imply that I am somehow hostile to Croatia, when I am emphatically not hostile."
The remaining members of the Committee voted unanimously in favour.
On 30 November 2010, Brons again spoke of the negative impact that EU accession would have on the Croatian People
Croats
Croats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...
, this time in the European Parliament. He used the opportunity to express his concerns over the double standards of the EU in relation to the Lisbon Treaty; he also questioned member states governments' and media impartiality regarding the EU Question, saying:
- "The referendum on accession must be free, fair and final. The debate must be conducted with full participation and media coverage for both sides of the debate. I do not want to prejudge the Croatian media but our experience in the UK in 1975 was that there was complete media support for EEC membership and a deluge of propaganda in favour of (continued) membership."
Elections contested
UK Parliament elections| Date of election | Constituency | Party | Votes | % | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 1974 United Kingdom general election, February 1974 The United Kingdom's general election of February 1974 was held on the 28th of that month. It was the first of two United Kingdom general elections held that year, and the first election since the Second World War not to produce an overall majority in the House of Commons for the winning party,... |
Harrogate Harrogate and Knaresborough (UK Parliament constituency) Harrogate and Knaresborough is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:... |
NF | 1,186 | 2.3 | |
| Oct 1974 United Kingdom general election, October 1974 The United Kingdom general election of October 1974 took place on 10 October 1974 to elect 635 members to the British House of Commons. It was the second general election of that year and resulted in the Labour Party led by Harold Wilson, winning by a tiny majority of 3 seats.The election of... |
Harrogate | NF | 1,030 | 2.3 | |
| 1977 Birmingham Stechford by-election, 1977 The Birmingham Stechford by-election, in Birmingham, on 31 March 1977 was held after Labour Member of Parliament Roy Jenkins resigned his seat following his appointment as President of the European Commission. A seat that had been solidly Labour since its formation in 1950, it was won by Andrew... |
Birmingham Stechford Birmingham Stechford (UK Parliament constituency) Birmingham Stechford was a parliamentary constituency centred on the Stechford district of the city of Birmingham. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first-past-the-post voting system.The constituency was created... |
NF | 2,995 | 8.2 | |
| 1979 United Kingdom general election, 1979 The United Kingdom general election of 1979 was held on 3 May 1979 to elect 635 members to the British House of Commons. The Conservative Party, led by Margaret Thatcher ousted the incumbent Labour government of James Callaghan with a parliamentary majority of 43 seats... |
Bradford North Bradford North (UK Parliament constituency) Bradford North was a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Until it was abolished for the 2010 general election, it elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.... |
NF | 614 | 1.3 | |
| 1983 United Kingdom general election, 1983 The 1983 United Kingdom general election was held on 9 June 1983. It gave the Conservative Party under Margaret Thatcher the most decisive election victory since that of Labour in 1945... |
Leeds East Leeds East (UK Parliament constituency) Leeds East is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:... |
NF | 475 | 1.1 | |
| 2010 | Keighley Keighley (UK Parliament constituency) Keighley is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.- Boundaries :... |
BNP British National Party The British National Party is a British far-right political party formed as a splinter group from the National Front by John Tyndall in 1982... |
1,962 | 4.1 |
European Parliament elections
| Date of election | Region | Party | Votes | % | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 European Parliament election, 2009 (United Kingdom) The European Parliament election was the United Kingdom's component of the 2009 European Parliament election, the voting for which was held on Thursday 4 June 2009, coinciding with the 2009 local elections in England. Most of the results of the election were announced on Sunday 7 June, after... |
Yorkshire and the Humber Yorkshire and the Humber (European Parliament constituency) Yorkshire and the Humber is a constituency of the European Parliament. It currently elects 6 MEPs using the d'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation.- Boundaries :... |
BNP | 120,139 | 9.8 | Elected |
See also
- British National PartyBritish National PartyThe British National Party is a British far-right political party formed as a splinter group from the National Front by John Tyndall in 1982...
- British National Party (1960)
- National Front (United Kingdom)
- National Socialist Movement