David Lovibond
David Lovibond is a freelance journalist who regularly contributed to The Spectator magazine while Boris Johnson was the editor[1].
BNP controversy
In 2003, the Wiltshire-based journalist wrote an article in the Spectator raising concerns that crime, in particular anti social and drug-related crime, had escalated in his local town of Devizes. The article coincided with a campaign by the BNP to form a BNP branch there. Its campaign involved sending leaflets about rising levels of crime, which were later condemned as being alarmist. According to the Wiltshire Times:
- The British National Party has been condemned for distributing an "alarmist" leaflet to homes in Devizes. The leaflet states "Don't let Devizes become a crime blackspot" and adds "Crime destroys communities, time for zero tolerance!" and has been produced as the start of a campaign to form a BNP branch in Devizes. The leaflet was delivered to 1,000 homes in the town and comes a few weeks after an article in The Spectator magazine by Devizes-based journalist David Lovibond raised concerns that crime, in particular anti social and drug-related crime, had escalated in Devizes. The BNP said the delivery of the leaflets was not connected with Mr Lovibond's article and instead was part of its campaigning for the European elections in June 2004.
The Wiltshire police told the newspaper that the BNP's campaign was formed at a time when crime had actually gone down in the area. [2]
Locals reacted angrily to Lovibond's Spectator article, branding his "sensationalist" and "provocative" portrayal of their town as bearing "little resemblance to day to day life in Devizes" and "insulting". [3] [4]
BNP membership list
Five years later, when Wikileaks made public the BNP's membership list from 2008-09, Lovibond's name appeared on it as a 'gold' member [5] and activist. [6] [7]
Articles
- David Lovibond, The real racists, The Spectator, 10th April 2004, accessed Jan 2012
- David Lovibond, Town and Out, 11 October 2003
Notes
- ↑ David Lovibond, The Real Racists, The Spectator, 10-April-2004, Accessed 19-June-2009
- ↑ BNP faces flak over `alarmist' poll leaflet, The Wiltshire Times, 13-November-2003, Accessed 19-June-2009 (no longer online as of August 2012 but can be viewed at BNP faces flak over `alarmist\' poll leaflet in Devizies, Bristol Indymedia, posted 14 November 2003 accessed 11 August 2012
- ↑ Article has nothing to do with real life, This is Wiltshire.co.uk, 30 October 2003, accessed August 2012
- ↑ No love lost over betrayal, Gazette editorial, This is Wiltshire.co.uk, 30 October 2003, accessed August 2012
- ↑ Gold Membership – Go That Extra Mile – a Message from Nick Griffin
- ↑ BNP Membership List and BNP Members spreadsheet 2009 WIKILEAKS 2006-April 2009 British National Party (BNP) membership management information acc Dec 2012
- ↑ Oliver Marre, Mea culpa, mayor Boris?, The Observer, 23-November-2008, Accessed 19-June-2009
