Letter: BNP enemies of democracy

I FEEL that Cal McCrystal ignores a few fundamental points when he asserts that the British National Party has been 'misunderstood' ('Voting for an Island State', Review, 1 May).

First, racist attacks trebled on the Isle of Dogs after Derek Beackon was elected. Second, the BNP hierarchy is dominated by convicted criminals. One such character is the party's leader, John Tyndall, whose personal roll-call includes organising an illegal paramilitary organisation, threatening behaviour and possessing illegal weapons. Anyone interested in what the BNP stands for should read Tyndall's book, The Authoritarian State. One sentence will suffice: 'Democracy drives our youth on to the streets with limitless spare time to fritter away, the Jew comes forward and seduces them with his cunningly devised amusements such as comic papers, sex films and rock and roll.'

It is certainly true that the BNP has been misunderstood by some, but not by those who recognise that they represent a disgusting ideology whose implementation caused such catastrophic suffering of millions of innocent victims and would assuredly do so again.

James Jackson

London E8