LAUNCH OF THE NORTH WEST CAMPAIGN

The launch of our election campaign in the North West took place this afternoon in a hotel in North Manchester.
A "full house" of members and supporters saw our candidates presented to the press.

This was followed by a shortish speech by Nick Griffin which laid out the gist of our policies, after which he held a question and answer session for the press followed by throwing it open to the audience.

The press seemed somewhat reluctant to ask questions. Possibly the experienced reporters were a bit intimidated by a man who could answer honestly any question put to him.

The questions from the BBC all concerned our policies to immigrants and our repatriation policies. Nick explained that a repatriation policy had been in place for nearly 40 years under both Labour and Tories but had been rarely used.

Our policy in any case is voluntary and anyone who did not want to leave could stay, but they would compete on merit and not be given preference as at present. The ones who did take up the offer would have capital to take to their native countries which would help the local economies, and be far more beneficial to those countries than the present policies of doling out aid to despots.
There would be no positive discrimination or ethnic quotas as at present.
The main concern is to shut the door to further immigration.

On being questioned on our "Green" policies he said that we were greener than the Green Party who advocated continued immigration to our overcrowded island, transferring millions of people from a low energy lifestyle to a high energy lifestyle thus using more energy and covering our countryside with acres of concrete, hardly the greenest of policies.

Asked by a BBC reporter if we would lose talent in the North West if immigrants left, Nick asked whether she meant muslims or Afro Carribean. She replied we could lose such talents as Amir Kahn.
Now Nick was a boxer but he had to admit that the loss of one boxer would not be a great detriment to the North West.

On the journey home we spoke about this strange question and why this boxer was especially asked about, especially in view of the well known fact that his allegiances are with Pakistan as shown by his sporting of the Pakistani flag when he first won a trophy at the Olympics, until he was told about it and subsequently draped himself in the Union Flag.

Many will have forgotten about this but we have not.

With all the questions easily batted away a photo of some of the Euro candidates was taken (see below) and we made our way outside.

Here we were greeted by Derek Adam's skip containing impressions of the "Honourable Members" and we all had our photos taken before leaving for home.

Wigan and St Helens members behind the truck with the Prime Minister looking from the back.

Liverpool and Salford members by the skip.

Gary Aronsson having a word with the Prime Minister.