JONATHAN BOWDEN

The death at such an early age of Jonathan Bowden is a great loss to Nationalism and intellectual thought in this country.
I was privileged to have heard him on several occasions, heard his magnificent speeches and even been "cross examined" by him in a "hostile news" interview to teach me how to manage the media.

To me he was the best and most motivational speaker I ever heard.
He had his beliefs and travelled the country at his own expense to propagate his brand of patriotism.
His speeches were from the heart, serious and mocking at the same time but always inspirational.
I am fortunate to have several recordings of them (they may be sought after in future), and feel privileged to have had him stay at our house when we talked late into the early hours and in the following morning continued the discussion.

I have to admit he was way too clever for me and lost me when talking on matters of philosophy but even then I found him interesting and good company.

He was a man who stuck to his ideas and beliefs, a leader and not a follower. That is the reason I believe he was abandoned by Nick Griffin when scurrious allegations were made against him.

His trouble was that he was too clever, too good a debater and speaker and thus a threat to the more pedestrian and ambitious Griffin.

Jonathan was not ambitious for his own selfish interests, but he showed his ambition for our country by his hard work, travelling the country promoting Nationalism.
He was in effect too intelligent to be coralled into an official party line.

In spite of that he campaigned tirelessly for the BNP and latterly when the Party imploded as a result of chicanery and mis management attended meetings to try and resurrect the nationalist cause.

That he did not rise higher was in my opinion his lack of political ambition and his integrity.
And his intelligence.

He was too bright and intelligent to allow himself to be straightjacketed into any narrow code of belief and action.
He believed in free thought, a free agent but a true patriot and I hope a friend.

He will be sorely missed by me and his many friends in nationalism.