Griffin hijacks Haiti for political gain

Ignoring criticism at the end of last week, Nick Griffin has hijacked the devastation in Haiti to push his political agenda.

In a speech to the European Parliament earlier today, the British National Party leader said:

“The death toll in Haiti is shocking, but this winter more than 50,000 pensioners in Britain alone will die premature deaths because of the cold and the cost of heating. Across Europe the death toll will run into hundreds of thousands”

In an apparently compassionate move, Nick Griffin challenged MEPs to give up their attendance allowance but hardly paused for breath before making points about taxation and the economy:

“All here are well paid – and can afford to give. I will give my attendance allowance for today, if every other British M.E.P. will do the same. But our constituents cannot afford your generosity with their taxes.

“Globalism has destroyed our industries, the banks have ruined our economies, EU red-tape is strangling our entrepreneurs and the carbon tax scam is plunging millions into deadly fuel poverty.”

Griffin made other points about “global cooling” and “EU cold taxes.”

On Friday, the BBC reported that Griffin had made similar remarks on Twitter and Facebook which were criticised by Labour MEP Glenis Willmott. Last Thursday, Left Foot Forward outlined how Richard Barnbrook had sought to make political capital out of the murder of Sukhwinder Singh.

1. Shamik Das says:

   January 19, 2010 at 4:19 pm

   BNP scum sink to new low: RT @leftfootfwd: Griffin hijacks Haiti for political gain: http://is.gd/6BkCX
2. andyvglnt says:

   January 19, 2010 at 4:19 pm

   RT @leftfootfwd: Griffin hijacks Haiti for political gain: http://is.gd/6BkCX
3. Kellie says:

   January 19, 2010 at 4:21 pm

   RT @leftfootfwd: Griffin hijacks Haiti for political gain: http://is.gd/6BkCX
4. Jessica Asato says:

   January 19, 2010 at 4:31 pm

   RT @leftfootfwd: Griffin hijacks Haiti for political gain: http://is.gd/6BkCX
5. Harinder says:

   January 19, 2010 at 4:39 pm

   RT @Jessica_Asato: RT @leftfootfwd: Griffin hijacks Haiti for political gain: http://is.gd/6BkCX
6. uberVU - social comments says:

   January 19, 2010 at 4:39 pm

   Social comments and analytics for this post…

   This post was mentioned on Twitter by leftfootfwd: Griffin hijacks Haiti for political gain: http://is.gd/6BkCX...
7. Hannah Lownsbrough says:

   January 19, 2010 at 4:58 pm

   Capitalising on Haiti for his own political gain: Nick Griffin gives us another good reason not to vote for the BNP: http://bit.ly/84leV7
8. joe read says:

   January 19, 2010 at 5:01 pm

   RT @hannah_2809: Capitalising on Haiti for his own political gain: Nick Griffin http://bit.ly/84leV7
9. Debra Rees says:

   January 19, 2010 at 6:22 pm

   RT @leftfootfwd: Griffin hijacks Haiti for political gain: http://is.gd/6BkCX
10. waffle waitress says:

    January 19, 2010 at 7:34 pm

    Nick Griffin's left eye finally loses it's shit and spaz's out completely. http://tinyurl.com/ycydbcc
11. Terence Stokes says:

    January 19, 2010 at 8:06 pm

    RT @leftfootfwd: Griffin hijacks Haiti for political gain: http://is.gd/6BkCX
12. Nick Griffin to address US white supremacist conference | Left Foot Forward says:

    January 20, 2010 at 1:02 pm

    [...] pressure on the hotel hosting the event to cancel or face a boycott. Yesterday Left Foot Forward reported Griffin’s attempt to use the Haiti earthquake for political gain. Share | Permalink | [...]