Richard Barnbrook - Politics

Politics

Previously an activist for the Labour Party, Barnbrook joined the BNP in 1999. He was a BNP candidate in the 2005 general election. He received 4,916 votes (16.9%) in Barking coming third and only 27 votes behind the Conservative candidate, Keith Prince. The constituency was won by Margaret Hodge.

Barnbrook was the BNP's candidate for the 2008 London mayoral election, receiving 69,710 first preference votes (2.84% of the total valid first preference votes cast) and 128,609 second preference votes (5.23% of the total valid second preference votes cast).

In the separate London-wide Assembly election he was the top candidate in the BNP's London-wide Assembly Member List. The BNP List received 130 714 votes or 5.33% of the total valid votes cast. The BNP therefore passed the 5% threshold and won one seat in the London Assembly which was filled by Barnbrook.

As a member of the Greater London Authority, Barnbrook was invited by Her Majesty the Queen to the Buckingham Palace garden party which he attended in 2009.

Whilst on the GLA, Barnbrook served on the Health and Public Services Committee, as well as the Audit Committee and Budget Sub-Committee. He particular interests included the welfare of the elderly, the London Air Ambulance, and the problem of knife crime. Between 2008-2010 Barnbrook ran a petition,London's Mothers Against Knives, which collected over 30 000 signatures from across London.

Barnbrook challenged for the leadership of the BNP in July 2010 but, like the other challengers, Butler and Adams, failed to obtain the very large number of nominations required of a challenger in order to trigger an election. Barnbrook resigned the BNP whip in August 2010, following his demand for an inquiry into allegations of corruption and fiscal mismanagement against the party leadership. He was then expelled from the party and, from August 2010 to 2012 sat in the London Assembly as an independent member. While a member of the party he voted in favour of allowing minorities to join the party membership.

When Barnbrook's term as a member of the Greater London Assembly expired in May 2012 he did not seek re-election and he is no longer politically active.