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Sacked: The BNP candidate who said 'some women are like gongs — they need to be struck regularly'
Last updated at 09:37am on 03.04.08
Fired: Nick Eriksen writes that 'rape is sex - and women enjoy sex'
A senior BNP official has been sacked as a London Assembly election candidate after he described rape as a 'myth' and said 'some women are like gongs — they need to be struck regularly'.
The BNP said Nick Eriksen would be removed from its list of candidates, where he had been placed second, giving him a serious chance of winning a seat on May 1.
Richard Barnbrook, the party's London leader, said Mr Eriksen's views were 'totally and absolutely abhorrent' and he would be disciplined.
But, amid clear signs of disarray in the BNP, it was not clear whether Mr Eriksen had been sacked as the party's chief London organiser, and other senior figures rallied round him.
BNP deputy leader Simon Darby claimed the accusations were a 'smear' and that Mr Eriksen's remarks had been taken 'completely out of context'.
Mr Eriksen is the author of Sir John Bull, a far-Right blog which has regularly advocated hatred and abuse against women.
On August 24, 2005, Mr Eriksen wrote on the blog: 'I've never understood why so many men have allowed themselves to be brainwashed by the feminazi myth machine into believing that rape is such a serious crime...
'Rape is simply sex. Women enjoy sex, so rape cannot be such a terrible physical ordeal.
'To suggest that rape, when conducted without violence, is a serious crime is like suggesting force-feeding a woman chocolate cake is a heinous offence.
'A woman would be more inconvenienced by having her handbag snatched.'
On November 5 2005, in an item entitled 'Give her a slap!', Mr Eriksen approvingly quoted Noel Coward as saying: 'Some women are like gongs — they need to be struck regularly.”
On November 24, 2005, Mr Eriksen wrote that mothers 'should never go out to work' and described career women as 'unnatural and vile'.
Mr Eriksen said the comments were simply 'in order to stimulate debate'.
Yesterday afternoon, London Elects, which is running the May 1 polls, said Mr Barnbrook had approached it about withdrawing Mr Eriksen's name but had not yet submitted the forms to do so.
Reader views (15)
Adam has hit the nail on the head: 'Extremists' are just anti-society from both ends of the spectrum. They're incapable of normal interaction with the people around them. I wonder what his mother makes of his comments...
- Roz, Chamonix, France
Dan Jones - What's a "holocaust denier"?
- James Williams, Swansea
Face it, many politicians have equally abhorrent views, so why is it that members of this party are singled out for vilification.
- Threaded, Roskilde, Denmark
Rape is about power and control not sex. It is a violent crime which has far reaching impact on the victim and their family. We should not tolerate political candidates who advocate violence against women in this way
- Anne B, London
I would vote for the BNP but their party leader, Nick Griffin, is really slimy and he comes across as thoroughly untrustworthy. If they changed their leadership they would do far better.
- Dave, Croydon
To be honest he couldn't be more ridiculous if he was a cartoon character. What a gent!
- Nick, Berkshire
Doesn't surprise me. A party constructed of bigots and racists. Even their 'glorious leader' is a holocaust denier.
- Dan Jones, Cardiff, Wales
He would be disciplined,
I can imagine what that will entail...
- Adam, Harrow, UK
I wonder if he would think the same after sharing a cell with Big Bubba for a few nights!
- James, New Malden, Surrey
Good riddance. I couldn't believe what I was reading - it's not career women who are 'unnatural and vile' Mr Eriksen!
- Libby, London
"Yesterday afternoon, London Elects, which is running the May 1 polls, said Mr Barnbrook had approached it about withdrawing Mr Eriksen's name but had not yet submitted the forms to do so."
I would have thought the man is both abhorrent and clearly unrepresentative of the majority of Londoners, so why does a form need to be submitted to take him off the list?
- Matthew, London, UK
I know several BNP members and Party activists (male AND female) - I can tell you they will not tolerate these kind of views. ALL political parties have their share of shady characters and I'm pleased to see the BNP has acted swiftly (unlike some other Parties) to sack him from their candidate list. He said it on a non-BNP site and claimed his comments were 'satirical' but he damages the reputation of other decent and hard-working Party members. They should send him back to the Conservative Party - which is where he came from incidentally - he is former Conservative councillor.....
- Paul Williams, Egham, UK
What does he mean "so called rape"...rape is rape whether it's by someone you know or not, how dare he make a statement like that and he needs to get the blind folds off...
- Sarah, London
It is amusing when two opposing groups such as the BNP and Islamic fundamentalists trott out the same sort of nonsense and attitude towards women.
- Adam, Harrow, UK
Lets see if he feels the same if he gets violated in such a terrible way.
- S-M Hearmon, London, UK
