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A senior BNP official has been sacked as a London Assembly election candidate after the Evening Standard revealed how he had described rape as a "myth" and said "some women are like gongs - they need to be struck regularly".
Within hours of yesterday's article, 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 1 May. 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 called the Standard-story a "smear" and said Mr Eriksen'sremarks 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 24 August 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 5 November 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 24 November 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 1 May 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 (10)
The 'taken-out-of-context-defence' makes me wonder, what on earth is meant by 'rape conducted without violence'?
Surely, any type of rape and irrespective of the context in which it occurs constitutes a despicable form of violence. To play down the horrors experienced by many women is offensive, to say the least.
- Aymar Pirzada, London, UK
I can't believe in this day and age there is someone who still believes rape is about sex. Rape isn't about sex, it is about power.
And yes it's true, rape doesn't always involve 'typical' violence, like hitting, but that in no way makes it any less violent.
Yes it does say something that this is only coming out now, but the BNP must have known about this before they allowed him to become an official.
And, isn't the most important thing not who he was with when he said it, but the fact that he said it at all?
- Claire B, Longnewton
Rape is rape. It causes permanent mental harm to its victim, even if it doesn't cause permanent physical harm.
Mr. Eriksen's comments are abhorant, there is no situation in which they would be OK or non-offensive to victims of rape, women, and other persons of decency.
- Miriam, Farmington, MI, USA
In response to D.Rowlands post
'to be fair he was speaking in the context of date rape and was commenting upon sex -to quote him- 'conducted without violence.'
there is no 'to be fair' whether he was speaking with in the context of date rape or not rape itself is the violation of a persons body there is no rape 'conducted without violence'
- Gemma, London
It is very foolish to make such comments because even if not taken out of context, which they are, they are in themselves offensive. But it should be noted when he made them Erikson was a Conservative councillor and not a BNP representative!
- David Hamilton, Liverpool England
Whilst not defending these obviously crass comments from Mr Erikson I find it hypocritical that Boris Johnson's comments regarding blacks having lower IQ's just produces an apology from him and no action from his party and everything is ok. One does the honourable thing and resigns, the other clings to power and brazens it out. I wonder which is the Tory?
- Grant, Swanley Kent
Though Erikson's comments are crass and insensitive, to be fair he was speaking in the context of date rape and was commenting upon sex -to quote him- 'conducted without violence. It's obvious why the media want to 'spin' this story about this ex-Tory councillor -aren't the BNP beginning to show in the opinion polls?
- D.Rowlands, London
I think, like most 'bloggers' people choose to say things to shock and titillate as it is effect a 'hidden' medium. Though that said, it is a big gaff, but also and only because it is a smear attempt to affiliate it with BNP policy or intent seeing as he made it 3 years ago before his candidature was even a thought.
- Ronson, London
Will believe the removal when I see it, no condemnation of Eriksen by the BNP leadership. The women of London will see the BNP for what they really are a bunch of knuckledraggers with no respect for women at all.
- Val, Dagenham Essex
The BNP say his views were taken 'out of context'. In what context would the view 'Rape is simply sex. Women like sex....' be acceptable?
- Chris O, London
