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Radio host exposed in BNP leak is axed
Joe Murphy, Political Editor19.11.08
A RADIO station today axed a DJ whose name appeared on a leaked BNP membership list.
TalkSport presenter Rod Lucas, a veteran broadcaster who has also been on Radio 1, was among 10,000 people named when the secret list was published on the internet.
The station yesterday ousted another presenter, Jon Gaunt, for branding a councillor a “Nazi”.
Hundreds of Londoners were exposed as members of the far-Right party, including teachers, soldiers, advertising men and even a songwriter.
Others were police officers and prison staff, whose contracts forbid them from joining the BNP, and servicemen including a member of the Intelligence Corps.
Sony Award winner Lucas was brought in to cover overnight shows earlier this year and was hailed by station bosses for his “unique style of radio”.
On his website he boasts of pioneering the “zoo-style” of radio with Steve Wright while a BBC producer in the Eighties.
His firm — Lucas Media Group — claims it represents more than 250 DJs and artists, running £350-a-day training courses at his home in Staplehurst, Kent.
The BNP membership list, which is one year old, said Lucas would not be renewing his membership.
A TalkSport spokesman said: “We won't be using him again. We had no knowledge of his association with the BNP.”
Lucas, whose mobile phone rang unanswered this afternoon, was the most high profile name on the leaked list, which includes three London teachers.
Many of those listed have notes attached describing their professional skills that could be useful to the BNP. The party appears to value media skills — including a woman television producer in central London and a Chiswick man who is noted to own an advertising company.
The list also names people at upmarket addresses in Chelsea and Westminster.
BNP leader Nick Griffin demanded a police investigation into the leak, which he blamed on “a disgraceful act of treachery” by disaffected ex-party officials. The party says it had an injunction banning publication of the list. BNP spokesman Simon Darby said of the person behind the leak: “I wouldn't want to have done that. I wouldn't be sleeping very well.” But Mr Griffin claimed he was merely talking about the threat of prosecution.
Reader views (23)
It's time the BBC was axed...if i did vote for the BNP it would be no one's business but mine. This is appalling and i hope they both take the BBC to court, trouble is it's us who will have to pay for it, maybe they should make a private prosecution.
I'm an heartily sick of this country under Labour.
- Zordana, Bucks
Surely it is unfair to sack someone based on their beliefs and opinions? england cannot say that everyone is free to think and feel as they wish EXCEPT if it is thinking like this. surely that defeats the whole point. people are entitled to have views on immigrants that do not fit with everyones taste. you cant discrimminate people as if their point of view is wrong. i think to be honest that alot of people think immigration is an issue but are afraid to admit it for fear of being called 'racist'. surely people have the right to look out for the future interests of their home. what is so shameful about that. the whole point in england is that people are allowed ot have their own opinion. and who is to say an opinion is wrong. and discrimminate against someone for it. surely that is a form of racism?
- John Smith, London
Brandon, it was Talksport. Not the BBC.
- Dan, London
I'm no friend of the BNP but this decisionis absolutely appalling. People have the right to vote for whoever they like. That is democracy and what our men have fought the last two wars for. He should sue the radio station for everything they have.
- Wooram, Alicante, Spain
I hope he sues the BBC for wrongful dismissal as his support for a legitimate political party has nothing to do with his job. If there was no problem with his work before this list was released; then his support for the BNP is irrelevent and he should take them to the cleaners.
- Brandon Thomas, London UK
If it is true the DJ was dismissed because he belonged to a legitimate organisation he should sue the radio station - and would win hands down.
I don't support BNP but support the right to vote for it.
- Emily, London
Too bad I don't run a UK company. I'd sack anyone not belonging to the BNP.
- Alan Preen, McLean, Texas, USA.
It IS too bad you don't - you'd soon have a criminal record for your racist views put to practice you bigot!
- Napoleon Blownaparte, London
And you wonder why yanks get such bad press.
You, Alan, are an imbecile.
- Faust, London UK
Mainstream views? When were racist, small-minded, bigoted opinions ever mainstream in this country? I’m glad I wasn’t around to witness it. The question needs to be asked why BNP members are so keen to hide their identity if they truly believe in their convictions. Could it be that deep down they know that their opinions are unacceptable?
- Nj, London
What's all this talk about a marxist-lenninist state?
Have any of these cloth eared oafs have any idea what there ralking about.
Perhaps someone can show me where the gulags or forced labour camps are?
We live in a democracy and freedom of speech is part of our way of life.
However,freedoms go hand in hand with responsibility
and the BNP IS NOT A RESPONSIBLE PARTY.
They ARE RACIST and they promulgate racist ideals.
The german nazi party started as a small insignificant group like the BNP and history has shown what they were
capable of.
No doubt Nick Griffin will attempt to use human rights
laws in any potential prosecution for this leak.
The very laws he so publicly derides!!!
Hypocrite!!!!
Our very own little corpral in waiting.....
- Tate Briscoe, london england
Thought crime is punished very harshly these days. Having views that don't chime with those of the government is considered unlawful. Orwell was absolutely right.
- Neil, london uk, Airstrip ONE .
Why not publish members of the LABOUR party that should make more interesting reading!
- Scotta, Edinburgh Scotland
Just so we are clear, joining a political party is a resignation issue, whereas making obscene phone calls isn't.
- Alison, Tagasil, Turkey
There is nothing wrong with us finding out people support a political party. All membership lists should be freely available. Why people would want to officially join one beats me. You get nothing out of it except demands for cash help
- Keith Price, Luton, England
By what right has this personal information been published in the public domain, without each individuals permission?
Have we suddenly no longer got a Data Protection Act worthy of the name?
Politics aside, it should now be apparently terrifying to all that any 'citizen', at any time, can have their personal life publicly exposed [or privately scrutinised, without their knowing, by any malicious bodies] in a detailed malevolent autopsy, and without permission, to deliberately cause permanently embarrassing or damaging character assassination, when the innocent 'victim' hasn't breaken the law of the land.
As McLabour's habitually cavalier [or wanton?] mishandling of confidential and private personal information has frequently illustrated, Brown now arrogantly assumes that the private citizen is already now 'owned' by the state.
And, suspiciously, but predictably and complicitly, Brown's Banana Republican's State Government say nothing.
I'll be amazed if tomorrow's 'free press' headlines aren't now demanding the same 'rights' as the internet to publish similar personal details, about say NHS patients or DHSS clients, which might 'just' now surface and become 'available' from long lost government discs, with impunity.
- Dave, cumbria
Alan Preen, McLean, Texas, USA.
Barack Obama!Barack Obama!Barack Obama!Barack Obama!
HALLELUJAH!
- Brad, Croyden
Whilst I abhor the BNP, I am equally appalled that people should be dismissed,or suffer a witchhunt, as a result of political affiliation. We live in a democratic country, with free speech. I hope that anyone dismissed sues for unfair dismissal.The BNP is, as far as I am aware, a legitimate, if somewhat misguided, political Party
- Rr, London
Too bad I don't run a UK company. I'd sack anyone not belonging to the BNP.
- Alan Preen, McLean, Texas, USA.
We now live in a country where it is a sackable offence to belong to a political party whose views would have have been thought of as mainstream and unexceptional prior to the cultural takeover of the country by the neo-marxist revolution which began in the 1960's.
We are just a short step away from the Stasi-like conditions of East Germany.
- Tiny Tim, London
So much for democracy and freedom of speech under a labour "government".
Will they be sacking people who aren't members of the labour party next?
Why isn't there a white policeman's association?
- Albert Hall, kettering
I thought this was a free country? Unless an organisation is a proven hotbed of terrorism, people should be free to join whatever they want - though I guess police etc can impose extra restrictions on their officers.
But BNP is not actually a banned organisation and all this talk of people 'exposed' is frankly ridiculous. As for TalkSport, at the rate they are going they won't have any decent presenters left.
- Christine Carter, Halifax UK
What ever happened to democrocy and free speech?
- Garry, Herefordshire
Shock horror - Talksport DJ is member of BNP - you'll be telling me that Nick Ferrari votes conservative next!
- Liberal And Proud, London UK
