BNP oppose street drinking curb

Who'd have thought that the BNP - the defenders of law and order and champions of safer streets in our borough - would set themselves against the kind of measure that would reduce drink related anti-social behaviour on our streets?

But that's exactly what they did at the council assembly on Wednesday evening - or rather, that's what BNP group leader Bob Bailey did - in the absence of nearly all his colleagues - who clearly had something better to do on the night.

Councillor Bailey at assembly voiced his opposition to council plans to introduce a borough wide alcohol control zone - plans which would give police the power to confiscate booze from rowdy drinkers or those exhibiting anti-social behaviour on borough streets.

Councillor Bailey bemoaned that the measure was 'taking a sledgehammer to crack a nut' and indicative of a 'creeping big brother' - and despite all the indications that local people support the measure to make Barking and Dagenham's streets and public places safer - he went on to state that it made the council's ruling group 'look like fascists.'

Well he would know.

Given the public support for the borough-wide control zone - the BNP's opposition is a little puzzling - clearly one issue where they are out of touch with public opinion.

And another issue where the party for indigenous patriots is a tad out of touch - namely openness and transparency and good conduct of councillors.

Later in the assembly in a discussion of the council's standards board annual report - Mr Bailey along with his sole remaining colleague - decided to walk out when his claim that the council's standards hearings were increasingly politically motivated and that money would be saved if hearings on complaints against councillors were ditched and instead they were given a sound 'ticking off' - fell on deaf ears.

Councillor Bailey is of course no stranger to the issue of complaints against councillors. Indeed he will be attending a hearing on Friday following complaints about comments he made in a council committee about Nigerian churchgoers eating off the floors of their churches.