It seems the knuckledraggers in Barking have been having a few unfortunately fiscal problems…

[Published in the Evening Standard last week, by Andrew Gilligan]

Three of the BNP’s new councillors in Barking and Dagenham have been taken to court for owing thousands of pounds in rent and council tax.

The local authority has secured county court judgements against two, a third is being threatened with bailiffs, and a fourth is involved in a council probe into a potential £10,000 housing benefit fraud.

The disclosures will be hugely embarassing to the racist party, which has claimed ethnic minorities are being given a “free ride” by “suffering council-tax payers”.

They come after the BNP’s group leader on the council, Richard Barnbrook, was exposed as the director of a gay porn film, despite his party’s anti-gay stance. Robert Buckley, the new BNP councillor for Mayesbrook ward, appeared at Ilford County Court yesterday after failing to pay his rent for five months. After the hearing, Mr Buckley said his attendance allowance as a councillor would help him pay the debt.

He said: “I had an ongoing battle with the council and eventually I gave up and decided not to pay.”

Claire Doncaster, one of the new BNP councillors for the Alibon ward, was taken to court last year. Rent arrears of £2,280 have still not been paid. Ms Doncaster said: “We are actually getting the money now.” The BNP took 11 seats in Barking and Dagenham in the local elections.

I suppose the council could just deduct the debts out of their allowances as councillors.

[Hat tip: Pickled Politics]