Britain First solicited donations from their own supporters for the Rochdale by-election campaign even though their candidate didn’t make it onto the list.
In an email to their newsletter subscribers on February 3, the leader of the Zionist far-right Islamophobic party, Paul Golding, said chairman (now co-leader) Ashlea Simon would be a candidate in the Rochdale by-election on February 29.
He also solicited donations for her campaign saying: “If you can help Ashlea get her campaign launched, then please do so asap… Think of all the victims of Islamist grooming gangs in Rochdale, and then make the decision to get behind Ashlea’s campaign!”
However, it soon emerged that Ms Simon’s name was not included on the final list of candidates by the local constituency and Britain First have made no public comment on the matter since.
5Pillars contacted Britain First to ask them how much they had collected for her campaign and where the money had gone but did not receive a reply.
Paul Golding’s February 3 email to presumably tens of thousands of subscribers first focussed on “Islamist grooming” in Rochdale before announcing: “I am pleased to announce that Britain First will be contesting this by-election and that Manchester local – and Britain First party chairman – Ashlea Simon will be our candidate.”
He then went onto criticise the Labour Party and Reform UK before saying: “Britain First is going to be standing, and we are going to be campaigning hard in Rochdale on the issue of Islamist grooming gangs!…
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“If we don’t stand in the Rochdale by-election, we will live to regret it. It’s probable that we will not get a similar opportunity for years. We have to seize this golden opportunity with both hands.”
He concluded by saying: “Rochdale is a brilliant chance to truly put Britain First on the political map. With the dire Reform candidate they have chosen, there is a strong possibility we could beat them. If we achieved that, it would cause a political earthquake…
“Ashlea is the ideal candidate, as she is a Greater Manchester girl, a mum and will be a staunch voice for the victims in the town… If you can help Ashlea get her campaign launched, then please do so asap. We have only four weeks till polling day, so we need to get cracking immediately.
“The entire leadership team has voted to contest this by-election, and Ashlea and I think it is a great opportunity for our party. Think of all the victims of Islamist grooming gangs in Rochdale, and then make the decision to get behind Ashlea’s campaign!”
The email ended with a donation link and was signed “Paul Golding, Leader, Britain First.”
