More BNP

A couple of weeks ago I attracted the ire of the British National Party after revealing we'd turned down their adverts.

I said at the time it was a difficult decision - it could be argued that all political parties are entitled to the oxygen of publicity, no matter how offensive you find their views.

But we came down on the side of rejecting their material on the grounds I didn't think it was right to take their money.

It prompted a flurry of letters from BNP sympathisers that is only now starting to die down.

Another paper in the capital, the Hampstead and Highgate Express, took the opposite decision and decided to run the adverts, and it's caused a bit of a stink - partly thanks to George Galloway highlighting the issue on Radio 4.

The paper's parent company has now announced all the profits will go to charity - you can read more here

I'm no keener to allay myself with George Galloway than I am with the BNP to be honest, and I think the Ham and High - which is a very well-respected title - took the decision it did for the right reasons, even if I still believe it was the wrong outcome.

There are some situations where whatever you decide to do will attract criticism, and this was one of them.

In other news, the Advertiser (as the Palace paper) has just been challenged to a football match against the Brighton Argus, which we are now in the process of setting up (ie trying to sort out some ringers to complement our otherwise slighly lightweigh side.)

Argus reporter Jonathan Stayton is probably unaware I have a long-standing grudge with his paper, and I can't wait to get stuck in.