Dominic Carman
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Dominic Carman | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | British |
| Alma mater | Durham University |
| Occupation(s) | Journalist, Politician |
| Political party | Liberal Democrats |
| Parent | George Carman Cecilia Sparrow |
Dominic Carman is a British journalist, writer and Liberal Democrat politician.
Family
Carman is the son of barrister George Carman.[1] He wrote a controversial biography of his father, No Ordinary Man: A Life of George Carman (2002).[2][3][4]
Politics and anti-BNP campaigner
When he was sixteen, Carman spent three weeks as a member of the National Front in September 1977. Writing about this in the Guardian in 2010, he commented "Becoming a member was done rashly, angrily, without any thought of what it meant, or of the consequences. It was a stupid decision, undertaken with one purpose: to annoy my father." He also said "When I eventually sat down and opened National Front News, my sense of euphoric defiance ended – very abruptly", as it was filled with "hate-filled articles" about Jewish people, Holocaust denial and black and Asian immigration into Britain. "Disgusted and shocked, my stomach churned, my thoughts ran wild. So this is what they believed. Oh God, what had I done? ... I immediately resigned from the NF, less than a month after joining."[5]
In 2005, he took part in ITV's Vote for Me television programme in which the public selected an individual to stand at the next general election, losing to Rodney Hylton-Potts.[6]
Carman extensively researched an unofficial biography of British National Party leader Nick Griffin,[7] but this has not been published. Carman's research has been used to criticise Griffin on a number of occasions (e.g. [8]). He used his research to support his campaign as the Liberal Democrat candidate in Barking at the 2010 General Election, where he stood against Griffin.[9][10][11][12]
He contested the 2011 Barnsley Central by-election for the Liberal Democrats, coming in sixth place and losing his deposit,[13] an unusual occurrence for a candidate for a major political party in the UK.[14] In an article in the Daily Mail Carman was critical of some of the Barnsley electorate,[15] stating that "diversity and difference are not welcome here". Defending his comments on the BBC's The Politics Show, he went on to say that Andrew Brons (one of Barnsley's MEPs) is a "Nazi and an admirer of Adolf Hitler".[16] In response Brons made a statement saying that, "It is on record that I was a member of the National Socialist Movement between the ages of seventeen and eighteen. I am now sixty-three, nearly sixty four - forty six years ago, nearly half a century! From the age of eighteen, I have been a committed supporter of Parliamentary democracy and the rule of law."[17]
Elections contested
UK Parliament Elections
| Date of election | Constituency | Party | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom general election, 2010 | Barking | Liberal Democrat | 3,719 | 8.2 |
| 2011 Barnsley Central by-election | Barnsley Central | Liberal Democrat | 1,012 | 4.2 |
References
- ^ George Carman QC dies, The Guardian, 2 January 2001
- ^ "George Carman: The Bar's 'silver fox'". bbc.co.uk. 2 January 2001. Retrieved 17 November 2008.
- ^ Not so gorgeous George, Peter Preston, 27 January 2002
- ^ Dealing with Dad, by Dominic Carman, The Guardian, 16 November 2002
- ^ Dominic Carman: What made me join the National Front?, The Guardian
- ^ 'Comedy fascist' is viewers' choice in TV election, by Maurice Chittenden, 16 January 2005
- ^ Rightist on BBC Panel Draws Protests and Viewers, by John F Burns, The New York Times, 23 October 2009
- ^ Nick Griffin: Video that proves BNP leader joked about black people 'walking like monkeys', by Niall Firth, Daily Mail, 25 October 2009
- ^ Dominic Carman>Liberal Democrat, Barking Daily Telegraph
- ^ Duffett, Helen (12 February 2011). "Dominic Carman selected as Liberal Democrat candidate for Barnsley Central by-election". Liberal Democrat Voice.
- ^ Immigration tops the agenda for Barking constituency, BBC News, 13 April 2010
- ^ General Election 2010: BNP leader Nick Griffin accused of advocating violence, by Tom Whiteheard, The Telegraph, 7 April 2010
- ^ Labour win Barnsley Central by-election, BBC News, 4 March 2011
- ^ Brant, Robin (4 March 2011). "Barnsley Central by-election: Lib Dems 'humiliated'". BBC News Online. Retrieved 5 March 2011.
- ^ Carmen, Dominic (5 March 2011). "What it's like to be the most despised man in the town political correctness forgot (and come SIXTH in a by-election)". The Daily mail.
- ^ "Lib Dem by-election loser Dominic Carman's attack on Barnsley". BBC. 9 March 2011.
- ^ Brons, Andrew (Thu, 10/03/2011). "Statement from Andrew Brons MEP". www.andrewbronsmep.eu.
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