Britain First have got their ‘battle bus’ back and are hailing it a “massive, massive victory” over Manchester police.

It really isn’t: in fact, they had to fork out thousands at a police auction to retrieve it from the consequences of their own stupidity.

Playground insults

The saga began when party leader Paul Golding decided to drive the bus around Manchester proudly displaying a banner that read “Keir Starmer is a wanker.” Because nothing says “serious political movement” like playground insults on wheels.

Police, unimpressed, issued a Section 59 warning for anti-social vehicle use. And warned them if they did it again, the bus would be seized.

So Golding, ever the tactician, did exactly that. Twice. First at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool, where it was seized and later retrieved. And then at the Tory Party gathering in Manchester.

Up for auction

At which point Greater Manchester Police decided enough was enough. The result? The bus was seized, and impounded and, because its insurance was then withdrawn, police refused to release it to BF and put it up for auction instead.

So, last weekend, a Britain First supporter went onto the auction site and bought the bus back. And now the money they had to raise from supporters to buy a new bus will instead be used to reimburse their ever-so-clever BF member.

Fast forward to this week, and they have posted a triumphant video of co-leader Ashlea Simon taking possession of the bus, declaring it an “amazing victory” and boasting that they have “completely outsmarted” Greater Manchester Police.

They wish.

The clip shows Simon grinning beside the bus, posing as the woman who’s just outwitted the system – by handing over a large amount of BF cash completely unnecessarily.

No mention of exactly how much supporters money was spent purchasing something that till only a few weeks ago actually belonged to them. But our understanding is that even at auction, a vehicle like this would cost at least several thousand pounds.

Expensive loss

And only a passing reference to the rather expensive loss of the banners, which apparently the police did not return, and which cost around £500 each.

And interestingly, they don’t actually show the bus being driven away. It is completely stationary when Simon poses for photos and delivers her victory speech.

We suspect that the problems they had arranging insurance when it was impounded – because Golding had incurred the Section 59 notice and not bothered to inform the insurers – haven’t quite gone away. But we shall see.

So, no matter how much they desperately spin it, this isn’t a win. Far from it. It’s a very expensive lesson in what happens when you confuse political protest with a Top Gear outtake.