‘BNP ballerina’ to marry candidate

English ballet star Simone Clarke is to marry the ultra-right British National Party's candidate for London Mayor, Richard Barnbook. Clarke hit the headlines last year when it was revealed that the English National Ballet performer was herself a member of the BNP. Clarke's former partner was her co-dancer Yat-Sen Chang, a Cuban-Chinese immigrant, but the relationship broke up after her BNP membership came to light. Barnbrook, an east London local councillor, revealed yesterday that the couple had been going out for nine months. "I'm surprised the media haven't found out before," he said.
 
There were calls for Clarke to be sacked when her BNP membership was first exposed. When she danced the lead in Giselle in January, 40 people protested outside the London Coliseum. Barnbrook – who was not then her fiance – led a counter-demonstration, saying at the time: "I don't normally go to the ballet but I'm going to support Simone Clarke. I'm supporting her freedom of expression."
 
He told More4News last night that he first met his fellow far-right activist at the stage door. "I gave her a bunch of flowers on behalf of the party. After that we met a couple of times and had a laugh and a drink and a joke. We have so much in common - we are both very interested in the arts."
 
Clark is one of the English National Ballet's most experienced performers and one of the few 'homegrown' stars of British ballet. She has been the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker, and Aurora in Sleeping Beauty.
 
Her husband-to-be found himself in the media spotlight last year when it emerged that he had made an erotic film. Barnbrook directed HMS Discovery: a Love Story, in which men are seen undressing and frolicking in a river. Defending the film at the time he said: "It was an art film – end of story. It was not a bloody porn film." ·