BNP plan to attend Remembrance event

| Thursday, 6 November 2008 Source: The Argus

Councillors and an MP have reacted angrily after members of the British National Party boasted they have been “formally invited” to a Remembrance Sunday service.

BNP party members are planning to line up alongside veterans at the service in Horsham town centre.

The party’s claim of an official invite was made on the BNP website.

The BNP website reads: “Next speaker was the ever popular and famous Donna Bailey. She told the crowd of how, following last year’s successful Poppy Appeal organised by the branch, the BNP had now been formally invited to attend the official procession in Horsham this coming Remembrance Sunday and lay a wreath.”

Mrs Bailey, who failed in a bid to be elected to Upper Beeding Parish Council in February by just 20 votes, said: “Yes, we will be there this year. Last year in Horsham, we raised hundreds of pounds and we are going to be doing that again this year and will be involved in Sunday’s parade.

“We had discussions with the British Legion and they are quite happy for us to attend along with the other political parties.”

Dianne Loates, the Horsham branch secretary of the Royal British Legion, denied they had formally invited the BNP after it raised almost £1,000 for last year’s appeal.

She said: “They asked if they could. I had a little think about it and I laid down my ground rules quite strictly of no politics whatsoever. The Royal British Legion isn’t a political organisation.”

Politicians have voiced concerns that the BNP are planning to attend the service.

Lib Dem councillor David Holmes said: “I expect they are doing it as a political stunt to draw attention to themselves. The people who normally go to the service are local councillors and other members who do represent the people and have been elected.

“I would definitely say it’s inappropriate.”

Horsham’s Conservative MP Francis Maude said: “It would be completely inappropriate for there to be any political involvement of any sort. I think they are a repellent party. Remembrance Day is not an occasion for politics of any kind.”

A spokesman for Horsham District Council, which organises the Remembrance Day service alongside the legion, said: “No one is formally invited to lay a wreath at Horsham’s Remembrance Sunday service, aside from the official dignitaries involved in the ceremony.

“After the dignitaries have laid their wreaths then anyone can do so too.

“It is not in the council’s gift to ban anyone from commemorating the fallen.”

A BNP spokesman said: “This is all much ado about nothing. If people are going to attack us we will defend ourselves. We go to lots of Remembrance processions across the country. We do a lot for the British Legion in Horsham and it would look bad if we weren’t at the Horsham Remembrance Sunday service.”