Shock over BNP woman with city care job

Rob Waugh | Thursday, 10 March 2005 Source: Yorkshire post

A BRITISH National Party Parliamentary candidate is working as a community care worker for a company contracted to Leeds City Council, the Yorkshire Post has learned.

Julie Day, who has been announced as BNP candidate for the Leeds West seat, works as a care assistant for Yorkshire Careline, which is contracted to provide community care services for the council.

Mrs Day said she saw no problem with her work and that "politics is something completely out of it". But Keith Wakefield, leader of the opposition Labour group on the council, said he was shocked that Mrs Day was working on a Leeds City Council contract and demanded every pressure was put on the company to end her employment.

The council is run by a coalition of Conservatives, Liberal Democrat and Green members.

Last night the council's executive board member for social services said he expected Yorkshire Careline or its parent company Allied Healthcare to deal with the matter immediately.

Conservative councillor Peter Harrand stopped short of publicly demanding Mrs Day was sacked but said: "The employment relationship between this lady and her employers is between them but if there is any suggestion that anyone for whom we have the slightest responsibility is at the slightest risk there will be several tons of bricks falling down upon them (the company)."

The situation is very similar to that of Bradford BNP councillor Arthur Redfearn, who was sacked last year by West Yorkshire Transport Services, a subsidiary of parent company Serco, which provided transport for disabled people under a contract with Bradford Council.

Coun Wakefield said: "I have very strong reservations about this. If she's working in the care area with her political views I would want council officers to look at the contract to see if there is something we can do to make sure people like this are not employed.

"I find it staggering she's working in care with her political views.

"I want every pressure to be put on this company as it is totally inappropriate that someone responsible for care in the community should employ someone who has those kind of views towards different races and ethnic groups."

But Mrs Day said: "I don't see why there should be a problem and they (the company) don't see why there should be a problem.

"I get on with the job. Politics is something completely outside of it – nothing to do with it whatsoever."

She has worked for Yorkshire Careline, which is a subsidiary of Allied Healthcare, since November.

She previously worked for another company, also an employment agency, which had a contract with the city council but she declined to name which one. During that period Mrs Day stood unsuccessfully as a BNP candidate for the council's Middleton Park ward.

She said she provided care for black and Asian people as part of her job and did not discriminate on grounds of colour.

It is understood Mrs Day has an unblemished work record.

Last night Allied Healthcare's director of northern operations said she could not discuss the position of any individual workers because their details would be confidential.

Carmel Malley added: "We have very high standards of care and we constantly monitor the care that is provided.

"We would respond very swiftly and appropriately to any type of discrimination that occurred to any individuals that we care for."