Councillors free to call BNP nazi

| Tuesday, 21 June 2005 Source: Searchlight

The local government watchdog, the Standards Board, has rejected a BNP councillor's complaint over another councillor who said, "We don't want nazis in our town".

Gavin Stollar, an Epping Forest district councillor and Liberal Democrat general election candidate in Brentwood and Ongar, made the comment after the BNP held a conference in Brentwood in January. The Loughton BNP councillor Patricia Richardson claimed the remark breached the councillors' Code of Conduct as it failed to treat the BNP with respect and was "extremely offensive and confrontational". She claimed it was especially offensive because she is Jewish, something she is keen to emphasise whenever she can capitalise on it.

Reporting on 16 June, the Standards Board ruled that Stollar "expressed his views on a rival political party within the normal and acceptable limits of political debate".

Welcoming the decision, Stollar told Searchlight, "I feel this landmark ruling by the Standards Board not only vindicates me but allows councillors across the country who have to share their chamber with BNP members to speak freely about this racist and antisemitic political party.

"The BNP play on people's fears and attempt to stir up hatred in the communities where they are active. Just as the three main parties will constantly call each other to account on different policy issues, it is incumbent on councillors and politicians of these very same parties to unite to show the BNP up for what they are – something that has now officially been recognised as 'standard political discourse'."

See earlier report >>