Outrage as BNP leaflets town

| Friday, 21 July 2006 Source: Kenilworth Weekly News

The British National Party has been condemned for feeding on "intolerance and bigotry" after distributing leaflets in Kenilworth.

Town councillor Doug Golby received the material at his home in Raglan Grove. It shows a cartoon image of Muhammad with a bomb in his turban – one of many which caused protests and riots in Europe and Africa after they appeared in a Danish newspaper.

The leaflet compares the image with demonstrations in which Muslims call for terrorist attacks on Europe, and calls for British troops to be pulled out of Iraq.

It says: "Neither are we willing to stand by as noisy Muslim demonstrators and vote grubbing politicians put our free British democracy on the slippery slope to becoming an Islamic dictatorship under Sharia law."

Coun Golby (Lib Dem, Park Hill) is concerned at how widely the leaflet has been delivered – and the motives behind it.

He said: "This leaves a nasty taste in the mouth. We have no racial discrimination and no racial tension in Kenilworth. All this does is feed on intolerance and bigotry. They are quite entitled to do it but I don't know why they have chosen to leaflet eastern Kenilworth."

But BNP West Midlands organiser and party deputy chairman Simon Darby claimed the leaflet – which may have been printed by an unknown activist - defended free speech.

And he said the party may field a candidate in next year's district council elections.

He said the far-right organisation has targeted Kenilworth as a "traditional English" town where it is unlikely to be embarrassed in polls.

Mr Darby believes the town is not immune from problems such as crime, drug abuse, unemployment and "more and more Polish workers taking other people's jobs".

He added: "Word is that people so want a BNP presence. They do want that alternative.

"We're not particularly strong at the moment but we know that with a little groundwork we could receive a good number of votes."

Kenilworth town council leader Coun Norman Vincett (Con, St Johns) described the BNP arguments over immigration as "scaremongering". He said he welcomed debate on the issue but did not feel the party would win a seat.

He said: "It's a democracy and any party can stand. I have no issue with that. But I think we have an intelligent population in Kenilworth who are aware of the reality of the situation.

"Kenilworth people would listen to their views, which are maybe based on some fears, but I believe they would see through them and see there is a better way of tackling this."