Future of town’s homes central to election fight

| Saturday, 21 April 2007 Source: North West Evening Mail

FAMILIES fighting to save their central Barrow homes are refuting the British National Party's claim to have helped them out.

The far right organisation said it was the only party to support North Central residents in their battle against Barrow Borough Council's home demolition plan.

It wants to win its first seat on the council on May 3.

But residents in Arthur Street — one of the streets threatened by the council's clearance proposal — say they have had no help from the BNP.

Jason Bentley, 49, said: "I don't recall them helping us out at all.

"The only person that has stood by us is Jim (Hamezeian, Peoples Party councillor).

"He has helped us out quite a lot, has Jim, speaking up for us at meetings and everything."

Mr Bentley says he has no time for the BNP.

"They're a bunch of racists," he said. "Anything I get from them goes straight in the bin."

Daisy Potter also said she had no help from the BNP. And Ann Hillman, 47, said: "They haven't helped at all. I haven't even seen any BNP." Mrs Hillman said Cllr Hamezeian had helped them the most.

"He has steered us in the right direction," she said. I don't think we'd have known what to do if we hadn't had his help."

Cllr Hamezeian's wife, Rosemarie Hamezeian, 54, is standing for the Peoples Party. Mrs Hamezeian said that, to her knowledge, from knocking on doors, the BNP had done nothing for the people of Central.

She said: "The Peoples Party has been working for the people of Central for a long time now on various issues but certainly on the regeneration of their homes.

"If elected, I'll do everything I can to make sure their houses are not pulled down."

But BNP candidate Mike Ashburner says the BNP does not regard the Peoples Party as a proper political party.

"They're merely a mob of Marxist misfits," he said.

And, Mr Ashburner maintains, neither he nor the party are racist.

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