Candidates refuse to share stage with BNP

| Friday, 20 April 2007 Source: This is Aberdeen

A Row has broken out after rival election candidates refused to share a platform with a British National Party member.

Six candidates contesting the Turriff and District ward in the Aberdeenshire Council elections were due to face a public meeting last night at the town's academy.

But the SNP's Sandy Duncan, Liberal Democrat Anne Robertson, Labour's Ann Marie Sheal and Scottish Conservative Alistair Strachan withdrew, leaving only independent Alisan Norrie and BNP representative Gary Raikes.

Meeting organisers said the democratic process had suffered and the absent candidates had displayed "cowardice".

But the four issued a statement saying political parties in Scotland had signed an agreement in 2005 that no member would share a platform with "any known racist or fascist".

Mr Raikes told the audience of about 50: "I am not a racist and my party is not and I am not a fascist."