BNP to field 14 candidates

| Wednesday, 12 May 2004 Source: Barnsley Today

RIGHT Wing extremists the British National Party are fielding 14 candidates in Barnsley's local council elections, prompting calls to the electorate to snub them.

Of the 14 BNP members standing in the Labour stronghold, including one in the ward of council leader, Steve Houghton, eight are women. Today the sheer number of BNP candidates prompted calls from political and church leaders for local folk to ensure they use their postal vote and ignore the extremists.

Church leaders are very concerned that the BNP candidates will stir up hated and division in Barnsley, which has an extremely small ethnic minority population.

They say whilst that means there are not large numbers of asylum seekers or 'non-whites,' that makes those that live in the area more noticeable and easier to target.

It is understood local clergy will even use the pulpit to urge their congregations not to vote for the right wingers.

Father Rodney Marshall at St Helen's Church, Athersley, said today: "We have got to speak out against those that advocate division and race hatred.

"Sometimes the BNP tries to adopt the veneer of respectability by trying to make out they are practising Christians, but you cannot be a Christian and preach exactly the opposite of inclusiveness.

"We would never dream of using the pulpit to tell people how to vote, but we are happy to tell them who not to vote for and that is the BNP."

And today a public meeting will be held at Barnsley College, organised by the college lecturers' union affiliated with 'Unite Against Fascism', to warn staff and students of the dangers of the extremists and urge them to campaign and vote against the BNP.

Barnsley branch secretary of NATFE, Dave Gibson said: "We would urge everyone in Barnsley to use their vote to ensure these dangerous fascists do not get a foothold in the borough."

Eric Illsley MP for Barnsley Central said: "I would ask people to think long and hard and ask themselves what the BNP really stands for before even contemplating voting for them.

"I believe the large number of candidates does not reflect the fact that there has been a groundswell of right wing extremism in the town, but is because certain activists have persuaded a small number of people to all become candidates."

The BNP fielded two candidates for the first time in Barnsley last year.

They stood in the then Monk Bretton and Darton wards, and attracted around 200 votes each.

Nationally the BNP is standing 400 candidates, including five in Sheffield, two in Rotherham and one in Doncaster.

In Barnsley they are contesting council seats in Central, Cudworth, Darfield, Darton East, Darton West, Monk Bretton, North East, Old Town, Penistone East, Penistone West, Rockingham, Royston, St Helen's and Wombwell.

Across the borough, where boundary changes have reduced the number of wards from 22 to 21 there are a total of 166 candidates contesting 63 seats because every single seat is up for grabs.