I did not sign BNP election form, says black woman

The BNP look set to become involved in a fraud probe after a series of "dodgy" signatures for far-right election candidates were discovered.

One African-Caribbean woman in Birmingham told a Lib Dem councillor, Martin Mullaney, that she was furious at her name appearing on a BNP nomination form. The unnamed woman was contacted by Lib Dem investigators after they became suspicious over a number of names on papers submitted by BNP candidates to the council's electoral services department.

Her name appears on a form nominating BNP's Zane Patchell as a candidate for the Lozells and East Handsworth ward in Birmingham. The Jamaican-born woman was shown the signature purporting to be from her. She strongly denied that it is her signature.

Cllr Mullaney has identified at least five other residents of "ethnic background" whose names appear on BNP nomination forms which he believes are suspicious.

The names belong to a Hindu family, a Sikh and two Muslims. Aston resident Abid Hussain has told local reporters his father signed a form but was told it was a petition calling for improvements in the local area. In nearby Sandwell two local residents, Andrew Smith and his partner Lynn Marshall, have expressed shock that their names appear on the nomination forms of BNP candidate Scott Dale.

'I never signed for the BNP, and neither did Lynn” he said. 'I’m not a BNP supporter, I’m a staunch Labour man.' Local police are investigating.

Meanwhile in north Wales, BNP candidate Dallus Weaver has been cleared over claims he had forged a signature on his nomination paper before standing in Flintshire. The signature in question is said to belong to a policeman who is now under internal investigation. In May 2001, six BNP council candidates in Burnley were excluded after it was discovered that several of the people who were supposed to have signed the nomination papers denied doing so.

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