Residents of a diverse North London borough were shocked this week as a British National Party candidate stood in a local by-election.
The BNP’s Howard Studley is running for the position of councillor against four other candidates — including two Jews and a Muslim — in Canons ward, Harrow, on December 13. According to the 2001 census, Canons is 36 per cent Jewish and 23 per cent Asian and black. The election is being held after the death of Jewish Conservative councillor and former mayor Janet Cowan.
Gulab Gandhi of Canons Park Newsagent, said: “On this street there are businesses owned by Turkish, Irish, Armenian, Indian, Bangladeshi and Jewish people. I don’t think the BNP would win.”
His colleague Douglas Oxley added: “The BNP must be suicidal to stand here. Finding an ‘English’ person like me is very unusual. I think people will react with disbelief. I definitely won’t vote BNP.”
Local businessman Sailesh Solanki said: “I don’t think the BNP would win, but voter apathy allows them to get in more than anything else.”
Labour candidate and Belmont Synagogue member Richard Harrod told the JC: “What I fear is that not many people will vote, and BNP support will seem bigger than it really is. I want people to get out there and vote, it doesn’t matter for whom, as long as it’s not the BNP.”
Liberal Democrat candidate Anne Diamond — also a Belmont member — said: “I think if we had to place deposits, as with general elections, they [the BNP] would have second thoughts about fielding candidates. Perhaps they are trying to encourage those without political leanings to vote: there have been Jewish BNP candidates in the past. Perhaps they are trying to encourage Jews to become members.”
Conservative candidate Husain Akhtar said: “I think the BNP is just trying to demonstrate its presence. I am sure they won’t win. People in Harrow, especially in Canons ward, are very sensible and fair-minded people. I have confidence in people’s judgment to see what is in the best interest of Harrow.”
BNP press officer Simon Darby said: “Many Jewish people are not supporters of multiculturalism. We have at least one Jewish councillor and dozens of Jewish members, Sikh and Hindu, even one or two Muslim supporters. We are trying to contest as many elections as we can. Just because there are many Jews and Hindus in an area is no reason not to contest it. We are a mainstream phenomenon.”
Jewish Chronicle
November 23, 2007
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6 comments:
Simon Darby is lying (as usual).
He says "We have at least one Jewish councillor". Not "at least one", there is just the one Jewish councillor who is a very mixed-up woman.
He says the BNP has Sikh and Hindu members. The BNP membership form requires applicants to certify that they are of "of British or kindred European ethnic descent". There was a big argument in the BNP when a few people suggested that it should allow "non-indigenous" members. The idea was quickly dropped.
Members of ethnic minorities are invited to join the BNP's "Ethnic Liason [sic] Committee". Does it really exist? I have never seen any reports of it doing or saying anything.
Simon Darby said
"We are a mainstream phenomenon.”
seriously?
47 councillors out of 22,350?
No MP's
No MEP's
less than 5000 members
Is our beloved Simon suffering from sleep deprivation?
He says the BNP has Sikh and Hindu members.
No, he says they have dozens of Jewish members, plus Sikh, Hindu and Muslim supporters.
That, so far as it goes, is, no doubt, 100% true.
As to saying they have 'at least one' Jewish councillor, that is probably also true, as the BNP does not seem to check that the candidates they put up have anything more than a pulse and, if any further checks are done, it is purely to make sure that they are devoted Griifin loyalists. There could well be one or more Jews amongst their other elected officials, especially the parish council ones, and even more likely if you take non-religious Jews into account - I would not be surprised to see a few of them having had a Jewish maternal grand-mother or whatever, which would make them, technically at least, Jewish. Just scroll down and look at the Israeli Nazi article from a few weeks ago. The term 'Jewish' can be interpreted in many ways!
Anyone who is Jewish and in the BNP is a fucking idiot.
Griffin made it clear two years ago that Anti-jewish attitudes wouldn't win votes with the British public and that the BNP should target Muslims.
I hope organisations like the UAF make a stand in Harrow as previously a BNP free zone with an excellant record of Race relations.
Harrow is diverse and proud and the BNP will be humilated if it continues to bother us
check out this link concerning this story:
http://www.harrowtimes.co.uk/mostpopular.var.1852118.mostviewed.send_out_a_strong_message.php
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