Tories hit back at BNP village campaign

Conservative politicians in Orsett have responded to the election efforts of BNP to associate itself with village traditions.

BNP candidate Derek Beackon caused a furore last week when he posted a newsletter through village letterboxes which featured a picture of himself outside the Whitmore Arms pub and restaurant, an award-winning village landmark.

Landlady Margaret Orman was outraged and slammed the BNP, with Mr Beackon then issuing a veiled apology. He said: "said: "It's just a local landmark that everyone knows. You can have your photo taken anywhere. However, looking back on it I'm not surprised she is upset. Its her livelihood and I can understand that she doesn't want to be associated with us. We were not trying to say she or the pub is associated with the BNP."

However, local Conservatives, including election rival and sitting councillor Diane Revell said the BNP have no place in the village.

Councillor Revell said: "Members of my family fought in two world wars to prevent the spread of this type of party. Some of them died. Fascist parties have no part to play in local elections here in Orsett. There are national concerns on immigration but locally the clearest problems we have are with anti-social behaviour and above all the threats posed by the infra-structural changes about to be imposed on us by the government's Thames Gateway Development Corporation. Clearly their candidate has no idea of what village life is about and has nothing to offer. Leave us to sort out our own problems within the community."

Her husband and fellow councillor Mike Revell said: "Thurrock is twinned thorough its children to a Polish town of Plocke. It is the size of Thurrock. In a period of just two years in the 1940s, 1.5 million people were sent from the ghetto in this town to the gas chambers. Within the centre of the town is left the empty area that once was the walled ghetto. It is still a chillingly cold place in which to stand. It happened because, earlier in the 1930s, nice respectable Germans made their protest votes for a xenophobic, ultra nationalist party, the Nazis."

Those comments were echoed by Conservative prospective parliamentary candidate Stephen Metcalfe who said: "Clearly people are concerned by excessive immigration. The Conservatives have proposed answers to this based on the Australian point system. But this is a national issue that will have to be addressed at government level. My experience of the few BNP councillors elected in Epping Forest tell us that they have nothing to offer and nothing to say on local issues within their local councils."

The Conservatives also took issue with content in the BNP promotional newsletter.

Councillor Mike Revell said: "Orsett Conservatives are united in the condemnation of the deliberate lie that is being spread by the BNP that "the conservatives are responsible for plans to site a travellers encampment in the village". This is completely untrue. The Council have been asked if they would increase the number of pitches in Thurrock. This has been rejected utterly by the Conservative administration. It is also clear that the BNP are unaware of the cooperation between the police and the local village forums when they speak of crime. Although there are still some problems to address there has been a noticeable improvement in most areas.

"When challenged the BNP spokesman said that all parties lie, but when asked to name one case of lying by the Thurrock Conservative Administration, he was unable to name one instance."

Thurrock Gazette