BNP councillor's democracy vow

A BNP councillor has vowed to put his personal views aside and follow the democratic process despite telling the Review he would stand against Markyate Parish Council over an equality policy.

 Simon Deacon, BNP councillor and former leading National Front activist, still holds the view that an equal opportunities policy is a “waste of time”. But he has promised to abide by it after the council democratically voted to support it.

 He said: “I’m totally against it because of the heavy flaws in it, but I will abide by it because it was a democratic vote.”

 The council was hit with complaints after Councillor Deacon made comments slamming the policy in the Review on July 2. He branded the policy “unfair” and vowed not to support it.

 In a letter to the council, read out at a council meeting last Tuesday night, anti-BNP campaigners urged Mr Deacon to put on record whether or not he supported the policy. Speaking after the meeting at Markyate Parish Hall, a BNP protestor who wanted to remain anonymous, said: “Either he votes against it or he supports it. If he votes against it, should he be a member of a council that is signed up to that policy?”

 Despite the backlash from campaigners over his comments, Councillor Deacon still strongly objects to the policy.

 He continued: “If you have been a member or ex-member of the BNP or a known supporter or activist in anyway it is against the law to join the Metropolitan Police. To me that’s discrimination, but the equal opportunities act doesn’t cover that sort of discrimination? Everybody is complaining about me, but nobody is shouting from the roof tops that BNP members are discriminated against in everyday life.”

 He added: “Everyone in this country should have the right to say what they want, the problem is we are having that right taken away from us.”

St Albans and Harpenden Review