October 10, 2009

'BNP has right to hold its rally here'

A British National Party rally is to be held in Cleveleys

Wyre's Labour Group has objected to the meeting, which will be held at the council-owned Frank Townend Centre on Beach Road at 7pm on Tuesday.

Nick Griffin, leader of the BNP, could be a speaker and the Labour group is worried there will be demonstrations. It has called for council bosses to step in and refuse permission for the rally – but Wyre Council has insisted the BNP has to be treated like any other political party before the Jubilee Ward by-election on October 22.

Labour group leader Coun Clive Grunshaw said: "Council premises should not be used in such a way during the middle of the Jubilee ward by-election. The Frank Townend Centre is in fact the site of the polling station for the by-election and giving permission for its use for political purposes at this time is clearly not appropriate.

"The fact is that Wyre Council is under no obligation to allow a political rally of this kind to take place on their premises. A rally by the BNP – which we believe to be addressed by Nick Griffin – will incite the inevitable demonstrations."

The Labour group also says it has concerns the community centre is in a densely populated area.

But Wyre chief executive Jim Corry said: "The BNP are a formally recognised political party and I am not going to make any distinction between them and any other political party when it comes to booking council facilities. I do not agree this will be viewed as the council giving tacit support to one particular organisation, not least as UKIP has booked the same venue on another occasion."

And the BNP branded the Labour group "undemocratic" by asking for the rally to be scrapped. BNP spokesman John Walker said: "The BNP is a mainstream political party, especially now in the North West we have a member of the European parliament. For the Labour group to ask for this meeting, which is a normal political meeting, to be banned is anti-democratic in the extreme."

Candidates for the by-election are James Clayton (BNP), Roy Hopwood (UKIP), Wayne Martin (Labour) and David Walmsley (Conservative).

Blackpool Gazette

21 comments:

Blackpool lad said...

We should complain about this and get a demo together.

Frank Townend Community Centre
Kensington Road
Thornton Cleveleys
Lancashire
FY5 1ER

Tel: 01253 863369

and a map

http://www.wyrebc.gov.uk/Page.aspx?PvnID=60625&PgeID=51249&BrdCb=1-1447-1499

vitamine said...

"The BNP is a mainstream political party", says Gri££in.

This is why "Joe Nazi" has switched allegiance to the EDL.

Soft Machine said...

"The BNP are a formally recognised political party and I am not going to make any distinction between them and any other political party

Just because a political party takes part in our democracy doesn't mean that political party is a democratic political party. That excuse is becoming as old-hat as the "I'm not racist but..." load of cobblers.

I suggest Councillor Corry reads the facts about the BNP its history and its hardcore members before spouting such nonsense.

Brummie said...

Wonder how many EDL, who as we all know have nothing to do with the BNP and are not racist scumbags at all, will side with us on this one!

Anonymous said...

Wyre chief executive Jim Corry said: "The BNP are a formally recognised political party and I am not going to make any distinction between them and any other political party...."

You're a fucking idiot then.

Anonymous said...

Fuck em. Complain complain and complain again!!!

Bollocks to the BNP said...

"And the BNP branded the Labour group "undemocratic" by asking for the rally to be scrapped."

This from a party that would take democracy away from most of us if it ever got a chance.

Anonymous said...

I would have thought that the most senior Councillor would have by now taken his Chief Executive into a room and told him very clearly what he could and couldnt do.

No Council has to let its community centres to political parties, and in fact in B & D they dont.

Seems to me that this Chief Exec thinks he is in charge, where really he should be following the instructions of duly elected members.

tulip

burty bassitt said...

If the EDLK didn't practice violence, they wouldn't be attractive to young skinheads and the far right hooligan firms who make up their street army.

It's the prospect of beating up people and chucking missiles at anti-fascists and the police which appeals to the football thugs.

If the EDL seriously didn't want violence, they wouldn't have got hooligans involved in the first place.

Thus, if they restrained their own members from fighting, there wouldn't be any appeal for these street fighting boneheads, any more than sitting down in a council chamber with middle-aged BNP councillors falling asleep while the council discusses dog poop!

The two minutes silence won't satisfy the EDL thug's longing for blood-spilling. They want action, violence, shops burning, rocks throwing, etc.

After all, the EDL describe themselves as a "street army", which is the only time they will ever be honest.

Armies don't talk. They fight, in this case, anti-fascists.

Anonymous said...

Manchester EDL protest updates

http://search.twitter.com/search?q=EDL

Anonymous said...

Election candidates and valid political parties have rights to use public rooms for the purpose of holding election meetings (Representation of the People Act 1983).

Every council is required by law to have available lists of rooms which candidates are entitled to use

NewsHound said...

EDL NAZI ARRESTED IN BIRMINGHAM EARLY MORNING: -

http://www.hopenothate.org.uk/blog/article/537/EDL-leader-arrested

NewsHound said...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/manchester/8300431.stm

LATEST NEWS:

beabopper said...

Hopefully people at the protest will point out which pubs as well as Wetherspoons allowed them in, so people can avoid these fascist-friendly pubs.

Anonymous said...

A list of neo-nazi Manchester city centre pubs would be helpful, thanks.

Anonymous said...

sorry anon @ 1.36 dont want to upset you, but, councils can and do make decisions on who can and who cant use their community halls, and as we are not in an election process at the moment i dont think your act applies.

So unless someone has called a general election while I was having a nap this afternoon, the councillors can instruct the Chief Executive to refuse the letting.

tulip

Anonymous said...

beabopper said...
Hopefully people at the protest will point out which pubs as well as Wetherspoons allowed them in, so people can avoid these fascist-friendly pubs.

Yeah right ! !

Anonymous said...

In the event of a by election the same rules apply - a list of halls and rooms political parties can use has to be published.

Anonymous said...

Is the Centre on Beach Rd or Kensington Rd?

Antifascist said...

'Is the Centre on Beach Rd or Kensington Rd?'

If you look at the first comment, it states that the address is Kensington Road. It shows up a little more clearly if you zoom in the map (by single-clicking on the + sign).

Anonymous said...

If you head down Beach Road, the community centre is just on the corner of there and Kensington Road.

I suggest people get there early as their meeting starts at 7pm.


Please email/text as many people as you can to get to this please!

See you there!!

Jain