Row erupts over BNP 'race discrimination' claims

A council chief is demanding to see evidence of racial discrimination in a row over a British National Party election leaflet.

Burnley Borough Council chief executive Mr Steve Rumbelow has branded the leaflets, which claims that the council discriminates against white job candidates in favour of black and ethnic minority candidates, "wildly inaccurate". He has issued an edict that the leaflets be revoked and corrected. But BNP leader Coun. Sharon Wilkinson is holding firm with the message: "We stand by our literature."

Mr Rumbelow is now demanding to see evidence and said: "If the BNP believe that these claims are right, then I would be very interested to see the evidence so that I can investigate it."

In a statement, Mr Rumbelow refutes the claims of positive discrimination. He says: "It has come to our attention that a leaflet containing wildly inaccurate information regarding council employment policy is being circulated by the BNP. The leaflet makes misleading claims about how the council treats job candidates from different ethnic backgrounds. The council does not discriminate in the way that it recruits its workers. By law, we employ the best person for the job, irrespective of their ethnic background. There can be no excuse for this material being published in an election leaflet and the BNP should withdraw the leaflet and correct it."

But Coun. Wilkinson cites one of the council's strategic objectives, which aims to "increase the percentage of council employees from minority ethnic communities to 8.5% by March 2008" as the basis for the party's claims.

She said: "Fact: The council's stated intention is to employ more people from ethnic minorities. To employ by reason of ethnicity cannot be anything less than racial discrimination. People should be employed on ability and competence and for no other reason."

But Mr Rumbelow has been swift to point out that this policy is aimed to ensure that the council's workforce better represents the borough's population, but is not an active target.

Mr Rumbelow, in his role as returning officer, held a briefing at the beginning of the election process to warn political agents about the content of election leaflets and addresses. He stressed that any material that "implies that the council is acting unlawfully in its decisions or in the way that it operates or contains information that is inaccurate about the council" will be "robustly challenged".

Mr Rumbelow added: "Each case will be considered individually, including what action is appropriate."

Burnley Express