BNP's Simpkins to fight Parliamentary seat

The British National Party has announced its intention to put forward a Parliamentary candidate in Wiltshire - and has launched a bitter, personal attack on a black politician.

BNP Corsham town councillor Michael Simpkins has issued a public statement in which he lashes out at Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones, the Conservative prospective Parliamentary candidate for the new Chippenham constituency.

Cllr Simpkins, who was appointed to the town council last month after nobody stood against him, also announced that he has been shortlisted by his party to contest the Chippenham seat, which covers Corsham. He is angry that Mr Emmanuel-Jones, who is popularly known as the Black Farmer and has starred in his own reality television series, joined more than 300 people who earlier this month gathered outside Corsham Town Hall to protest against the BNP.

Speaking at that protest, Mr Emmanuel-Jones said: "This isn't a racist town and they are all shocked that this guy got in by default. Everything that the BNP stands for is really not in synch with modern society and it's dangerous."

In a statement this week Cllr Simpkins, who works as a local taxi driver, criticised Conservative policies in general. Then he added: "I also find it rather hypocritical that the Tories' Wilfred Emmanuel- Jones should take it upon himself to come to my town in support of those who infer that I am a racist, a town in which he does not even live."

Mr Emmanuel-Jones was not available for comment, but a Conservative Party spokesman said: "It is a shame the BNP has resorted once more to delivering these type of base-level, inaccurate and unfounded remarks instead of concentrating on the key issues affecting residents, such as the crisis affecting the NHS and the rise in violent crime."

The BNP has repeatedly denied being a racist party. At the recent protest Cllr Simpkins said that "you couldn't find a more non- racist person than me".

The Bath Chronicle