York man’s BNP leaflets anger

An outraged resident has hit out after receiving leaflets from the British National Party attacking the Archbishop of York.

Peter Golding, 38, of Sovereign Park, Acomb, York, says he has received various leaflets from the British National Party (BNP) despite asking them not to post their "bigotry" through his door. The latest leaflet thanks the 520 people in Acomb who voted for BNP candidate Ian Dawson and criticises the Archbishop, Dr John Sentamu, for urging people not to vote for the party.

The Press reported in early May how the Archbishop had placed an advert before the local elections which urged people to use their vote wisely. He wrote: "Jesus warned us to be wary of wolves who come in sheep's clothing. They come with honeycombed words, promising a New England, and a land of milk and honey. My hope is that as you cast your vote on Thursday you do so with your eyes wide open so that our city does not sleepwalk into a wall of hate."

The new BNP leaflet speaks of what the party faced in the run up to the election including an "incoherent attack from someone who was born in Uganda yet feels the urge to TELL local people who were born and bred in York who not to vote for".

Mr Golding said: "I've told them I don't want them, but they keep delivering them to me. I don't want this kind of fascist propaganda through my door. They are attacking the Archbishop, but they don't name him or give his title. Yet on the front it says The Year of Our Lord 2007'. Are they purporting to be Christians?"

He added: "I have great respect for the Archbishop of York, he challenges people like the BNP who basically attack communities. In York we have a very small ethnic community which has increased recently, but I feel it's for the benefit of York. We have the university, we have people coming from all over the world, and there is nothing but a benefit in that."

He also claimed the BNP had refused to talk about their policies with voters.

"They don't knock on the door like other political parties, they leaflet and then run. You have to run after them in the street, they are not willing to discuss issues. I was part of a 'Marxist, Jewish conspiracy of world domination' because I said I was a trades unionist. If they could tell me what that means I would love to know."

As well as the Archbishop, The Press was also attacked by the BNP, which claimed the paper used "bullying tactics" during the local elections in trying to "dissuade people from voting for the BNP at every opportunity".

The Press