BNP three quit party after local elections

British National Party members elected to a town council have resigned from the party. BNP North Wales organiser John Oddy and party members Paul Harley and Susan Harley were elected unopposed to Bay of Colwyn Town Council this month. Yesterday it emerged the three tendered their resignations to the party after the election.

This follows a clash between Mr Oddy and higher ranking members, and a graffiti attack at the home of husband and wife Paul and Susan Harley where “BNP racist scum” was daubed on their garage.

Mr Oddy said: “I feel as I have become more high profile I have clashed with the hierarchy in the party and this has now come to a head and led to my resignation. I am at odds with the opinions of the Welsh branch of the BNP, although I have no quarrel with the party nationally.”

Haulage worker Mr Harley, 62, from Penrhyn Bay, who was elected to the Dinerth ward, said: “When I joined the party I did believe that the party had changed from its former image. I felt the same after attending meetings where racist views were not expressed but in the past few weeks I have found out more about the party and I am not happy with what I have found out. I have always maintained that I was not racist, but individuals that hold racist views remain. My mind was made up before the attack on the house, myself and my wife did not want to be portrayed as racist, which we are not. We only wanted to represent the community.”

The trio offered to stand down from their seats on Colwyn Bay council but their offer was turned down and they will now stand as independents.

BNP spokesman Simon Darby said he believed being a BNP member came with “certain pressures” and the attack on the Harleys’ home had contributed to their resignations.

Daily Post