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

Birmingham Lib-Dems question BNP nominations

Martin Mullaney, Liberal Democrat councillor for Birmingham's Moseley and King's Heath ward, has appeared in a video posted to YouTube voicing suspicions over some names appearing on nomination papers for British National Party candidates standing in the area.

Cllr. Mullaney cites the case of an Afro-Caribbean woman whose name appears on the nomination papers for a BNP candidate standing in Lozells and East Handsworth. Cllr Mullaney reports that when questioned the woman denied having nominated the BNP candidate and said that the signature appearing on the nomination form was not hers.

According to Cllr. Mullaney, a number of individuals of apparent "ethnic background" appear to have signed BNP candidates' nomination papers - including five members of a Hindu family, a Sikh and two Muslims - which he and his team view as "suspicious".

Doubtless Cllr. Mullaney will be bringing this matter to the attention of the local Returning Officer, and we shall be watching the outcome with interest.

Vuew Councillor Mullaney's YouTube video here.

'Quebec's Le Pen' likely to make major election gain

A young conservative populist sometimes described as Quebec's Jean-Marie Le Pen is likely in today's election to throw a spanner into the separatist versus federalist competition that has dominated Quebec politics for decades.

Polls indicate Mario Dumont's Action démocratique du Québec (ADQ), a small fringe party for the past three elections, is about to seize the balance of power in the first minority parliament in 129 years. The ADQ has side-swiped the separatist Parti Quebecois and the ruling federalist Liberals, led by Jean Charest, by exploiting a backlash against multiculturism, especially Muslims.

Adebate has developed throughout the province about what constitutes reasonable accommodation to the cultural and social practices of expanding ethnic communities. It was fuelled when, for example, a conservative Hasidic synagogue forced a sports centre to paint the windows of its swimming pool so students would not see people in swimming costumes.

Muslim headscarves and niqabs have also become a subject of controversy, especially when an 11-year-old girl was thrown out of a football match for wearing one. Quebec's chief electoral officer has ordered that Muslim women must bare their faces if they want to vote, after an outcry over his original ruling that face coverings were acceptable.

M. Dumont, who describes himself as an autonomist wanting more power for Quebec, will probably tonight be in a position to implement many of the rightist, inward-looking policies on which he has campaigned. Both M. Charest and the Parti Quebecois leader, Andre Boisclair, seemed oblivious to the issue until polls showed M. Dumont was surging ahead.

Independent

Lincolnshire County Council Declaration

[Wouldn't you love to see a statement like this adopted by every local authority]

We, in Lincolnshire, are proud of our diverse and multi-racial heritage, which we regard as a source of cultural, social and economic strength. We will work vigorously to combat all forms of racism to rid Lincolnshire of racial discrimination and to enshrine the principle that individuality and universality are the foundations of justice and peace.

We declare that:

• We value the contribution that all communities make to the quality of life in Lincolnshire and recognise ethnic and cultural diversity as a source of cultural, social and economic enrichment.

• We endorse the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and are opposed to racism in all its forms.

• We will encourage a changing culture within the public services and the wider community that recognises the unacceptability of all forms of racism and takes action to combat it.

• We acknowledge that progress towards a more just society may not always be smooth, but as partners we are committed to maintaining dialogue and resolving our differences.

• We accept that without transparency and openness in the public services, progress towards a successful multi-cultural community will be hampered.

• We believe that the composition of the public services workforce should reflect that of the wider community, and will work to break down perceptions and barriers that prevent equal access to employment.

• We believe that all citizens should have the right to expect equal protection and equal treatment from all public services.

• We believe that children from all backgrounds are entitled to an education free from discrimination and harassment.

• We understand the essential role of the education system in Lincolnshire in developing the future of our multi-cultural community and commit ourselves to supporting and enhancing this work.

• We believe that our success will properly be measured not by our policies but by our actions in promoting equality for all the people of Lincolnshire.

• We call upon the residents of Lincolnshire to support us in this by respecting the dignity of all people and by constant vigilance for any expression of racism or racial discrimination.

Signed

Cllr Martin Hill

Cllr Robert Parker

Cllr Marianne Overton

Cllr John Marriott

[We couldn't find the source for this statement so until we do, the link goes to its default source]

Stop the BNP