Black Farmer gets on his high horse over BNP hustings row

Wilfred Emmanuel Jones refuses to share a platform with the racist BNP

The West’s most prominent black would-be MP has refused to share a debating stage with his rival from the British National Party, to avoid race becoming an issue at the election.

Wilfred Emmanuel Jones told the organisers of tonight’s (FRI) hustings event in Bradford-on-Avon he would boycott the event if the far-right BNP candidate Michael Simpkins was allowed to take part. So the organisers of the event, the Bradford-on-Avon Senior Citizens Forum, decided they would rather have Wilfred than the BNP and barred the BNP man.

Mr Emmanuel Jones, who runs a food-producing business called The Black Farmer, is standing for the Conservatives in the new Chippenham seat, which promises to be a key marginal battle between the Tories and the Lib Dems.

Mr Simpkins is one of the handful of BNP councillors in the West – his ‘election’ to Corsham town council after no one stood against him in a by-election sparked a major demonstration by anti-racism campaigners and locals.

Hustings organiser Alan Knight, from Bradford’s Senior Citizens Forum, told Mr Simpkins that every other candidate had agreed to take part in the debate if the BNP were included, except Mr Emmanuel Jones. Mr Simpkins, whose party doctrine claims to describe the Birmingham-born businessman as ‘not British’, blasted Mr Emmanuel Jones as ‘a coward’.

“I am very disappointed with the outcome but thank the committee and other candidates for at least being prepared to allow me to join in the debate,” said Mr Simpkins.

“Emmanuel Jones claims to be proud to be British but has yet to learn the British sense of fair play. The man is a coward and is obviously scared to debate the real issues that are affecting this country,” he added.

Chippenham’s Liberal Democrat candidate Duncan Hames said the BNP’s policies were ‘disgusting’ but that he wanted the opportunity to ‘demolish’ them.

“I’m not afraid of the BNP and would relish the opportunity to confront them and demolish their arguments,” he said.

“None of us like the BNP and find much of what they say disgusting but it is important that our own feelings do not deny the public the chance to question the candidates,” he added.

A spokeswoman for the local Tory association backed their candidate’s refusal to take part if the “intolerant and racist” BNP were also involved.

“The Chippenham Conservative Association has a clear position that it does not wish to give legitimacy to a political party which promotes intolerant and racist views that to most people in Wiltshire, including ourselves, are unacceptable,” she said.

“Wilfred is quite prepared to debate with the mainstream parties and answer questions from local residents which he will do,” she added.

Mr Emmanuel-Jones surprised shoppers on Chippenham High Street by riding through the town centre on a shire horse. He was out on the streets answering locals’ questions about the proposed development at Bird’s Marsh - an area of woodland north of the town which could be earmarked for hundreds of new homes. Frankie the shire horse has previously been used for children’s horse rides to raise funds for local charities.

South West Business

Nazis told: go back to where you came from

Lo says extreme right BNP is wasting its time here

Ulster's only elected Chinese politician has slammed the extremist BNP's latest attempt at a recruitment drive in the province.

The right-wing party has published a new leaflet - entitled 'What now for Northern Ireland?' - claiming we are on our way to a "multi-cultural hellhole" and that our towns have become "dumping grounds" for migrants.

Alliance MLA Anna Lo is disgusted by the BNP's intolerant language and says the party is wasting its time in Northern Ireland "because people are not racist here".

The offensive leaflet states: "Don't let Northern Ireland become like the multi-cultural hellhole we see in Britain. You have the power to stop it. Join the British National Party."

Ms Lo, who came to prominence as spokesperson for the Chinese Welfare Association, described the language used in the leaflet as provocative and intolerant of ethnic minorities.

"There is an element of inciting hatred," she said. "There is no attraction in Northern Ireland for this type of politics and I would discourage this party from coming over here. We have always had good race relations in Northern Ireland, there may be the odd incident, but that does not represent the majority of people here."

The Ulster BNP claims that since terrorists laid down their arms, Ulster towns have become "dumping grounds for economic migrants, health tourists and bogus asylum seekers".

The BNP's beleaguered Ulster branch has attempted for years to secure a foothold in Northern Ireland, without success.

Last year the party's controversial leader Nick Griffin was cleared of stirring up racial hatred - a move that prompted chancellor Gordon Brown to consider changing Britain's race laws.

The Ulster branch's latest attempt to attract new members, as usual, rejects any notion that migrant workers are good for the economy.

"We are constantly told by the liberal media that, economic migrants/asylum seekers are good for our economy and that they make us more diverse," states the leaflet. "What they don't tell you are that, cheap foreign labour, drives down wages, puts a strain on local services, like health care and housing" (sic).

But the newly elected Ms Lo said: "It is widely recognised that ethnic minorities make a very significant contribution to our economy."

Belfast Telegraph