Outcry as students invite BNP leader to campus

Students at the University of Bath have invited BNP leader Nick Griffin on to campus to speak to staff and the student body.

The controversial politician is hoping to address an audience at the university as part of a tour of the south west in mid-May. The university is currently debating if the talk should go ahead.

Speaking exclusively to the Chronicle, Mr Griffin said: "I'm scheduled to be in the area between May 13 and 16 but I know some students are in discussion with the university authorities as to the date. What I talk on will depend on whether students are interested in the BNP or the freedom of speech issue and how much opposition there is. Usually when a group of students is interested in me speaking, it is later cancelled. If it does go ahead there comes a point when having lecturers jumping up and down means the talk has to end up being about freedom of speech rather than specific policies."

John Perry, assistant general secretary of the Bath branch of the University and College Union, said news of the proposed visit had sparked an outcry among academic staff.

"The university's secretariat was due to decide yesterday but the decision must have been deferred as they have been bombarded with letters from staff saying they don't want him here. We want to challenge his ideas and policies and don't think the university is a particularly good venue for him as we want to encourage diversity among our students and staff. If Griffin is permitted to come to the university, UCU will organise the strongest public demonstration possible on the campus. We will be calling for all those who support the freedom to think to mobilise against those who brutally hate and divide."

But the university's student body said it did not follow the National Union of Students in banning those who hold extremist views from speaking. The union's vice-president of communications, Peter Yu, said: "Bath University Students' Union (BUSU) currently does not have a no-platform policy. As a result, we are not acting directly against Nick Griffin coming to speak at the university."

Mr Yu said the union was willing to give advice to those students planning to organise a peaceful protest against Mr Griffin and the BNP, but would not be taking part in the protest itself.

This is Bath

Row erupts over BNP mosque letter

A row has broken out in Lincoln over a letter sent by a British National Party representative to the council leader criticising a new mosque in the city. Richard Foster, the BNP's regional representative in Lincoln, wrote claiming the mosque, on the site of a former church, could "teach terrorism".

Council leader Ric Metcalfe said the letter was being shown to the police to determine whether it broke race laws. All other parties standing in the local election have condemned the letter. A Lincolnshire Police spokesman said they had not yet seen the letter but were aware of the council's plans to involve them.

"I think it is absolutely outrageous and exposes the BNP for the party it's always been known to be and a party holding overtly racist views," said Mr Metcalfe, who is Labour leader on the council.

But Mr Foster defended his words, saying his opinions were nothing new.

"The building would become an Islamic centre, rather than just a mosque and this can mean that the Islamic form of 'getting your own way' - terrorism - could be taught there. I don't know if you're aware of the programme 'The Undercover Mosque' but anything I have put in this letter, in that documentary far, far, far worse things have been said about the [Muslim] community. I don't need anybody to tell me that the only thing to happen in these places is worshipping their god because we all know that isn't the case. Not all Muslims are terrorists but most terrorists are Muslims," he said.

Bashir Ahmed, from Lincolnshire's Racial Equality Council, said he was shocked at the letter's contents.

"To blame a particular group for something is a sign of racism. This [the BNP] is not a party to recommend neighbourly living or getting on, it's a racist party and there's no doubt about it."

'Prejudiced letter'

Eddie Strengiel, from the Conservative Party in Lincoln, said he agreed with the council's views.

"I would go along with Ric Metcalfe's comments. He and I have a lot of disagreements on the political side but this is above politics and is on dangerous ground. I don't agree with what they've said."

Echoing Mr Strengiel's words, Tony Charles Shaw, from the Liberal Democrats, said: "The BNP...doesn't actually, or it does think about the consequences of what it does but gets the argument wrong on almost every occasion. For me this is a totally prejudiced letter."

Tony Wells, a candidate for the UK Independence Party said the letter was "extreme" in its comments. "There's no doubt about it, the BNP is extreme right and fascist and can't get any further right."

BBC

Celebrities call for vote for HOPE

Hope not Hate film uploaded

Searchlight has once again teamed up with the Daily Mirror to urge people to vote for HOPE not hate tomorrow.

In an open letter to readers in today's Mirror, celebrities such as footballers John Terry and Frank Lampard, singers Beverley Knight and Corinne Bailey Rae, businessmen Richard Branson and Alan Sugar, boxer Amir Khan and chef Jamie Oliver urge everyone not to vote for the BNP. Click here to view the Mirror's HOPE not hate website.

Searchlight has also produced a six-minute film of our HOPE not Hate bus tour of Britain. Covering 1,700 miles and visiting 30 towns and cities over 14 days, the tour combined celebrities and local community projects. The film includes messages from the Proclaimers, Sugarbabes and Amir Khan, music from Billy Bragg and short interviews with stars from EastEnders, Emmerdale and Coronation Street. Visit the HOPE not hate website here to view the film.

Searchlight has also produced a 12-page magazine on our HOPE not hate tour. This is available free to readers of this email by clicking here.

The BNP is standing 878 candidates across the UK. We know that the majority of people are opposed to the BNP's politics of hate but this means nothing if people do not get out and vote. We also know that not everything is perfect in Britain and many people are disillusioned with the political parties, but we urge you all to vote to stop the racists from winning. The BNP can only bring further division to our communities through their racism and lies and no one can benefit from that.

To understand the true politics of the BNP click here.

Bad week for veteran Luton NF candidate

For Derek Godfrey, the 76-year old National Front district council candidate for Caddington, the week started well. His local NF branch managed to gather together a ragbag of 50 sick notes to shuffle through Hemel Hempstead on St George's Day, topped off by a "secret" social at The Packhorse pub, Markyate, known to local activists as "The Bunker".

After that ,however, it all started to go wrong. Local anti-fascists had been tracking Godfrey for the past two years, drawn by his wild letters to the local press that defended the NF, hailed the memory of Oswald Mosley and defended Prince Harry's right to wear a fancy dress swastika. It came as little surprise, therefore, to see him appear as the NF's local candidate for the May elections.

This prompted another search through the archives, revealing that Godfrey had been an active member of the nazi League of St George in the 1970s. A quick Google search shows him marching at a Diksmuide rally of European national socialists in the mid 1970s. Godfrey told the Luton News "when I saw what it was all about, I packed it in. I thought it was a bit extreme." A "bit nazi" then, ignoring the fact that membership of the League was by invitation only.

Worse still, Godfrey's own election meeting at a school in local school was cancelled when hapless local organiser Simon Deacon failed to show evidence of liability insurance by a Friday noon deadline. Local councillor and school governor Richard Stay said: "I gave them reasonable notice that we needed to have that evidence by midday today - they failed. It's my role to guarantee the protection of staff and children at the school. So, I called the meeting off."

Stop the BNP

Probe into razor blade hate mail

A hate-mail investigation has been launched after a letter containing a razor blade was posted to a candidate standing in tomorrow's Bolton Council elections. The mail was sent to the home of Veritas candidate Anthony Backhouse and contained a handwritten note claiming to be from the British National Party.

Police have been called in to investigate the incident. Detective Inspector Paul Hitchen, from Bolton CID, said they would be examining the letters for forensic evidence and finger prints. He said: "We have got to treat this as a serious incident. The blades have been placed right inside the lip of the envelope. It does give us cause for concern."

Mr Backhouse, who is vying for a seat in the Tonge with The Haulgh ward, was warned about hate-mail on Monday by local Veritas secretary David Joneswho received an identical letter that morning.

"He said watch your post' because he was sent a letter with a razor blade under the seal of the flap. So I rang my wife and warned her not to open the post," said Mr Backhouse, of Mossfield Court, Bolton.

When he arrived home later in the day, he saw the letter. Mr Backhouse said: "It stuck out like a sore thumb. I put on a pair of gloves and opened it and found the razor blade hidden in the flap and the note."

He then alerted the police and reported the matter to election officials. Mr Backhouse, whose election opponents include BNP candidate David Wood, said he did not think the BNP was responsible. "It's just some crank. I am not perturbed by it in any way," he added.

The note, written on lined paper in capital letters, read: "Use your brains. Make way for the BNP."

There was also a drawing of the Union Flag.

The BNP has denied having anything to do with the letter. Roy Goodwin, North-west regional organiser for the BNP, said: "It's absolutely ridiculous and absolutely not from the BNP. It's obviously from an outside source trying to discredit the BNP."

The Bolton News

The BNP fields record number of candidates in long-term drive for Europe

The British National Party is putting forward a record 879 candidates in the forthcoming elections. This is more than double last year’s figure and higher than anything achieved by the National Front in its heyday in the 1970s.

However, it must be stressed that this is an organisational triumph for the BNP rather than a reflection that its membership or support has more than doubled in the past 12 months.

There are 744 BNP candidates in the borough and district council elections in England and seven in Scotland, another 76 standing for town and parish councils, 32 in the elections to the Scottish Parliament and 20 in the Welsh Assembly elections. This is a massive increase over the 363 candidates the BNP fielded in 2006, which itself was a big rise compared to the 221 in 2004. When Labour came to power in 1997 the BNP could only manage 53 council candidates.

The bulk of BNP candidates are in its traditional working-class heartlands of West Yorkshire, East Lancashire, the West Midlands and Essex. There are 207 candidates in total in the Yorkshire and Humber region, 118 in the North West and 127 in the West Midlands. There are complete BNP slates in Birmingham (40), Leeds (33), Sunderland (25) and Harrogate and Thurrock (both 16).

Other large concentrations of BNP candidates include Kirklees (22), Barnsley (18), Bradford (17) Coventry and Sedgefield (both 16), Sandwell (15) and Gateshead and Newcastle (both 13).

The North West has seen the biggest increase in the party’s traditional strongholds with a rise of 65 to 118 candidates (including one for a parish council). Burnley has 10 candidates, followed closely by Liverpool with nine, up from one in 2006, Wigan and Tameside, both with eight and Blackpool with seven.

The BNP is also standing in a number of areas that it has not previously contested, particularly in the East Midlands where there are 101 candidates in total. They include 14 for Charnwood Borough Council, 12 in Lincoln and 10 for Broxtowe Borough Council. However, despite the BNP euphoria over its candidate list, there are a number of key local authorities where the party’s failure to find enough candidates has reduced its chances of election. These include some of the most "at risk" areas where the BNP has achieved its highest votes in recent years. Despite boasting that it would field a full slate in Bradford there are only 17 candidates out of a possible 30, just one more than last year. There are only two more BNP candidates in Stoke-on-Trent this year compared to last, which is a great relief as there is hardly a ward where the party would not come close to winning. In Sandwell, the BNP only managed to find an extra six candidates over last year, again in an area where the party boasted it would achieve a full slate.

In 2006, the BNP averaged 33% in the wards it contested in Sandwell, 30% in Stoke-on-Trent and 26% in Bradford.

Despite an overall increase in candidates in the North West, the party has declined in two of its four strongest areas. In Oldham, where the BNP first emerged as a major force after the 2001 riots, it has only four candidates, one of whom is also standing for a parish council seat. The BNP has two candidates fewer in Blackburn (five compared to seven last year), which given the potential in the town will be a major disappointment for the party.

BNP strategy

This election marks a significant change of electoral strategy for the BNP. In previous years it has focussed on maximising its average vote so it could portray itself as a rising force in British politics. This has resulted in fighting wards where the party believed it would achieve its highest results.

This year, it has concentrated on putting forward as many candidates as possible. Given the wider political picture, most will be guaranteed a decent vote. In its key local authority areas the BNP will once again be looking for average votes of between 25% and 35%, with private predictions of 50-60 new councillors.

However, the real purpose of fielding so many council candidates has more to do with the next European elections in 2009, which are fought under proportional representation. Given the continuing decline of the UK Independence Party, the BNP will believe it can win European representation in most regions of England. With several MEPs the BNP would be transformed overnight, both financially and politically. Fielding 879 candidates now gives a large number of voters, including everyone in Wales and Scotland, a chance to support the BNP and over the next few years become firm BNP voters.

So what are the BNP’s chances of success this year? At the start of the year Searchlight identified 93 wards which we believed were at risk to some extent. Just over a third of them were deemed high risk. While some are now no longer considered to present such a threat, new concerns have emerged in other wards. The BNP itself has predicted that it will double its councillor base in May, which if one includes parish and town councillors is certainly achievable.

Although most people will judge the success or failure of the election campaign by the number of council victories the BNP achieves, the share of its vote over all the wards it contests is a far more significant marker in the long run. Last year the BNP won 33 council seats, 12 of which were in Barking & Dagenham. While most commentators saw this as a political breakthrough, the BNP still held only a tiny fraction of council seats in the country.

Much more important was the party’s 19.2% average vote.

There are still people in the political parties who try to dismiss the BNP as a fringe force with only isolated pockets of support. With over 14 million people being given the chance to vote for the BNP in these elections, this “fringe force” concept will be severely tested.

Searchlight is confident that the BNP will not make huge council breakthroughs but this will only be achieved if every anti-fascist and anti-racist activist puts that extra bit of activity in before 3 May. It is no good moaning about BNP success after the event if we have not done all in our power to prevent it happening.

Town hall politics

In another change in strategy, the BNP has put forward 76 candidates in town and parish council elections across the country, the bulk in the East Midlands and West Yorkshire.

Getting candidates elected to these councils is not too difficult as the mainstream political parties do not contest most of them and many are hardly contested at all. Indeed, the BNP has ten new town and parish councillors already after standing unopposed.

While town and parish councils have little real power, gaining seats on them is advantageous for the BNP. It increases the party’s number of councillors (as the BNP con-veniently fails to distinguish these from its councillors at borough/district/city level) and gives the BNP a credible base to challenge for borough/district/city elections in the future. It is this striving for greater respectability and normal-isation that is the real drive behind the BNP’s tactics.

In the West Yorkshire towns of Morley (part of Leeds) and Mirfield (part of Kirklees), the BNP is looking to take control of the town councils. The party has 12 and nine candidates respectively and can be assured of some success. Many of their opponents are unorganised “independents” who do not have the base to run coordinated campaigns. However, there may be a backlash from voters who are not used to having political parties so involved in a generally non-party environment.

Searchlight had feared strong BNP contests for control of Padiham Town Council (Burnley) and Keighley Town Council (Bradford) but these failed to materialise.

The BNP is likely to see many of its town and parish candidates elected in May but it is time the media began to view them separately from district and borough councillors. Several months ago Searchlight warned that the BNP was switching its focus to town and parish councils. Political parties and anti-fascists generally have neglected to get involved in these councils. Let us just hope that we are not punished for our oversight in towns such as Morley and Mirfield.

Searchlight

Catching up with the latest BNP news snippets

South Wales Evening Post accepts paid ad from BNP

Journalists at the South Wales Evening Post were incensed today when they found out that the paper had accepted a paid for election advert from the BNP. Protests were lodged with senior management and questions were asked about why it had been accepted. The journalists were told that as it was legal and paid for as part of the election it could not be stopped and that anyone who wanted to complain should take it up with the editor - who returns from a foreign trip today.

Everyone is incensed that we only found out about it only a few hours before publication - close to the end of a shift for many people and after much of the paper had been laid out - and had no effective means of challenging it at that stage. However, journalists are looking at ways of taking this issue up with management, including the idea of taking out an advert from journalists and staff on the paper on election day itself.

In the meantime, we would ask people in Swansea to assist us in showing Post management that accepting adverts from the BNP will not be welcomed by staff at the Post. In particular many journalists rightly feel that it undermines their journalistic credibility and reporting of these issues. It will certainly lower the standing of the paper in the eyes of many people in Swansea.

As well as the acceptance of the advert can give credibility to the BNP's claim that they are somehow legitimate by standing in elections like any other political party.

Could as many people as possible do the following to assist the journalists in the Post who are campaigning against this advert being placed.

Write a letter to the paper taking up the BNP and arguing against them. Although the paper is no longer taking letters about election issues, enough letters going in could force the paper to print them after the election. email: HaveYourSay@swwmedia.co.uk or to Have Your Say, Evening Post, Adelaide Street, Swansea SA1 1QT

Send letters of protest to the editor Spencer Feeney on spencer.feeney@swwmedia.co.uk or to the Post's address which is Evening Post, Adelaide Street, Swansea SA1 1QT - This can also be done directly by the website. Other senior editorial staff such as the news editor can be emailed via this site as well.

Send copies of any letters of protest to Mike Witchell at witchglen@btinternet.com

The switchboard number is (01792) 510000 and the Swansea newsdesk is (01792) 514606. Their website is www.thisissouthwales.co.uk

UAF

BNP hoists distress signal

BNP members are becoming increasingly dejected at the success of the Hope not Hate campaign. An article on the BNP website by Martin Wingfield, editor of the BNP's newspaper The Voice of Freedom, reveals that in Maryport where he and his wife Tina are standing for election, "Labour have successully [sic] worked all the nursing homes and sheltered housing in the wards for their postal votes and this has probably given them an unassailable lead".

He goes on to warn: "To all those working so hard in preparation for Thursday's big poll, please don't be unrealistically over-optimistic about your results".

Hard work is what it is all about. Where we have distributed our Hope not Hate leaflet, we have had a good reception from voters. Local Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties, and others, who work their wards properly, as Labour has done in Maryport, can defeat the BNP. Thursday – polling day – is nearly here but every hour of campaigning still counts.

The Wingfields demonstrated their pessimism to voters. Their literature stall placed in front of scaffolding in Maryport was adorned with a large Union Flag. It was upside-down. Flying the flag upside down is "lese-majesty", which means insulting the Crown, and is theoretically still a crime in the UK. It can however be flown upside-down as a distress signal.

Hope not hate

BNP man on false firearm charge

A British National Party candidate standing for election to Walsall Council has been charged with possessing an imitation firearm.

Dominic Bugler, 38, of Avon Crescent, Pelsall, appeared at the town's magistrates court on Monday. Mr Bugler is the BNP's candidate in the Pelsall ward for the local elections taking place on Thursday.

He has been remanded in custody to appear at Wolverhampton Crown Court on 8 May. More as (or when) we get it.

BBC

Fascist Endorsements

The BNP Wales webpage shamelessly piggybacks a company it claims is unrelated to the BNP, hoping to curry more interest within the business community for white supremacist politics.

The BNP offer their friendly endorsement of Tamworth car manufacturing goods company Tamworth Graphix, whom they strongly recommend for their "Union Jack numberplates".

Seriously struggling for legally-accountable financial backing, the suited, media-savvy neo-Nazis are quick to endorse companies on their website without mutual recognition, even though, serious legal action is currenly ongoing in several cases, where companies do not wish to be associated with a racist whites-only "political party" who seek to reintroduce apartheid to the world, imposing Nuremberg-style laws against Muslims, jews, black, gay, and Asian people.

Following the Nick Griffin, Mark Collett, and Robert Cottage trials, the BNP, however believe they are invincible, and somehow, above the laws of the land (they proclaim they know and love so dear).

Some companies are ethical, and others, not so, however "people power" demands ethical accountability, more and more, which is why such important issues such as arms investment, environmental audits, sweatshop labour, and fair trade, are increasingly shaping consumer purchase patterns throughout business and commerce.

Whether or not Tamworth Graphix do (or do not) endorse the racist British National Party's official approval of one of their products, we really do not know. The BNP's webpage provides a weak disclaimer that they have no (known) connection with the company, however, Tamworth Graphix do own the rights to their brand, and ultimately have the final say over the legality of product endorsements.

If Tamworth Graphix do not wish to profit from the "white supremacy pound", and are throughly disgusted at the BNP's seemingly unofficial endorsement, we strongly advise the company to seek legal advice, if the image of the company is to steer clear of erroneous publicity, and seek removal of the link, forthwith.

The BNP is quick to claim everybody is its friend, when in-fact, like the losers they are, the only friends they have, are in the worldwide "white nationalism" movement.

Their flashy suits, and spin-doctored demeanours might suggest respectability, but no matter how the Hitler-loving bunch of violent criminals, Holocaust deniers, terrorists, football hooligans, and veteran nobodies "blessed with the ugly stick" attempt to "pimp their party", nobody will be fooled.

Not least the intelligent voters of Wales, England, and Scotland.

The United Kingdom has no long-term tradition of organised fascism, which is why Mosley, Enoch Powell, and the National Front were resoundingly defeated. As will the "British Nazi Party". A handful of parochial town hall seats will never make the party a major player in the increasingly cosmopolitan world of popular culture (let alone politics), which is why there are increasingly coded references in Nick Griffin's interviews to civil wars and revolutions.

Like Adolf Hitler, the BNP would switch from democracy to armed revolution, given half a chance, with castrophic consequences, which is why such a criminally-minded racist organisation must be harangued and harried at every juncture.

Which is why bona companies such as Tamworth Graphix must steer clear of fascist endorsement.

Wales Police Boss Replies On BNP Ban

North Wales Chief Constable Richard Brunstrom has replied to a complaint that an invesitgation was made into the case of a police officer who endorsed a local councillor who is a member of the British National Party in Mold.

Mr Brunstrom replied:

"As you have chosen to write an open letter to me it seems only reasonable that I should provide an open response and let members of the public draw their own conclusions.

I cannot discuss the specific case that you raised as the alleged misconduct is still being investigated. However, I welcome the opportunity to comment on the general questions that you put and the inaccurate assertions that your letter contains.

You seem to have wilfully misinterpreted the comments attributed to the Police Federation Representative, Constable Jeff Birch, in the Daily Post on the 12th of April. Constable Birch carefully did not allow himself to be drawn into the specifics of the case being investigated and did not mention the endorsement of candidates. However, he did accurately represent what Police Regulations say about membership of the BNP; to alleviate any doubt about the Regulations let me quote for you the relevant parts.

Police Regulations 2003 Schedule 1 (as amended) provides:

Reg. 1 (1) A member of a police force shall at all times abstain from any activity which is likely to interfere with the impartial discharge of his duties or which is likely to give rise to the impression amongst members of the public that it may so interfere.

1 (2) A member of a police force shall in particular -
(a) not take an active part in politics;
(b) not belong to any organisation specified or described in a determination of the Secretary of State.

Annex AA - (the Secretary of State determined that from 1st January 2005 this provision come into force as follows):
No member of a police force may be a member of any of the following organisations-
(a) The British National Party
(b) Combat 18
(c) The National Front

These Regulations are quite simply the law of the land, as determined by Parliament. All officers are aware that when we join the Police Service our lives change; this change includes our not being able to play an active part in politics (no great hardship for most of us). It is precisely because I want to live in a parliamentary democracy, and not a police state, that I actively welcome this restriction on my private life. As police officers we cannot and must not give the impression that we might be beholden to any political party for that way lies perdition.

As to your suggestion that these restrictions are an infringement of the Human Rights Act of 1998, I suggest that you actually read the Act before making spurious comments such as this in future. For clarity, Article 10 of the European Convention, which is incorporated in our UK Act, sets out the right to freedom of expression, but also makes it clear that this right is not absolute and that such a right may be subject to restrictions as set out below:

Article 10 (2)
The exercise of these freedoms, since it carries with it duties and responsibilities, may be subject to such formalities, conditions, restrictions or penalties as are prescribed by law and are necessary in a democratic society, in the interests of national security, territorial integrity or public safety, for the prevention of disorder or crime, for the protection of health or morals, for the protection of the reputation or rights of others, for preventing the disclosure of information received in confidence, or for maintaining the authority and impartiality of the judiciary

Clearly the Government is fully entitled to put restrictions on the political activity of police officers, members of the armed services and a range of other public servants, and it has chosen, entirely properly, so to do. The message, set out clearly by the Act, is thus: if you want to play politics, don't join the Police. This is once again quite simply the law, and law which I wholeheartedly endorse both as a senior police officer and as a citizen.

You suggest that I may be concerned about being held to account by a BNP led local Council or Welsh Assembly. You are right. I am, but I assure you that I have not yet had cause to lose a moment's sleep worrying about this prospect.

You also write about so called 'positive discrimination advocated by a very misguided Lord Scarman. It would appear that you have never read The Scarman Report: The Brixton Disorders (1981). I can only suggest that you visit your local library and borrow the report before misrepresenting his views again. You may also wish to undertake some training so that you can understand the difference between positive action (both legal and desirable) and positive discrimination, which is neither.

To remove any remaining scintilla of doubt let me formally endorse the views of the Association of Chief Police Officers of England Wales and Northern Ireland, which in July 2004 unequivocally stated that police officers and staff should face dismissal if they join the BNP.

Membership of, or support for, the BNP is completely incompatible with the honour of holding the Office of Constable.

Yours sincerely
Richard Brunstrom
Prif Gwnstabl/Chief Constable

NEWSWALES.CO.UK

Sentamu in BNP votes storm

York's voters were today given an unequivocal message ahead of this week's council election: Whatever you do, DON'T vote BNP.

The Archbishop of York and promotion-chasing York City footballers spoke out ahead of Thursday's poll, urging the city's residents not to be wooed by the far-right British National Party. In an advert placed in The Press today, Dr John Sentamu urged people to use their vote wisely, and launched a thinly-veiled attack on members of the BNP, who are this year standing in York for the first time.

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. In reality they offer us a diet of bile and discord, a litany of hopelessness and stoke the ashes of Clifford's Tower. If apathy becomes the real winner on Thursday night, then those who seek to divide us will be elected, hiding under apathy's skirt. 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."

He quoted Edmund Burke's famous warning that good men doing nothing leads to the triumph of evil, and warned that not voting would be "short changing our city".

Meanwhile, York City captain Manny Panther took time out from the club's play-off preparations to reinforce the message. He said: "York City has worked really hard to make KitKat Crescent a friendly, welcoming place and I've helped to promote our Minstermen Against Racism campaign. As a black footballer, who has seen the game change for the better in recent years, I feel very uncomfortable with the message the BNP are promoting. I was surprised to hear they are fielding candidates in the York area and I can only urge people not to vote for them in the elections on Thursday."

His team-mate Steve Bowey said: "I do not feel that the BNP's policy would be of any benefit to the city of York and I hope our supporters and the wider public do not vote for them."

Meanwhile, York Archaeological Trust is taking legal advice over an election leaflet by the BNP's Hull Road candidate Trevor Brown, in which he says he is a Friend of York Archaeological Trust. Chief executive John Walker said the trust was seeking the advice of lawyers.

Shakespeare's Globe Theatre has also asked Mr Brown to remove references to them from his literature.

Ian Dawson, the BNP's York agent and a York City fan, said the Archbishop and Manny Panther should concentrate on the church and football respectively, rather than politics. He said: "Manny Panther should keep his mind on getting fit and ready for the play-offs, and keep his nose out of political matters. Who is he? People are not going to be fooled by someone using the colour of their skin to tell people not to vote for a political party."

On Dr Sentamu, he said: "He is entitled to his opinion, just as others are. But people are getting sick and tired of getting told who to and who not to vote for."

The Press

Griffin fails again to quash BNP yob tendency

The BNP tries hard to project respectability. BNP canvassers are told to dress smartly and be polite, to remove themselves as far as possible from the party's thuggish image. They claim to be ordinary hardworking family men and women.

On the morning of Sunday 29 April two teams gathered outside Epping station. One was a group of local anti-fascists preparing to deliver leaflets in wards in which BNP candidates were standing. The other was from the BNP.

One of the BNP members held a video camera. Her brown trouser suit could perhaps pass as smart. But inside, bursting to get out, was the worst type of hate-filled nazi yob that Nick Griffin, the BNP leader, claims is no longer what BNP members, let alone council election candidates, are like.

Leni Riefenstahl she ain't. Her film, despite its appalling out-of-focus and very shaky camerawork, including shots of the ground, quickly appeared on a nazi website under the imprint of Covert Undercover Nuisance Tactics (pathetic!). An added soundtrack included such choice lines as "I'm an a***hole, I'm a f***ing w****r", and other similar expressions, reflecting the musical taste and self esteem of the film's creator.

We somehow doubt whether Griffin will hire her to make the official party film of the next BNP Red White and Blue festival.

We understand that Transport for London are reviewing CCTV footage from outside Epping station because of her pushy behaviour which caused concern among passengers.

After she had finished shooting her footage, the BNP supporters left Epping station on a high, fuelled up to distribute their leaflets of lies and try and con some people to vote for them. The anti-fascists delivered the Hope not Hate leaflet in Epping. This was extremely well received by residents, several of whom came out to talk to the leafleters or made contact later. One man even dropped what he was doing and joined the leafleting team for the rest of the afternoon.

Searchlight

Election: The people versus the racists