Campaign strikes BNP in heartland

ANTI-RACISM campaigners have been out on the streets, asking residents to kick out the British National Party.

Volunteers with Love Music Hate Racism, Unite Against Fascism and NorSCARF have been blitzing Bentilee with anti-BNP leaflets.

Bentilee and Townsend is one of two Stoke-on-Trent City Council wards served by three BNP councillors. The other is Abbey Green.

Campaigners say they are taking action now to make sure a BNP candidate never becomes mayor of Stoke-on-Trent.

Campaigner Weyman Bennett, of Unite Against Fascism, travelled to Bentilee from London to co-ordinate the leaflet drop.

He said it was the launch of a major campaign against the BNP in Stoke-on-Trent.

Mr Bennett said: “The BNP has two targets, European election for the North West and getting a councillor elected as mayor of Stoke-on-Trent. In order to stop the BNP we aim to make sure we have enough people to conduct a proper campaign. We need to be bigger and better than the BNP.”

About 30 volunteers went through Bentilee on Saturday dropping off leaflets. They say: “The BNP is targeting Stoke claiming to represent white people, but they don't stand for the majority of white people.”

Volunteer Neil Dawson, aged 58, of Burslem, pictured, said: “It's about believing in a free and equal society, celebrating a multi-cultural approach.”

“In Britain we are a mix of different people who like different things.”

Fellow volunteer Lunka Crehan, aged 46, of Talke Pits, is originally from Gambia, and joined the campaign to speak out against racism. She said: “It is not every white person who is bad, or every black person who is bad.

“There are good and bad in all cultures. I have had racist comments when I have lived here, but I had racist comments in Gambia, because my husband is white.”

Retired Jon Honeysett, aged 66, an RAF veteran from Talke Pits, said: “I think the problem is people's education.

“It doesn't make them understand that freedom and democracy were fought for by hundreds of thousands of people from other countries.”

BNP leader Alby Walker described the leaflets accusing the BNP of “fascism”, “racism” and stirring hatred against Muslims, as “ridiculous”.

He said: “They are entitled to their opinions. If it was during election time, it would be a third party driving political opinion.

“We just put our opinion. In Bentilee they are wasting their time.

“We have three councillors here, and people are more interested in what we are saying.”