Violence upon and intimidation of candidates contesting elections may be commonplace in Zimbabwe and other despotic regimes, but have no place in the British electoral process.

It is with anger and disappointment that we report an attack on a BNP council candidate contesting Leeds City Council in June’s elections. Mark Collett is standing in the Burmantofts and Richmond Hill ward where he came second in the 2003 municipal elections with 20% of the vote.

In the early hours of this morning, Mark’s house was attacked by a gang who sprayed “Nazi scum” on the brickwork and caused over a thousand pound’s worth of damage to Mark’s car by spraying a black swastika on the boot of his BMW and spraying the rear window with black paint.

11 year old daughter

In the house at the time were fellow Leeds BNP candidate Darren Gibson, who is contesting the Killingbeck and Seacroft ward, and Darren’s eleven-year old daughter who was very upset by the incident. To add salt into Mark’s wounds, the local evening newspaper, the “Yorkshire Evening Post”, told Mark that the incident “wasn’t newsworthy”!

Compare this to the extensive coverage in the YEP recently when a left wing protester named Carl Morphett claimed he’d had a letter sent to him stating ‘Watching you, be careful’. The YEP gave this a page 2 spread with a half page picture!

Double standards

These double standards are typical of the media bias against the patriotic folk who are risking lives, relationships and their livelihoods in the battle for Britain.

As support for the BNP grows, we can fight back against the media where it hurts, in their pockets. When united, the patriotic forces have enough consumer power to hurt those newspaper titles that fail to give impartial coverage to the BNP. A consumer boycott of titles such as the “YEP” will send out the clear message that we are not prepared to allow these kind of media attacks against us.

Debate needed

This is the level to which our opponents have descended. It is a wake up call to all decent politicians of all parties. Now is the time to engage the BNP’s campaigners in the Hustings, in open debate on TV and the radio. Argue with us about the points we raise, dismiss our claims if you can, let the voters decide who is talking sense and who best represents their aims and wishes.

Hot heads

By creating a climate of hostility towards the BNP and its supporters it is not surprising that a hot-headed opponents will drag the electoral process to the level of violence and intimidation witnessed in places like Zimbabwe.