Bristol posties say no to delivering BNP leaflets
About 30 Bristol postmen and women are refusing to deliver election leaflets promoting the British National Party.
They have complained to their bosses after being told to take the leaflets with normal mail.
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Bristol posties say no to delivering BNP leaflets
The postal workers have accused Royal Mail bosses of bullying them into delivering the material.
But the party, which is constitutionally opposed to racial integration, campaigns for an immediate end to immigration and the voluntary resettlement of immigrants living legally in the UK "to their lands of ethnic origin", says the Royal Mail is legally obliged to deliver its election addresses.
It says the postal workers should not "pick and choose" what they deliver.
All the complaints have been made by postal workers during the past three days.
They say Royal Mail bosses are failing to honour an agreement made with the Communications Workers' Union in 2005, which allows staff to refuse to deliver literature they find offensive.
One postal worker, who has a round in Fishponds, has refused to deliver the BNP material.
The man, who asked not to be named, said: "We are being forced by management to give out the BNP material even though it's against my beliefs – everyone knows what they stand for. We are being made to dish out this rubbish.
"There's an agreement in place which says that if we don't believe in the material or what it stands for, we don't have to deliver it. But Royal Mail are ignoring that.
"Fishponds borders one or two areas where there is an ethnic population and it's concerning we are being made to deliver this stuff.
"I've spoken to other posties around Bristol and it's been going on in other units in the city as well.
"I've read the BNP literature and although there isn't anything on it which is fascist or racist, it does say 'no to immigration' on it."
Postal workers were first asked to start delivering the BNP leaflets earlier this week ahead of the European elections on June 4.
Dave Wilshire, spokesman for the Bristol branch of the Communication Workers' Union, said he had been contacted by nearly 30 postal workers about the leaflets.
He said: "Because a large number of our members are from ethnic minorities, the union negotiated something called a conscience clause in 2005.
"If workers don't want to deliver something because of their personal beliefs or if they feel they would be putting themselves in danger by delivering something, we agreed Royal Mail would deal with it sympathetically.
"In those circumstances, it was agreed that casual staff would be asked to deliver it or it would be delivered by someone who doesn't have a problem with it.
"I have been inundated with calls in the last 48 hours from people who want to use the clause. They have been told they must deliver the material regardless of their beliefs.
"They say they are being bullied and intimidated. We think there's no common sense being used.
"We are saying to our members that if they want to exercise their right not to deliver the material, we will fully support them."
A spokesman for Royal Mail said: "Where possible we will try to be flexible and sensitive to individual personal circumstances or beliefs.
"However, we need to balance this with Royal Mail's legal obligations, under the Representation of People Act, to deliver election material."
John Walker, spokesman for the BNP, said the Royal Mail was legally bound to deliver the party's election material.
He said: "The Royal Mail are duty-bound by law to make sure it's fully distributed and it's up to them to get the material out by whatever means.
"We will be monitoring all the areas to make sure we get the right coverage. It's not for postal workers to pick and choose which election leaflets they hand out."
According to its constitution, the BNP is "wholly opposed to any form of racial integration between British and non-European peoples" and "committed to stemming and reversing the tide of non-white immigration and to restoring, by legal changes, negotiation and consent the overwhelmingly white makeup of the British population that existed in Britain prior to 1948".
The constitution also restricts membership to 'Indigenous Caucasian' people.
It says: "The British National Party represents the collective National, Environmental, Political, Racial, Folkish, Social, Cultural, Religious and Economic interests of the indigenous Anglo-Saxon, Celtic and Norse folk communities of Britain and those we regard as closely related and ethnically assimilated or assimilable aboriginal members of the European race also resident in Britain."
205 Comments
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by Britannia, Bristol
Sunday, May 17 2009, 8:11PM
“Chris you are bang on with your comments.The EU is racist because they want to control and homogenize Europeans.Some Countries have had enough.Italy and France have a enviable Culture which is being eroded by migrants.Italy is going against EU policy and saying enough is enough.”
by a g rawlings, truro cornwall
Sunday, May 17 2009, 5:08PM
“Kelvin, I think you should get your facts from our history correct. Germany was never a threat or declared war on us and neither
did our people have a vote on it.
With regard to your further comment on a fascist run organisation that may be correct. But yet again I ask you to read your history with regard to our government that removed the Hebeas Corpus which was a fascist act carreid out by Mr Churchill our unelected leader, unlike Hitler who was elected. I do not support the BNP or any of the other parties that are about as useful as an ashtray on a motor bike. As for the flood of immirgrants, these are being used to keep our wages low and are exploited by a continuing flood of them coming in.”
by Chris, Bristol
Sunday, May 17 2009, 4:40PM
“Kelvin - "So much nonsense being talked about here, so many lies, half truths and misinformation." You are correct; let's look at a couple of them:
"Immigration is NOT to blame for white people being poor or having a lack of opportunity." If you were turned down for the job you were after because an immigrant was prepared to accept minimum wage, would it not be reasonable to blame that immigrant for your lack of opportunity? Of course, you could offer to accept minimum wage too...if that's the road you are prepared to travel: a race to the bottom.
"You only have to do a tiny bit of reserach to see that the BNP is fascist organisation". Fact: the true fascists are at number 10 at present. It is New Labour who wants ID cards for all, to turn this country ino an Islamic state, to keep a record of your every phone call and email, and web page you visit, and to keep a database of your every thought, action and movement.
"The sort of nasty, violent, hateful group that our parents / grandparents gave their lives to stop taking over this country": exactly why, I suppose, that the BNP counts amongst its supporters veterans of the 2nd world war.
"The BNP's manifesto would be laughable if it didn't have such serious connotations for the people they seek to repress." So, Kelvin, which points of the BNP manifesto are "laughable": their scrapping of plans for the ID card scheme and database state? Improved public transport? More organic farming? Tougher on crime? Pulling out of the EU (which currently makes 70% of our laws)? A ban on immigrants coming to our over-crowded island? Making Britain as self-sufficient as possible? Rejecting trendy modern teaching methods and political correctness? Promoting traditional British culture and its culture heritage?
Kelvin, you were right, there was much nonsense being talked about here; hopefully this corrects some of it.”
by tony, Mangotsfield
Sunday, May 17 2009, 2:30PM
“Kelvin, I will be going on holiday with my family and spending my very hard earned cash in another country where a lot of immigrants are coming from and am hoping to see and digest a different culture & liefstyle where I hope my children will also benefit. I am not a racist and will not be voting anyone but everyone and every party has a right to have their opinions heard. I have a job but my wife does not, she has been making several job applications a week for the last 2 months and has only been offered 1 interview. We are talking non skilled labour as well as jobs that require the qualifications she has. What I don't want is for my 3 children to grow up and there not to be any work available as all these immigrants will at some point settle down and have children, which is fair enough, but can we not have a limit? How do other countries manage? Why come to britain, it is not exactly the best place to live.”
by Kelvin, Easton
Sunday, May 17 2009, 12:49PM
“So much nonsense being talked about here, so many lies, half truths and misinformation.
Immigration is NOT to blame for white people being poor or having a lack of opportunity. This is the product of an economic and class system that has for hundreds of years kept the majority on the breadline while the minority live lives of luxury. There is more than enough wealth in this country for everyone (including the small percentage of immigrants) to have a good standard of living. Unfortunately, it is easier for the rich elite to divert attention away from themselves and get the poor to fight each other along racial / ethnic lines. You are being lied to and laughed at.
You only have to do a tiny bit of reserach to see that the BNP is fascist organisation, the sort of nasty, violent, hateful group that our parents / grandparents gave their lives to stop taking over this country. The BNP's manifesto would be laughable if it didn't have such serious connotations for the people they seek to repress.
And as for Tony from Mangotsfield not being able to vote for the BNP because of a holiday - I presume you're not going abroad to associate with the families of these scary people who are bringing Great Britain to it's knees....”