NAZI in CULLODEN?

[frank ward]

The Scottish Socialist Party have written to Highland Council Convenor demanding a probe into BNP involvement in Culloden and Smithton Community Council after SSP members 'outed' their vice chair, Kenny Smith, as the Secretary of the the British National Party in Scotland earlier this week.

In the letter Highlands and Islands SSP spokesperson Steve Arnott calls on the Council Convenor to urge an investigation into Mr. Smith's involvement by an appropriate body to "restore the good name of community councils and civic life in the Highlands."

The SSP say that such an open and transparent investigation is now needed to restore public confidence after the complacent approach of other community council office-bearers to the revelations.

Steve Arnott said "Elected Highland councillors have rightly distanced themselves from this individual and his party's noxious policies of hate, but the attitude of some of Mr. Smith's fellow community councillors beggars belief.
The statement made in one of today's papers by Chairman David Lafferty that "it does not bother me that the vice-chairman is a high ranking official of the BNP" will do nothing to reassure the citizens of Smithton and Culloden that this matter is being dealt with properly. A community council is there to be open and welcoming to ALL members of the community.
Is Mr. Lafferty unaware that the party of which Mr. Smith is a "high ranking official" traces its origins back to Hitler's Nazi's and is responsible for promoting hatred and violence in the past towards Jews, black people, gay people, trade unionists, people of Irish descent and disabled people? Is he unaware that Mr. Smith has made national newspaper headlines before, when his neighbours on Lewis complained because he was flying the swastika in his garden on Hitler's birthday?

"Community councils are statutory bodies which receive funding from the Highland Council. This makes Mr. Lafferty's statement complacent in the extreme. It is now time for a proper investigation and the SSP calls on Highland Council to act with alacrity."

SSP Convenor Colin Fox MSP said "the price of democracy is vigilence. The BNP are the antithesis of democracy and I support the call for this to be investigated. This needs to be looked at further and deeper."

Issued by Highlands and Islands SSP
c/o 77 Hilton Court, Inverness for further comment call Steve on 07876 268 144

[golach]

I love it when the lunatic fringes start name calling and muck slinging, Pot, Kettle, Black & Calling are phrases that spring to mind

[kenimac1]

Couldn't agree more with you Golach. One's as bad as the other at different ends of the spectrum!

[captain chaos]

Surely this is just blatant political advertising by the ss p.

This is a message board not a political advertising board. [disgust]

Go peddle your wares elsewhere

[frank ward]

SSP WELCOMES CROSS PARTY CONDEMNATION OF BNP

The SSP has warmly welcomed the cross party condemnation of BNP activity in the Highlands by Danny Alexander MP and Fegus Ewing MSP. In particular, the SSP salute the decision of Danny Alexander to boycott the "Trafalgar" related event planned for October because of the involvement of Kenny Smith, Secretary of the neo-nazi BNP in Scotland, as chair of the organising committee.

Steve Arnott, SSP spokesperson said. "It is important that public representatives of all political parties unite to deplore the involvement of a leading idealogue of fascism and racism in this event. Doubly so, because the BNP website makes a clear call to its members to use Trafalgar Day as a way of infiltrating their ultra-right ideas into unsuspecting communities."

The SSP also expressed concerns that a session of Smithton and Culloden community council, who, with Mr.Smith, are behind the event, was held in secret with members of the community not allowed to attend or ask questions.

"Community Councils should be open to everyone in the area they represent and accountable to the area they represent," said Mr. Arnott. "Yet we read accounts in the press of closed sessions and ex-officebearers not being allowed to question decisions. Do they have something to hide? These bodies are statutory bodies that receive public funding from Highland Council and the council should now take whatever steps are necessary to make sure that this particular community council is operating properly and that it represents the views and interests of the whole community."