Published: 04/07/2007 00:00 - Updated: 06/01/2009 00:53

BNP member campaigned for election candidate

BY ROB GIBSON
The party which took third place at the city's most recent by-election has been branded right wing... by the BNP.

BNP: Barry Taylor campaigned for the England First Party at Whaddon by-electionAnna Seymour, of the England First Party, (EFP) says she quit the BNP in 2003 and was unaware one of her campaigners, Barry Taylor, was still a member when she took eight per cent of the votes last Thursday.

The revelations emerged following an investigation by self-proclaimed anti-Fascist organisation Searchlight which suggested some of the team were attempting to 'hide behind a flag of inconvenience'.

The EFP took 221 votes, finishing ahead of the Lib Dems and UKIP in Whaddon ward.

The south-east regional organiser for the BNP, Roger Robertson, confirmed that Mr Taylor was dismissed when the party found out about his actions with the rival organisation.

Mr Robertson said: "Barry Taylor faced disciplinary action and has been dismissed for his actions. We found out at the time that he was assisting and as a consequence his membership was withdrawn immediately."

Insisting that Mrs Seymour only ended her membership with the BNP a year ago, he added: "We were disappointed that she left and she didn't run as a candidate for our party."

National spokesman for the BNP, Dr Philip Edwards, said BNP members are not allowed to campaign for the EFP.

He said: "We don't approve of the EFP, they have extreme views that are not appropriate for our development."

Mrs Seymour, who is married to a black American and has two mixed-race children, said she was delighted by her shock result and claimed she left the BNP because of its racism.

She said: "I must congratulate my campaign team - without them it wouldn't have happened.

I left the BNP because they were very racist.

"I wasn't aware that Barry was still a member of the BNP. He's a very good friend of mine so I would have had him on my team even if I had known.

"It's none of my business which party my campaigners belong to, we don't ask them." Mr Taylor, who ran a website on behalf of Luton BNP supporters, refused to comment.

Cllr Camilla Turnbull, who won the by-election with 1,108 votes, said: "Everyone should be upfront about their history, particularly Anna Seymour in this case.

"We were aware of the EFP's background but I was just happy with the overall result."
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