PM condemns Greens for ‘pandering to racism’
PRIME Minister Theresa May has condemned Green Party councillors in Solihull for supposedly “pandering to racism” by trying to win votes from BNP supporters.
It comes after it was revealed Green activists were told that if they met a BNP supporter while canvassing, they should encourage them to go to the polling station in the hope that they might vote Green.
The advice was contained in a detailed document called “How to Win an Election”, written by Chris Williams, the party’s Regional Manager for Elections and a councillor in Solihull.
Mrs May spoke after she was questioned by Solihull Conservative MP Julian Knight during Prime Minister’s Questions in the Commons.
He said: “Not long ago we had the horror of three pigs heads being left outside a Muslim community centre in Solihull.
“Then the EDL thugs came to my proud multicultural town, and we turned our backs on them.
“In this light, will the Prime Minister join me in condemning utterly the actions of a Solihull Green councillor, as reported in the Birmingham Mail, who has written a guide about how to attract and trick BNP voters.
“There is no place for pandering to racism in my town or in our politics.”
The Prime Minister told him: “I absolutely agree with him.
“There is no place in our society for pandering to racism of any sort.
“And we should send a very clear message of that from the whole of this House.”
Mrs May also said that the Government was making more money available to protect places of worship.
The Green Party said the ment was no longer in use.
In a section on canvassing, the document invited activists to imagine they were in a seat where the Greens were challenging Labour, and explained how to respond if a voter said they backed the BNP or UKIP.
The document said: “If they say BNP or UKIP, then do not tell them that there is no BNP or UKIP candidate (unless they are very antiGreen) but if they appear to be very anti-Labour, then we do want them to go to the polling station.
“When they get there, they will see no BNP or UKIP candidate and so may vote Green instead.”
Instead, activists were told to say: “Do you know you have three Labour Councillors in this area at the moment, which means they have the monopoly? [Candidate] has been working all year round – you have probably seen the newsletters – and docu- so you may wish to consider voting for him in order to keep Labour out. It’s a two-horse race around here between Labour and [candidate].”
The Green Party are the official opposition in Solihull, with 11 councillors. Nationwide they have one MP and are led by Sian Berry and Jonathan Bartley.
The BNP is a far right party which believes in putting “British” people first and also argues that only ethnic white Europeans can be British.
In a statement earlier this month, a Green Party spokesman said: “The document referred to is a now old guide to conversations on the doorsteps where we will encounter constituents from all political persuasions, who have voted in a variety of ways over the course of their voting lives.
“The Green Party will always listen to voters on the doorstep and will not make judgements about them based on their voting intentions past or present.
“We know that many people feel frustrated and disenfranchised by mainstream politics and have looked for an alternative.”
The spokesperson said: “The Green Party offers a solution of hope, not hate, and we are proud to have taken seats from UKIP, erased the BNP in Solihull and to offer an anti establishment alternative that can challenge the politics of hate.
“Only by winning votes from the disenfranchised and changing the narrative can we defeat the far right, which the Green Party is helping to do.”