Town could cut links to French twin in far-right mayor row
STOCKPORT’S ties with its French twin town could be cut after its far-right mayor was fined for inciting racial hatred by a Paris court.
Front National politician Robert Menard was reprimanded for comments regarding schools in Béziers.
The case relates to tweets made by Mr Menard on September 1 last year, about what he saw as the ‘great replacement.’ The phrase is used to describe the alleged eviction of France’s white Christian population by migrants.
A few days later the right-wing mayor went even further, telling LCI television: “In a class in the city centre of my town, 91 per cent of the children are Muslims. Obviously, this is a problem. There are limits to tolerance.”
Mr Menard was found guilty of inciting racial hatred and fined £2,000 – as well as being hit with £1,800 in court costs to the antiracist groups that had brought the case.
Stockport has been twinned with Béziers since 1972. Town hall leader Alex Ganotis has criticised Mr Menard’s comments – and has vowed to give councillors a say on whether ties should be cut with the French town. He said: “I want to make clear my view that all our residents are equal and religion plays no part to which someone is welcome in our community.”
It is not the first time the relationship between the two towns has been called into question.
Stockport’s Labour group – then in opposition – called for the twinning agreement to be terminated in 2014 when Mr Menard was elected, claiming residents would not want to be associated with the views of the Front National. Mr Ganotis has now promised to take the issue to the council chamber. “In light of this criminal conviction and how it reflects on the administration of Beziers, I think it would be appropriate for Stockport council to once again question the twinning arrangement,” he said.