Mosley faces questions over racist pamphlet
Max Mosley is facing questions over whether he lied under oath about a racist leaflet which he is said to have published in support of a candidate for the party of his father, Oswald Mosley, in 1961. The former F1 boss is named on a pamphlet claiming “coloured immigrants threaten your children’s health”. He had told the High Court reports of such a leaflet were “absolute nonsense”. He has denied perjuring himself during his 2008 privacy case against the News of the World.
MAX MOSLEY last night faced questions over whether he lied under oath about a racist leaflet which he is said to have published in support of a farright candidate.
While campaigning on behalf a candidate for the party of Sir Oswald Mosley, his father, the former Formula 1 boss is named as the publisher on a pamphlet claiming that “coloured immigrants threaten your children’s health” and that immigrants “brought leprosy, syphilis and TB”.
The multi-millionaire, 77, previously told the High Court that reports of the leaflet distributed during the 1961 by- election in Moss Side, Manchester, were “absolute nonsense”.
Last night, he denied perjuring himself during a 2008 privacy case, saying that he believed at the time, and still believes, that his answers were true.
When asked by Channel 4 News if he was concerned that he may have perjured himself he replied: “That is the most offensive question that you should not ask.” He insisted: “I have never been a racist, I am not a racist, never will be a racist.”
The leaflet, now obtained by the
Daily Mail, in support of Walter Hesketh, a Union Movement candidate, is held in the Working Class Movement Library in Salford. Mr Mosley, who has given half a million pounds to fund the office of Tom Watson, said that he will continue to give money to the Labour deputy leader and remained a “proper person” to do so.
Mr Watson has told the Daily Mail that he is “proud” to call Mr Mosley a friend, adding: “The views expressed by Max as a young man are not the views he holds now.”
During Mr Mosley’s case against the News of the World – he successfully sued for breach of his privacy after it published details of an orgy he held – he was asked about the leaflet by Mark Warby, the newspaper’s QC.
He said that he did not recall sending out a leaflet “urging voters to send the blacks home” when he was acting as the election agent for Mr Hesketh.
The tabloid newspaper did not have a copy of the leaflet, only a newspaper article detailing its existence. The leaflet has been obtained by the Daily Mail and carries his name at the bottom. He said that the “truth” was that he had challenged the QC to produce the leaflet and he could not, and he had still not seen the original. He suggested it could be a hoax. He said: “If it is genuine it doesn’t reflect my views today.”
The privacy campaigner said that the unearthing of the leaflet is an attempt to distract from his current effort to use data protection laws to “erase” historic articles about him including those about his orgy. He is also attempting to stop newspapers reporting that he is bankrolling Impress, the only state-recognised press regulator.