Action needed to stop Nick Griffin speaking at BNP rally at Cleveleys

It has been reported that the British National Party's leader Nick Griffin is to attend and speak at a BNP by-election rally to be held at the Frank Townend Centre, Kensington Road, Thornton Cleveleys at 7pm on Tuesday October 13th.

Although the local authority is under no obligation to allow this meeting to go ahead, Wyre Council's chief executive Jim Corry has allowed it, despite the fact that the Centre will be the polling station for the forthcoming Jubilee ward by-election and a rally of this kind at this late stage is inappropriate.

Clearly this meeting needs to be stopped if possible and demonstrated against if not, but first we need to attempt to get it cancelled by appealing to reason. Thus we're asking you all to call the Frank Townsend Centre to complain strongly (but politely), to let them know in no uncertain terms that we find this so-called rally both offensive and divisive for the community.

There doesn't appear to be an email address for the Centre but the phone number is 01253 863369. Jim Corry's number is 01253 891000 and his email address is jcorry@wyrebc.gov.uk.

Assuming the BNP rally is not cancelled, we will have a demonstration outside the building from 6pm on Tuesday October 13th. Bring warm clothes, banners, placards, whistles and as many of your friends as you can. IF the rally is cancelled, we'll let you know immediately.

Details of the location are below.

Frank Townend Community Centre

Kensington Road

Thornton Cleveleys

Lancashire

FY5 1ER

Tel: 01253 863369

There's a decent map here.

Soure: Lancaster Unity

'BNP has right to hold its rally here'

A British National Party rally is to be held in Cleveleys

Wyre's Labour Group has objected to the meeting, which will be held at the council-owned Frank Townend Centre on Beach Road at 7pm on Tuesday.

Nick Griffin, leader of the BNP, could be a speaker and the Labour group is worried there will be demonstrations. It has called for council bosses to step in and refuse permission for the rally – but Wyre Council has insisted the BNP has to be treated like any other political party before the Jubilee Ward by-election on October 22.

Labour group leader Coun Clive Grunshaw said: "Council premises should not be used in such a way during the middle of the Jubilee ward by-election. The Frank Townend Centre is in fact the site of the polling station for the by-election and giving permission for its use for political purposes at this time is clearly not appropriate.

"The fact is that Wyre Council is under no obligation to allow a political rally of this kind to take place on their premises. A rally by the BNP – which we believe to be addressed by Nick Griffin – will incite the inevitable demonstrations."

The Labour group also says it has concerns the community centre is in a densely populated area.

But Wyre chief executive Jim Corry said: "The BNP are a formally recognised political party and I am not going to make any distinction between them and any other political party when it comes to booking council facilities. I do not agree this will be viewed as the council giving tacit support to one particular organisation, not least as UKIP has booked the same venue on another occasion."

And the BNP branded the Labour group "undemocratic" by asking for the rally to be scrapped. BNP spokesman John Walker said: "The BNP is a mainstream political party, especially now in the North West we have a member of the European parliament. For the Labour group to ask for this meeting, which is a normal political meeting, to be banned is anti-democratic in the extreme."

Candidates for the by-election are James Clayton (BNP), Roy Hopwood (UKIP), Wayne Martin (Labour) and David Walmsley (Conservative).

Blackpool Gazette

09 October 2009