'No place for politics of hate and division'

LLANELLI politicians have roundly condemned a leaflet circulated by the British National Party (BNP) in the town as motivated by hatred.

The leaflet, under the banner Llanelli Patriot, bears the BNP logo and states "billions given away to foreigners, while child poverty eats at the heart of Britain".

But Jeff Hopkins, chairman of the Polish Welsh Mutual Association, said: "The BNP leaflet, circulating in Llanelli, preys on the fears and anxieties of workers who are having to face the deepest financial recession in our country's living memory.

"The attack is aimed at destabilising our political system, and is reminiscent of the attacks perpetrated by National Socialism in Germany during the years before the Second World War.

"Many of us in the UK have supported the European Union as a means to a lasting peace in Europe. Our parties will have to meet the challenges the recession will thrust upon them, particularly with regard to social cohesion."

As well as the BNP logo, the leaflet also features logos of newspapers, including the Evening Post and the Daily Mail, although there is no connection between the newspapers and the leaflet's production.

Llanelli councillor John Jenkins said: "We are lucky the BNP are completely irrelevant in Llanelli.

"Every five years at the European elections the BNP send two of their goons to Llanelli to hand out leaflets.

"It did them no good in 2004, and it won't do them any good ahead of the next elections. It is politics of the worst kind. The best we can do is ignore it."

Plaid AM for Llanelli, Helen Mary Jones, said: "I'm disappointed to hear that there's anybody who wants to put this kind of poisonous stuff out in Llanelli. There's no place for politics of hate and division.

"It is unspeakable that they are trying to take advantage of people who have genuine worries about their jobs and their future to peddle their loathsome politics. But I'm confident the vast majority of people in Llanelli will take no notice."

Huw Richards, chairman of Carmarthenshire Council, disputed claims by the BNP that there were 8,000 Poles in the area.

He said: "The figure is totally out of synch — we reckon there's about 2,000. We have to condemn anything that takes this sort of attitude.

"It's certainly not good news as far as we are concerned. The world has problems, but it's by working together that we solve them."

Kevin Edwards, who stood as a BNP candidate in Penygroes in the Carmarthenshire Council elections and polled 25 per cent of the vote, said leaflets were handed out in the centre of Llanelli.

"Not only were leaflets handed out, but we ran out of our supply of Voice of Freedom newspapers, as well as selling a few mugs and Wales BNP badges."

The BNP website declared: "Residents described how they were disgusted with the way Plaid and Labour treated them as second-class citizens.

"Without exception, locals treated us like a conquering army stating they would never vote for traitors again, and that we had their vote."