City Hall chief executive believes that BNP deputy leader Simon Darby, who works part-time at the GLA, has a 'prima facie' case to answer for remarks about John Sentamu and fellow Ugandans
A City Hall investigation is under way after a senior BNP official on the devolved London government's payroll described the archbishop of York, John Sentamu, as an "ambitious African" and said his fellow Ugandans threw spears at their enemies.
The Guardian understands that City Hall's chief executive, Leo Boland, decided to act following concerns raised by Boris Johnson, the Conservative mayor of London.
Sentamu, who fled Idi Amin's dictatorship in 1974, had criticised comments made by the BNP chairman, Nick Griffin, who said that black and Asian Britons "do not exist". But in a series of interviews and online comments, the party's deputy leader, Simon Darby, who has a part-time job at the Greater London authority, attacked the archbishop saying he should "not interfere in the political process".
"He's not in any position to tell me or anyone else who is, or isn't, English. If I went to a Uganda village and told them that they were all genetic mongrels and that anyone could be Ugandan I'd still be picking spears out of myself now."
On his blog Darby, who also tops the BNP candidate list in the Midlands in the forthcoming European elections, added: "Our old friend John Sentamu, or to give him his full name John Tucker Mugabi Sentamu, has been up to his old tricks once again. As if the responsibilities of being the archbishop of York were not enough the ambitious African has apparently used his power and influence to kindly bestow upon the world the right to be English."
A source close to City Hall told the Guardian that Boland believes that there is a "prima facie" case for Darby to answer. Though Darby, who works for the London assembly's lone BNP member, Richard Barnbrook, is not in a politically restricted post, he is subject to a code of conduct governing all staff.
Earlier this week, Jon Cruddas, Labour MP for Dagenham, condemned Darby's comments and said he should face disciplinary action for breaching his employment contract to "promote equality of opportunity".
Darby has insisted his comments were not racist. "I don't see how that is offensive or racist. It can be twisted or distorted to look that way, but what I am saying is factual. There are lots of indigenous people there [in Uganda] and in the bush they have spears – that is their lifestyle. I am not implying that all Ugandan people use spears at all. I was speaking specifically about the indigenous people. The spear is an integral part of their culture and lifestyle."
Polling experts believe that the far-right party has a chance of picking up its first seats in the European parliament in the June although leaked documents obtained by the anti-fascist organisation Searchlight show it has already scaled back its ambitions to focus on two regions, the north-west and the west Midlands.
"They had hoped to hide their campaign of hate behind a mask of respectability, but now that has been torn away," said a Searchlight spokesman. "Even someone as internationally respected as Dr Sentamu is not immune from their poisonous slurs."
The Guardian
Showing posts with label John Sentamu. Show all posts
Showing posts with label John Sentamu. Show all posts
3 May 2009
BNP race row with Dr John Sentamu over 'spear-thrower' comments
The deputy leader of the British National Party has made an astonishing attack on Dr John Sentamu, the former Bishop of Birmingham, describing his Ugandan countrymen as SPEAR-THROWERS.
Simon Darby blasted Dr Sentamu, now Archbishop of York, after the cleric criticised the BNP’s controversial call for black and Asian Britons to be described as “racial foreigners” in future.Darby, who is bidding to become a Midlands Euro MP, said: “Dr Sentamu should not interfere in the political process. He’s not in any position to tell me or anyone else who is, or isn’t, English. If I went to Uganda and told them that they were all genetic mongrels and that anyone could be Ugandan I’d still be picking spears out of myself now.”
He also described Dr Sentamu as an “anti-British zealot” and an “ambitious African” – warning that he should “have thought about the consequences” of speaking out against the BNP.
The war of words broke out after last week’s statement by BNP Leader Nick Griffin that black and Asian Britons should be described as “racial foreigners”, and “no more British than an Englishman living in Hong Kong is Chinese”. He was defending a BNP election leaflet which stated that black and Asian Britons “do not exist”, adding that the use of the terms denied “the English their own identity”. It was leading to a “bloodless genocide” in the UK, Griffin added.
Outraged by the suggestion, Uganda-born Dr Sentamu said it was not up to the BNP to define Englishness.
“You don’t have to be a member of the BNP to be clearly English,” he said. “It is quite a mistake to suggest that everybody who wants to affirm Englishness affirms that narrow thinking. This ‘bloodless genocide’? I think that is just language which is beyond belief.”
Writing on the internet, BNP spokesman Simon Darby then made the savage attack on the Archbishop.
Under the headline ‘And the Lord said, arise though art all English’ Darby stated: “Our old friend John Sentamu, or to give him his full name John Tucker Mugabi Sentamu, has been up to his old tricks once again. As if the responsibilities of being the Archbishop of York were not enough, the ambitious African has apparently used his power and influence to kindly bestow upon the world the right to be English.”
Adding criticism of Labour MP Shahid Malik, Darby wrote: “I somewhat doubt whether or not this collection of professional anti-British zealots, who try oh so very hard to disguise their true motivations, have thought about the consequences of BNP success in spite of their very public interference. However, what is certain is that should the BNP triumph in Yorkshire or elsewhere, the likes of Malik and Sentamu will be able to wallow in their newly acclaimed marginalisation, obscurity and irrelevance for years.”
Yesterday anti-fascist campaigners Searchlight condemned Mr Darby’s comments.
“Simon Darby’s threats and thinly veiled racism expose the true face of the BNP,” they said. “Dr Sentamu is internationally respected, but even he is not immune from the smears and hate being peddled by Darby and his colleagues. It’s a measure of Darby’s desperation that he is resorting to these vicious attacks on a man of Faith.”
But last night, Darby was unmoved.
“As soon as anyone speaks out defending the English they are branded racist,” he said. “It’s ridiculous. This is all part of a smear campaign by Labour in the run-up to the European elections. I have no criminal convictions so so they are trying to insinuate I’m racist.”
The attack on Dr Sentamu follows the revelation that the BNP has been producing posters claiming Jesus Christ would support the BNP and their policies.
Sunday Mercury
Simon Darby blasted Dr Sentamu, now Archbishop of York, after the cleric criticised the BNP’s controversial call for black and Asian Britons to be described as “racial foreigners” in future.Darby, who is bidding to become a Midlands Euro MP, said: “Dr Sentamu should not interfere in the political process. He’s not in any position to tell me or anyone else who is, or isn’t, English. If I went to Uganda and told them that they were all genetic mongrels and that anyone could be Ugandan I’d still be picking spears out of myself now.”
He also described Dr Sentamu as an “anti-British zealot” and an “ambitious African” – warning that he should “have thought about the consequences” of speaking out against the BNP.
The war of words broke out after last week’s statement by BNP Leader Nick Griffin that black and Asian Britons should be described as “racial foreigners”, and “no more British than an Englishman living in Hong Kong is Chinese”. He was defending a BNP election leaflet which stated that black and Asian Britons “do not exist”, adding that the use of the terms denied “the English their own identity”. It was leading to a “bloodless genocide” in the UK, Griffin added.
Outraged by the suggestion, Uganda-born Dr Sentamu said it was not up to the BNP to define Englishness.
“You don’t have to be a member of the BNP to be clearly English,” he said. “It is quite a mistake to suggest that everybody who wants to affirm Englishness affirms that narrow thinking. This ‘bloodless genocide’? I think that is just language which is beyond belief.”
Writing on the internet, BNP spokesman Simon Darby then made the savage attack on the Archbishop.
Under the headline ‘And the Lord said, arise though art all English’ Darby stated: “Our old friend John Sentamu, or to give him his full name John Tucker Mugabi Sentamu, has been up to his old tricks once again. As if the responsibilities of being the Archbishop of York were not enough, the ambitious African has apparently used his power and influence to kindly bestow upon the world the right to be English.”
Adding criticism of Labour MP Shahid Malik, Darby wrote: “I somewhat doubt whether or not this collection of professional anti-British zealots, who try oh so very hard to disguise their true motivations, have thought about the consequences of BNP success in spite of their very public interference. However, what is certain is that should the BNP triumph in Yorkshire or elsewhere, the likes of Malik and Sentamu will be able to wallow in their newly acclaimed marginalisation, obscurity and irrelevance for years.”
Yesterday anti-fascist campaigners Searchlight condemned Mr Darby’s comments.
“Simon Darby’s threats and thinly veiled racism expose the true face of the BNP,” they said. “Dr Sentamu is internationally respected, but even he is not immune from the smears and hate being peddled by Darby and his colleagues. It’s a measure of Darby’s desperation that he is resorting to these vicious attacks on a man of Faith.”
But last night, Darby was unmoved.
“As soon as anyone speaks out defending the English they are branded racist,” he said. “It’s ridiculous. This is all part of a smear campaign by Labour in the run-up to the European elections. I have no criminal convictions so so they are trying to insinuate I’m racist.”
The attack on Dr Sentamu follows the revelation that the BNP has been producing posters claiming Jesus Christ would support the BNP and their policies.
Sunday Mercury
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