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RSSWhy is the postman trying to force BNP leaflets on me?
Hateful literature thrust upon me in my own doorway.
By Sholto Byrnes Published 02 May 2010 14:12
I was sifting through the post with the front door to my shared house open on Friday afternoon when a man appeared and attempted to thrust a bunch of garishly coloured leaflets on me.
"What are they for?" I asked, for although I was crouching next to the recycling box, I saw no need to load it down with yet more pizza delivery adverts when I could merely say we didn't want them.
"The BNP," said the man, whom I then realised was in fact the postman. "We don't want them," I replied. "Just take them," he insisted. "You can always throw them away." "No," I refused, my voice raised by now, as I was angry that anyone should attempt to force the BNP's literature on me in my own home.
After a bit more of this toing and froing, the postman eventually departed, still bearing the leaflets. I last saw him entering the premises of the Israeli-born designer Ron Arad, whom I imagine was just as delighted to receive him.
What made the incident all the more shocking was that the postman was south Asian. Now I don't know if he, like David Cameron's black man in Plymouth, is of the view that levels of immigration in the UK are too high. But I can say that his accent was sufficiently strong for me to doubt that he was born here, and that I never expected to have BNP leaflets almost forced on me by someone the party would like out of the country -- so much so that Nick Griffin would offer him £50,000 to return to his "ancestral home".
I discovered later that all parties have the right to one free leaflet drop by the Royal Mail. However, according to the Communication Workers Union, there is supposed to be a "conscience clause" that allows postal workers to refuse to deliver literature they find offensive. If so, it's not something of which my postman seemed to be aware.
"You shouldn't be giving these out," the (part-Cypriot) shopkeeper next door had said to him. "I have to," was the response. There were complaints about this a year ago, with the CWU accusing the Royal Mail of "effectively bullying" posties into handing such leaflets out.
In a highly racially mixed area like Camden, where I live, this could easily be putting postal workers at risk of physical attack. If anyone had tried to deliver BNP leaflets yesterday or today, when the streets have been packed with well-refreshed hordes going on the "Camden Crawl", I hate to think what could have happened.
"I feel quite sick now," said my shopkeeper neighbour afterwards -- and so did I.
In the past I have gone out of my way to defend the BNP's right to free speech. After having some of their hateful literature thrust upon me in my own doorway, a doorway that leads to a house in which every single flat has at least one Asian or Jewish occupant -- and by my own postman! -- I think I will be ever-so-slightly less inclined to do so in future.
Tags: Election 2010 BNP
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Sholto Byrnes is a Contributing Editor to the New Statesman
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48 comments
goodbye england.as for the rest enjoy your multiculture that is been democratically forced down your necks.
How can anyone know the leaflet is offensive without reading it first.
Obviously this is an indication of your own ignorance.
Perhaps if you actually read it you might agree with a lot of its contents.
Ignorance is a measure of intelligence.
We are paid 1.67p per household to deliver each leaflet. Each week there are a max of 3 which bolsters our pay by a grand total of £20-25. Get prepared for 'unlimited' leaflets each week through your letterbox thanks to the agreement, we are not being paid any more for this. As for the BNP issue, they have as much right to stick there leaflet through your door as anyone else, it's called a democracy. If you don't want them opt out via Royal Mail.
Bob and any other BNP supporters; save your breath. I can't imagine you are going to convince anyone who reads a publication like the New Statesman to vote BNP. Why not go on The Sun website or better still just die.
w.r.t. the postman's conscience; if it's legal it should get delivered. Free speech means hearing things you don't like sometimes.
I'm voting BNP and many more are
so get ready for the shock friday morning
Liberals are pathetic hypocrits. The woman who wrote this condemns a Party she knows nothing about and before she has read their literature. Another lefty above says he would destroy the whole batch of leaflets if he was able to so that he could help destroy the democratic process and deny people the opportunity to make an informed choice on who they vote for. Pathetic. Liberalism is an ideological straightjacket full of contradictory flowery ideas which are not supported by the facts. Open your minds, see the truth around you and vote BNP.
I have to get shit and lies from the main 3 parties , it would be nice to have an honest bnp leaflet.
@Warren
Well done, you show us who the true HATERS are.
"Why not go on The Sun website or better still just die. "
ps,
They're NOT the BNP.
It just shows the mentality of the Anti-British that they have a special group called Hope-not-Hate who HATE the BNP.
Maybe they don't see the Irony.
I feel exactly the same way about the lying flyers from the Labour Party. Bit of your own medicine...eh?
Is there some sort of mailing list that alerts you twits whenever a left leaning article is published about the BNP? Do you really think your daft comments will change the mind of any New Statesman readers?
PS I didn't mean to imply all Sun readers are BNP voters, I just meant they might actually have some sympathy for your silly opinions.
@Warren the HATER
Do you think that Anti-BNP rantings on here will stop people voting BNP ?
Irony - WHOOSH - straight over your head.
I feel sick reading this crap, from a bigot. he say the postman could have been attacked, well that proves the point to me. we dont need anymore criminals in this country that attack people. thats why I am voting BNP
Come on now - let's stop all of this bickering. These leaflets cost a fortune, would it do any harm to read them before passing your extreme left wing judgement and actually thinking (independant thought)before casting them to your "recycling bins"
Its going to be interesting to see the lefties squirm in the coming years as their beloved labour party gets destroyed and the whole of the UK electorate drifts back to the middle ground where indiginous British people are put first before the liberty taking flotsum and jetsum of the 3rd world.
The BNP's isn't a complex message. You won't get very far claiming that people don't know what it stands for.
Liberalism, on the other hand, goes back centuries. You've not got the faintest clue what it actually means, other than a vague feeling that you disagree with it.
BNP voters: you're morons. Everyone knows you're morons. Your leaflets won't sway anyone who isn't a moron themselves. I'd wish you luck for polling day, but I don't want to push it - it's already a miracle that you remember to feed yourselves.
I was not going to vote in this election but I feel a bit guilty in saying after reading the BNP manifesto I feel I must vote for them. Where I live in SE London there are African gangster gangs everywhere, crime is out of control, shooting, muggins, stabings, all I hear is police sirens day and night, I live in constant fear, never hear about most of it in the news though unless its a kid that is killed, and there are cameras everywhere. I love London but will have to move out soon because I can't take it any more.
To all you people out there that are not sure about the BNP, I urge you to go to their website and read their policies, THEN make up your minds. The trouble is that the establishment owned media have done such a wonderful job of brainwashing the public against the BNP that people REALLY believe all the LIES that have been put out. Check out the BNP website for yourselves, don't be coerced by the lying media.
Gwen - BNP voters: you're morons.
How very true. All the Labour supporters I ever met though have been noteable for their high intelligence, open mindedness and lack of chippy attitude.
The best thing about Labour supporters though is that they are completely unbigoted
http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/society/word-%27bigot%27-loses-all-me...
there is freedom of speech or there is not. there is democracy or there is not. what ever you may dislike im quite sure if your right to make that decision was taken away/ which the goverment r working on. the last thing on your mind will be a leaflet
BNP leaflets be rather less offensive than Liebours leaflets !
Good on your postie... wish ours would do the same... free speech et al !
Shove them in an envelope and post them back to the BNP (and any other party you don't like).
I think that most bnp voters should take a look at the polls.............. Yep that's right not one seat!, this just shows that common British folk have the decency not to vote for such a bigotted, Nazi party. It shows that there are more decent people in Britain. Just one look at the bnp website disgusts me.
My Dad used to be a postman and I raised the same issue with him the other day. I was also perturbed that all previously received campaign literature had been posted by party volunteers, yet the BNP had seemingly bypassed this tedium and were using the Royal Mail to do their dirty work.
My Dad replied that any BNP literature he was required to deliver would find it's way to a recycling bank before it had a chance to grace anyone's letter box.
His friend at work was more imaginative in his response. He did deliver his consignment but only after spending the previous evening drawing a Hitler fringe and moustache onto every Nick Griffin fronted leaflet he posted.
By the way, please keep the pro-BNP posts coming - it makes for great comedy while we're waiting for the next update on the spEak You're bRanes website.
Warning, this is your last chance to save this country vote bnp, if not ukip, or concervative. or say goodbye to England
Warren - The New Statesman attracts a better class of sucker than the Mail or the Sun.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propaganda_model
That doesn't make you any more open minded or less bigoted.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bigot
So the author finds BNP leaflets offensive. Many also find nulabours leaflets offensive and the attitude of liberal elitists in Camden offensive. Its called a free society.
Isn't it also funny that the author himself has canvassesed for opposing political parties and I bet then he didn't have a problem with postman.
Sholto you seem to be a hypocrite and articles like this push more people to support the BNP.
Dylan - please keep the pro-BNP posts coming - it makes for great comedy
Not nearly such great comedy as seeing a lot of lefties earnestly supporting the neo-liberal policy of open borders
vote for the lazy thug prescot party vote labour.
vote for hips on your property at £500 vote labour.
vote for fraud vote labour
vote for selling gold for nothing voter labour
vote for more imigrants vote labour and liberals
or vote for change vote BNP and save the country.
dylon says
My Dad replied that any BNP literature he was required to deliver would find it's way to a recycling bank
thankyou dylon for sharing your criminal family story, just reinforces my view of you lefty labour thugs, all bloody criminals
yes I had a labour leaflete the other day, how dare they push there filth in to my letter box. I told the post man to take it back, I did not want the anti british labour party in my letter box.
To be so traumatised by a political pamphlet during an election campaign indicates that your mental health is in question - Seek psychiatric help before you do something silly!!!
Take a deep breath before reading this - Defend democracy, Vote BNP!
The 'Conscience Clause' became part of the postal workers contracts by negotiation on behalf of the 'Communication Workers Union'.
It seems to me that the Communications Workers Union is trying to subvert democracy.
In the Uk, everybody has a voice whether you agree with them or not, if you disagree with this principle, then go and live in China where some one can be murdered for disagreeing with the state.
look, I know it's a backward argument, but the postman was just doing his job, your gripe should be with the Royal Mail, not your local postie who no doubt has to go through this kind of treatment from middle class busy bodies complaining about leaving gates open or not pushing letters all the way through.
I'm not trying to dismiss your argument, it is important, however it is not an issue your postman can do anything to help, you will have to go down to the Royal Mail. I work in the service industry and get people like you all the time, the sort who will have a go at me, but when I offer to get management (someone who can really deal with your problem), you back down and run with your tail between your legs!
I'm as disgusted to get any junk mail, whether it be for Dominoes Pizza, new double glazing, the BNP or for that matter the Tories, but start/join a campaign against it, not a winge with your unfortunate mail delivery personnel who as I said, just wants to get on with his job.
Take your name off the electoral register, you will then stop receiving party promotional material.
Would rather you had done a piece on the Christian Partys poster launch in Barking, or perhaps the BNP creating a base in Dagenham to go with their Barking base. Y'know, real issues? Instead you take a swipe at postal workers. Classy.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/election_2010/8656154.stm
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23829745-people-like-us-p...
You defend BNPs right to free speech but then make a Postman's job, a legal and respected one, more difficult because you could not throw the rubbish from the BNP in your bin. Hypocrisy writ large to my way of thinking.
By the way Royal Mail management have unilaterally in my area and nationally they say, removed our right to refuse to deliver based on moral grounds, perhaps though you have given us an efficiency or a H&S reason.
Perhaps you should aim your ire in the correct direction, the BNP Party for the leaflet and Management for making him deliver it.
Just when you thought lefty self-righteousness couldn't get any more ridiculous, something like this comes along to convince us that LSR is indeed a bottomless well pumping out endless amusement.
Maybe 'Sholto' would feel differently about what is happening to Britain if he/she were indigenous. You couldn't care less how ordinary English people feel about their country being colonised, could you.
I find your attitude pretty sickening to be perfectly honest.
The English have had enough.
Maybe 'Sholto' would feel differently about what is happening to Britain if he/she were indigenous. You couldn't care less how ordinary English people feel about their country being colonised, could you.
I find your attitude pretty sickening to be perfectly honest.
The English have had enough.
I have views here that I'm aware are hypocritical. I'm not actually one of those who passionately defends the BNP's right to free speech as I'm of the view that when they speak, they generally attempt to curtail the rights of others. I think there's an argument for banning the party altogether and if I saw a stack of their leaflets ready to be delivered I might even consider destroying them.
HOWEVER, there's no way the postman is culpable, and I don't think that the CWU conscience clause is a good idea at all. If it's in the post-sack then it should be delivered, regardless of the postie's conscience. Some postmen might think that Labour's war in Iraq or the Conservatives policy on inheritance tax is against their conscience and refuse to deliver communication from those parties, or they might object to delivering personally addressed religious or pornographic items - would this be acceptable?
If it's legal then the postman should be legally obliged to deliver it - and not criticised for doing so.
Bob; "colonised"? Really? Don't wet yourself.
Duke
You must be blind mate, or one of those multiculti loving hypocrites like Billy the Bragg, who chooses to live in pristine white Dorset.
Save your BS, no one believes it anymore.
Beware Cameron?
Tory leader not to support Burqa ban
Thursday, April 15, 2010
By By Murtaza Ali Shah
LONDON: Pakistan and Afghanistan will be the single-most important foreign policy commitment of an incoming Conservative government, says David Cameron, who is leading the 6th May election race in Britain with almost 8 points lead.
In an exclusive interview, the Tory leader said if he forms the government in a monthís time, Pakistan will find a strong partner committed to the beleaguered nationís stability and prosperity.
David Cameron told The News that once in power, the Tories will continue to assist the Government of Pakistan in education, healthcare and employment, particularly in areas that have been affected by the recent campaign against insurgents.
After he became the Conservative Leader, Cameron spent two days with a British-Pakistani Muslim family, the Rehmans, in Birmingham. He says the experience strengthened his conviction about the right way to build a more cohesive Britain.
Cameron promises that he will take concrete measures to promote integration of various communities in the mainstream and it will not be one of those tactics already applied by the Labour. He will start by tackling the poison of racism and bigotry.
“The truth is that your skin colour still unjustly affects the patterns of your life ñ from whether you are born in poverty to how you do at school; from being a victim of crime to not getting a job. Itís wrong and it needs to change.”
Promoting community interaction and bringing people together is a must and he has proposed to create a National Citizen Service programme for 16-year olds to give them a chance to mix with people from different backgrounds.
He promises that if his party wins the election on 6th may, he will review all counter-terrorism legislation to make sure there is the right balance between security and our civil liberties.
“Under Tories, there will be more Muslim men and women at the top of Britainís businesses. It means more Muslim soldiers in the highest levels of command in our Army. It means getting many, many more Muslims into our Parliament.”
He held up Pakistani-origin boxer Amir Khan and business mogul Sir Anwar Pervez as the role models who inspire everyone. “If I become prime minister, I am determined to help and encourage and promote more role models so that together we can build a country open to the talents of everyone.”
Muslims in Britain have been under attack in many forms since the 9/11 and 7/7 tragedies. Far-right groups, British National Party, National Front and a new group English Defence League (EDF) have made the Muslims target of their hate campaign.
Cameron says the standoffs between Muslim communities and the EDF are “extremely worrying”. He promises that he will sort out these problems by changing the way the communities are policed, with more community beat meetings, less paperwork, and much more time for police to spend on patrol and dealing with hate crimes.
David Cameron said that he will not support a ban on the Burqa, as suggested by some of his party leaders. When reminded that his party had opposed legislation intended to outlaw incitement to religious hatred, Cameron said he opposed the law just because he thought it will curtail free speech and went too far.
Won't be voting for Cameron then !
Didums Shito Byrnes has your toys been thrown out of your pram then
Nobody hates the Lib Lab Con politicians more than I for their lying cheating and embezzling insult to the British people
I have seen this parliament destroy the country my forefathers worked so hard even fought and died for
Not only have I joined the BNP for I believe we are the only ones to save Britain, I also stand for them in the elections
But as an ex Sheffield steel worker I would never ever insult the postman or any other worker just doing their job
Think yourself lucky that you got some election leaflets! In my Lib Dem ward and Labour constituency, neither of these parties have done much leafleting or billboarding. They seem to have run out of paper or activists or both. Only the Tories have been leafleting extensively.
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