BNP Leaflets Posted On Campus Cause Controversy

By Tom McDermott

A scan of the "hateful material" being sent through to students

There has been outrage this week after election materials for far-right party the BNP have been posted directly to York students on campus.

The party, whose policies YUSU resolved condemn in 2008, sent leaflets through the Royal Mail to students in many of the colleges on campus.

In the past, YUSU have condemned the views of the BNP on the basis that they are “extremist”, “discriminatory” and “unrepresentative of the British population and of the University of York’s Students Union”.

So far in this general election campaign, only parties with student societies already representing them on campus have been allowed to canvass support on University grounds.

However, campaigners must act as if they were out canvassing anywhere else and may only enter a student residence if they are let in by a student.

This controversy brings the recent “Platform or No Platform” debate back to the forefront of student issues, with one side arguing that right wing parties such as the BNP should not be given a platform to air their “hateful opinions” and another side arguing that everybody, regardless of their opinion, has the right to free speech.

Currently YUSU and the University do not have a concrete “No Platform” policy but do reserve the right to ask people to leave campus as it is classed a private property.

YUSU Sabb Charlie Leyland told Vision she was all for some clarification on the issue, adding that she “would love to have a debate on the issue, perhaps at the UGM in Week 4”.

In response to the actions of the BNP, anti-fascist campaigner and Labour parliamentary candidate James Alexander said: “Since launching my regional anti-BNP campaign backed by York Vision, the BNP have decided to stand in the York Outer constituency against me.”

“Now they are having leaflets delivered to campus which promote their politics of hate. I have written to all students on campus to explain why I think they should vote for me at the ballot box in Vanbrugh College this week, but I have also encouraged students to vote regardless in order to stop the BNP gaining any significant ground in York.”

YUSU Democracy and Services officer, Lewis Bretts warned against any student attempting to take direct action against the BNP’s postal campaigning saying: “Interfering with people’s post in a criminal offence in the UK, and YUSU would not condone interfering with the post sent to students.”

However he added that YUSU would be there to offer support “if any student feels intimidated or harassed by material being sent out. If you’ve got problems come into the ASC and we’ll do what we can to help.”

Thumbnail with by Flickr: Johnny English

30 thoughts on “BNP Leaflets Posted On Campus Cause Controversy”

  1. I received the hateful leaflet at my home address. Unfortunately there is little the Royal Mail can do. Each party is entitled to a Freepost leaflet to be sent to all residencies on the electoral register.

  2. Hate; the love a white man has for his own nation, culture and people.
    If you don’t want to vote or listen to the BNP then don’t but you fascists shouldn’t stop other people the right to hear what they have to say and the right to make up their own mind.Democracy.

  4. Not white, where are you going to take them and do you take them by force?

  5. @reguired: whilst usually i would agree with you, that every body deserves freedom of speech regardless of how hateful their views are..there is a difference between appearing on tv and when the material is pushed through your own letterbox.

    the BNP rightfully deserved their position on question time, it wasn’t the BBC ‘accommodating nazis’ as many protesters said: they’re a politically impartial body that has to represent the views of all political parties- regardless of how unsavory they are. if you’re offended or scared by what you are hearing, you can turn it off. the same with protests- if you do not want to be subjected to what they’re saying, you don’t go to where they will be.

    but, when racist manifestos are being pushed through your front door, that IS hurtful. how horrified must young first years international students, probably living alone for the first time and in a different country, feel by reading this stuff?! how hurt must any immigrant feel, to be honest. there’s expressing your views in an open arena, where listeners can choose to engage in your frivolous and pathetic points or not, then there’s making people feel victimised in their own home by shoving racist propaganda through their letter box. it is akin to hate mail.

  6. I have Liebours hateful Nation State destroying, anti-white anti-British racist propaganda put through my letter box, it is akin to hate mail, i just bin it.

  7. Anon define racist. I think Liebours possitive discrimination policies are racist, what part of the BNP manifesto did you find racist.

  9. reguired, firstly, you’re making a basic argumentative error in pointing to other areas of possible racism, which does not change what we objectively know about the racism already being discussed. Most people will recognise this and see it as a very poor attempt at deception, I’d advise you to not even bother trying that route.

    secondly, it is a widely held belief that the bnp is racist. Therefore getting intellectual about the definition of racism will only make you seem naive or self-deceiving, which isn’t a great position to be in if you want to convince other people you’re right.

  11. Never mind the drivel, answer the question,point out the racism.
    BNP manifesto = nothing racist

    Lets get over it….

  12. Haha I am sorry I don’t even feel a need to reply to such a lie and drivel. You just want an argument.

    I will leave you to fight with yourself.
    Have a nice day.

  13. Are you going to use the word BIGOT? Did wonders for Gormless Clown did it not?

  15. like I said, reguired, you look either naive or self-deceiving if you feel the need to ask for proof of the bnp being racist, it’s just common knowledge. The party can try very hard to remain within the letter of the law, but that doesn’t mean the party itself isn’t racist. As scott said, you’re just fighting yourself and getting wound up over definitions in a really petty way.

  16. You may be able to deny the BNP’s rascism with arguments about semantics but their homophobia is undeniable! Nick Griffin has come out and said things about homosexuals being unnatural and wanting to stop people from becoming teachers based on their sexuality.
    And obviously they won’t put any of that stuff on paper in their manifesto, it doesn’t stop it being true though!

  17. So the BNP manifesto is not racist but some people in the party could be.
    Bill would you be happy to have a BNP member teaching your 16 year old son, if you had one?

  18. Who even cares, does anyone in York take the BNP seriously, besides maybe one or two idiots ? Besides, the BNP are offering £50,000 repatriation payments to non-whites, which would not only be able to pay for a holiday in the Bahamas, but would systematically bring down the UK into nothing. Every BNP councillor elected in this country has been useless and have done nothing (see places like Swanley in Kent).

    Either way, I threw this leaflet away after laughing at this womans picture.

  19. That’s the spirit, if you don’t want it bin it,choice.

  20. Bill, how many Islamic schools would like a gay white male teacher?

  22. A cursory search of “BNP” on the YUSU website will actually suggest differently.

    Please find below the evidence I was pointed to by YUSU themselves. It was passed on the 7th of February 2008 with 857 votes for, 240 against and 150 abstentions.

    http://www.yusu.org/motion/159

  23. Although I don’t agree with the BNP, I don’t see why there should be a problem with them canvassing – like someone stated before, if you don’t like it, bin it.

    They are a political party, and therefore have the same campaigning rights as any other political party.

  24. Just out of interest, is there a lot of BNP support in the York outer area ? I am going to be attending the uni next year and I have heard random things about it being a BNP hotspot and there even being a secret BNP society at York !

  25. I cannot emphasise strongly enough that the University of York should in no way ever been associated with the BNP or be considered some hotspot for racists and fascists. I am quite interested in student politics and all of the party political societies (Lib Dems, Labour and Conservatives) are very nice and all of the political discussion groups (New Generation, United Nations Association, etc) are also great. I have never heard of any substantiated case of the university being linked to the BNP or their foul views. The idea that the University of York is in anyway rumoured to be associated with these racist cretins genuinely worries me quite a lot.

  26. @ hussein, that is ridiculous! considering socs have to be approved by YUSU, and meet certain regulations/abide by certain rules, i doubt that something so outright racist could even be accepted? (Any second/third years- could you shed some light as to why Christian soc aren’t YUSU affiliated?)

    Also, normally students are relatively more educated/open minded than your typical angry youth~ who would join a party such as the BNP. I’m not gonna lie, I’ve encountered racism here (not directed to me, I’m Irish/English) and it is shocking, but..you’ll get it everywhere. Chances are, if you go out to work you’ll encounter just as much. Those people are unfortunate and everyone ignores them, usually there are 2 of them who stick together (i.e: in my house..hahah) so seriously don’t worry about it.

    Who said that to you/in what context was it brought up?

  27. @ anon : A rumour i saw whilst googling the uni…probably nothing but meh. I went to visit York a month ago and things were fine so :s. Just as a point of interest, was this just racism in the town or in the uni ? Im used to the whole local youth twat who you can pretty much just laugh off, but ever since the EU elections and the BNP vote in the Yorkshire area, I have been quite worried lol.

  28. racism i’ve encountered is between two close minded housemates..one who is extremely rich & spoilt but likes to pretend to be from the ghettos of north london (he lives 2 hrs out of london..middle england) and the other is northern.

    seriously don’t worry, i come from south east london and in the surrounding suburbs (kentish towns near london) there were BNP seats but it doesn’t mean anything! SE london is SO multicultral and accepting that their policies meant nothing. also, think about it, the BNP will never get into 10 downing street..so without their leader these bnp constituencies can’t do anything extreme! seriously don’t panic, nothing bad would ever ever happen. also remember yorkshire is huge? ‘in the yorkshire area’ can be across a laaarge mile radius!

    things really are fine, tbh i would say that there is less racism here than say..sixth form. or in a youth club. or any other cross section of youths? i’m not gonna lie to you and say there is none here, but there are definitely no racist attacks/racial hatred groups/anything to be fearful of. uni is a microcosm of society, it’s ignorant to think there won’t be racists…liket here will be sexists, thieves, and arseholes..but just in lesser numbers than in the ‘real world’..

    seriously just come & you’ll love it, what subject you gonna do?

  29. Re: 24

    Hussein – There is certainly no BNP society at York.

    I’m pretty sure there is YUSU and NUS regulations which prevent this, and a quick peruse at this years YUSU Hustings implies there’s certainly not going to be a society this year if the incoming Student Activities Officer has anything to do with it…

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