BNP claim hustings invite withdrawn

Tuesday 27th April 2010, 6:50AM BST.

Campaigners for the British National Party have claimed that an invitation to a hustings in a south Shropshire town has been withdrawn.

James Whittall, who is standing for the BNP in the Shrewsbury constituency, offered to step in and attend the Bishop’s Castle hustings on Friday night for his colleague Christina Evans – who is BNP’s candidate for the neighbouring Ludlow constituency – and was unable to attend.

But Mr Whittall was told in an e-mail yesterday that the invitation had been withdrawn.

He said: “They have withdrawn the invitation for me to attend on behalf of Christina and have cited the objections of the other candidates as their reason.

“My attendance was confirmed over a week ago and all candidates were aware that it was me attending on Christina’s behalf. I find it odd that there was not a problem then, but suddenly is now.”

But organisers of the event, which is to take place at the Three Tuns, said that the chairman had taken the decision to only invite constituency candidates.

Organiser Faith Farnham said: “The trouble is that the BNP person for constituency is not able to come and she asked for the Shrewsbury candidate to stand in.”

She said the same went for all the parties and candidates only would be invited to the hustings.

The hustings will take place from 7.30pm.

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