Monday 25 May 2009

British Legion: "We are 100% for Joanna Lumley and 0% for the BNP."

From The Star

Veterans last night blasted a BNP chief who caused outrage by saying Gurkha war heroes should not be allowed to stay in Britain.Simon Darby, deputy leader of the extremist group, was slammed for demanding the Nepalese squaddies be refused entry to the UK.

He sparked fury by saying allowing 100,000 of the soldiers to settle here “isn’t on”, because there was “no room” here.

Darby added: “The British Army is opening itself up to become a mercenary army with so many foreign people in it.

“It’s a bad idea, right. Nowhere in Gurkhas’ contr acts does it say that you have a right to live in this country.

“Yes, within reason some of them can stay. But 100,000 people? For heaven’s sake. It’s not on, is it? No.”

War veterans last night blasted his comments.

Robert Lee, head of campaigns at the Royal British Legion, said they backed actress Joanna Lumley’s victory last week to allow Gurkha warriors the chance to live in Britain after a lifetime defending it.

He said: “We have made it possible for 186 Gurkhas to live here while they campaigned for justice. We are 100% for Joanna Lumley and 0% for the BNP.”

A spokesman for anti-fascist campaigner Searchlight added: “It’s difficult to know what is more nauseating, Darby’s prejudice or his hypocrisy.

“In public he pretends to support the Gurkhas, but in front of his bigoted supporters he attacks them as mercenaries. The Gurkhas fought and died for this country, yet they are not immune from Simon Darby’s vile smears.”

The latest BNP outrage comes just days after one of its candidates, Eddy O’Sullivan, was exposed as a hate-mongering racist after writing on his Facebook page: “W*gs go home.”

The party also uses American models on posters to promote British jobs for British workers.

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