O'Connor accuses English Democrats of BNP link after quitting race for Mayor

25 April 2008

O'Connor... quits race for mayor with six days to go

By Mike Brooke

CONTROVERSIAL dads’ campaigner Matt O'Connor pulled out of the race for London mayor standing for the English Democrats, just six days before polling, after accusing them of links with the BNP.

The man who founded Fathers 4 Justice with its 'direct action' protests, halted his bid to be mayor after falling out with the party leadership.

But Matt O'Connor's name will still appear on ballot papers which have already been printed, while many postal votes have also been cast.

O’Connor says he had uncovered a ‘menacing far-right underbelly’ to the party at the 11th hour.

He says the party had met the right wing group ‘England First’ whose founding members he claims came from the BNP.

They had agreed not to stand against each other at next year’s European elections and the next General Election, but to start working together.

His own historical role as an anti-apartheid campaigner was ‘ridiculed’ and “was only being used to give the party a veneer of respectability for political reasons.”

O’Connor says he has since been the target of a ‘hate’ campaign.

“I had already had a ‘run in’ with the BNP at a hustings meeting,” he reveals.

“I realised the English Democrats were working with ‘England First’ and had no choice other than to resign there and then.

“They present themselves as respectable ‘Middle England’ with leading members being solicitors and housewives.

“But the reality is something far different.

“Social events run by the party brought out the real feelings of key members and it was very uncomfortable for me and the people I had innocently invited along, many of whom advised me to leave after what they had seen and heard.”

O’Connor is keeping a copy of all emails, text messages and records of telephone calls, which include some sent to members of his family and staff who he says have found them distressing.

This week he is calling for his supporters to switch parties to the Christian Choice candidate for Mayor, Alan Craig.

“We decided after discussing it with my family that we would be voting with our consciences," he added.

“That meant the Christian Alliance. They have our 1st Choice for London Mayor and our Assembly Party Lists as well.

“The political establishment needs to re-focus on families.

“That was the only reason I agreed to stand in the first place, to bring attention to the fact that families have been routinely let down by this government.”

Ironically, O'Connor's name is still on the English Democrats’ Party List.

But with five per cent of the overall vote needed to gaining even one seat, he has little chance of getting onto the London Assembly through the back door. He is at the bottom of the party's List, number 23.

“I was flattered to be asked,” O’Connor adds.

“But with hindsight, I probably should not have stood for them. I should have checked them out a bit more."

He said in a campaign statement which appeared on this website two weeks ago: “I will set the election alight with inflammatory rhetoric about the £13.5 billion of 'Tartan Taxes’ this Scottish-run Labour government siphons from London every year.”

O'Connor promised voters to "expect the unexpected.”

He didn’t quite mean quitting the race with just days to go.