GRAHAM WATSON SPEAKS OUT ON BATH BNP PROTEST

2.43.40am BST (GMT +0100) Sat 23rd May 2009

Liberal Democrat European Parliamentary elections candidate Graham Watson is responding to an anti-BNP protest at a Bath hustings this morning (23 May).

The event - which took place at the Bath Royal Literary & Scientific Institution last night - was marked by protests which prevented the meeting from taking place.

It comes after organisers rearranged the format of the evening, following the decision of Mr. Watson and opposition candidates not to share a platform with the British National Party.

Commenting, Mr. Watson - who is first on the party's list for the 4 June elections - said:

"In view of the surprising decision of the BRLSI to invite the BNP to its hustings, last night's protest was predictable.

I refused to share a platform with the BNP because of the party's overtly racist nature.

Nonetheless, the behaviour of the protestors in preventing the meeting going ahead is regrettable, particularly since the Labour and Green candidates had joined me in agreeing to a format in which we would not share a platform with the BNP.

The sorry result is that the BNP get attention they do not merit in a civilised society."

ENDS