Tory councillor apologises for immigration rant in which he said "Enoch Powell was right"

[dutchman]

A Coventry councillor has apologised after telling a fellow Conservative Party member that he “didn’t believe in multi-culturalism” and that “Enoch Powell was right”.



Coun Glenn Williams also suggested the country would be “overrun with kebab shops” if Turkey joined the EU as he took part in a Whatsapp conversation.

He added that non-English speaking immigrants were “taking over” the country and should “go home” before making the reference to Enoch Powell’s infamous views on immigration and discrimination laws from the 1960s.

But despite writing to the party member to say sorry following a complaint to Coventry Conservatives Association, Coun Williams has told the Telegraph he stands by everything he wrote in the Whatsapp conversation and that it was ‘banter’.

Coun Williams, who campaigned for Vote Leave in the European Union referendum, suggested it had only been leaked in a bid to “smear” Leave campaigners.

The Telegraph understands no further action was taken by the party as they decided the councillor for Bablake was not acting in an official capacity when he wrote the messages.

Coun Williams told the Telegraph: “I stand by anything I say and I can defend myself on anything I say.

“What I apologised for was if he found anything offensive... I don’t have anything against you, that’s what I said.

“That’s not the same as saying I’m sorry for my views. You should not be sorry for your views.”

Coun Williams took part in a debate on racism at a meeting of the full council this week where he insisted immigration had not been a major driver behind the local campaign to leave the EU.

But in the Whatsapp conversation, which took place on May 22 - just days after Coun Williams’ election to Coventry City Council , he replied “YES!!!!!” when asked if immigration was so bad that the country needed to leave the EU.

He also wrote “If you can’t speak English, go home” suggested immigration was “a drain on our resources and makes British people feel like a minority in our country” and suggested the idea of a white people being outnumbered was “frightening”.

Asked to clarify his position, he said: “The person I was speaking to was very much in the remain camp, I was very much for leave. We had what you call banter between us a number of times.

“I’d seen on Facebook that he was in London and he’d put up a post saying that it’s wonderful that we hear so many languages, no English being spoken, so I made that comment when we had that conversation.

“I thought that was a bit odd that people aren’t speaking English in our own country.”

He added: “To me, you shouldn’t be in a minority in your own country.”

Asked about his claims that immigrants are a “drain on resources”, he said: “This is what people are telling us on the doorstep. As an elected representative, I feel I have to reflect their views.

“That’s what I did at the council meeting on May 26 when I made my maiden speech (during a debate on Brexit). After that I was accused of xenophobia, fuelling racialism and yesterday (at full council) I tried to defend our residents and reject what was said.”

Asked about the message which read “I don’t believe in multi-culturalism”, he said: “I believe everyone is an individual and we respect everyone but when you come to our country, you integrate.

“Respect who you are and where you come from, and we can learn a lot of things from their culture... but it’s when people from different cultures come here and then they take over what we’re doing and you can’t be involved, that’s when people on the streets say what’s happening in our country?”

He added: “When you come over you don’t try and change the rules and how English people behave. That’s what I was trying to get across in that conversation.”

Asked about the views expressed around Enoch Powell, he said: “Enoch Powell is a great hero of mine. I think he was a very intelligent man, a very far-seeing man, a very well respected member of Parliament.

“People said Enoch Powell was a racialist, but he wasn’t. He made it quite clear what he was saying was nothing to do with race, it is to do quite simply with the numbers in this country.

“We cannot take the numbers that are coming in, that’s why he wanted more control over immigration.”

Asked if he could see the message “if Turkey join (the EU), we’ll be overrun with kebab shops” might be offensive to some people, he said: “That’s what I was saying to someone as banter in private conversation. It’s not something I would go shouting out on the streets. I don’t see why that’s been brought up.”

[rebbonk]

We are going to see a distinct swing to the right in this country (and possibly in Europe as well). Expect to see more and more of this, with retractions and apologies fewer and further between.

[dutchman]

Tory councillor should resign after immigration rant says Coventry council leader



A Tory councillor who described Enoch Powell as a personal hero during an immigration rant should resign according to Coventry City Council’s leader.

Labour Coun George Duggins said he felt Coun Glenn Williams should resign after publicly standing by messages about immigration sent in a private Whatsapp conversation to a fellow Conservative Party member.

Coun Duggins said: “Coun Williams should resign, particularly in view of the debate we had on racism and equality at full council on Tuesday.

“It’s absolutely incredible. There’s just no way the Tory party should allow him to stay and I can’t see how he can.”

Coun Duggins’ views were echoed by Coun Abdul Khan, deputy leader with responsibility for equalities, who said: “He should be considering whether it is right for him to continue as a councillor. My view is that he should not continue.

“We’ll certainly be speaking to senior Conservatives to put that view across.

“If a member of ours made similar comments, we would most certainly be asking them to leave. You can’t make those sort of comments.”

He added: “Whether or not those views were expressed in private, they are clearly views that he holds.

“If you reflect on the actual meaning you can not represent a city that is multicultural to the core or, in my view, be a councillor.

“He’s clearly speaking in terms that could aggregate troublemakers in our society. These are not comments a councillor can make and then remain a councillor.

“These thoughts have no place in a multicultural Coventry. You can’t properly represent people in Coventry with those views.”

One Conservative colleague on the council has already moved to condemn the views expressed by Coun Williams.

Coun Tim Mayer, who represents Westwood, said on Twitter: “As a newly elected councillor with Jewish and German heritage I completely distance myself from these views.”

The Telegraph has contacted the Conservative Party for comment on the views expressed by Coun Williams.

[rebbonk]

Duggins is a fool!

The left's wet dream of multiculturalism is over.

[Melisandre]

Perhaps our council cant keep up with the news.

[dutchman]

Immigration rant councillor resigns from Conservative Party as colleagues prepared to decide fate

An under fire councillor has resigned from the Conservative Party as his colleagues prepared to decide his fate.

Coun Glenn Williams tendered his resignation late last night and it was accepted by the local Conservative leadership.

Conservative Party officers had planned host an emergency meeting today to decide the fate of the councillor who said “I don’t believe in multiculturalism” during a rant about immigration.

Coun Williams cannot be removed as a councillor by the Tories and it is not yet clear whether he plans to continue to serve on the council.

Coun Blundell confirmed Coun Williams's resignation from the party this morning.

He said: "Coun Williams has resigned from the Conservative Party with immediate effect and as such will no longer be a member of the Conservative Group."

Asked about the views expressed by Coun Williams which also included comments such as “if you can’t speak English go home” and branding immigrants a “drain on resources”, Coun Blundell said: “They’re certainly not my views or the view of the Conservative group in Coventry.

“We do not accept those views. They are the views of Coun Williams.

“If anyone else in the party in Coventry shares those views, I don’t know about it. They’re not the collective views of the Conservative group in Coventry.”

[rebbonk]

“If anyone else in the party in Coventry shares those views, I don’t know about it.

Good old Blundell, cocking a deaf 'un just like he used to at school.

"Those views" are more common than many might think or acknowledge, and I suspect that they are going to become more so.

Powell's speech is often used out of context and those that refer to it aren't all racist. Hitler did many dreadful things, but was he all bad? Churchill wasn't all good either!

[Melisandre]

So as Councilor Williams was trying to represent his ward on their fears Labour wants him to resign which proves to me they are not being represented in their own city so we are under a dictatorship now then . This coming from the party who voted to go to war with Iraq .

No Enoch Powel was nt racist and said so in one of his speaches he loved Asians but he did not want it here in the UK the way they live.

I think its about time our children were learned all the languages that reside here in that case as there is nothing more rude which a lot of people say when immigrants come here being able to speak English then when you stand at a bus stop or go into their shops they start to speak their own language to one another in front of you.

[rebbonk]

The left's way of shutting down dissent is to call people racists, xenophobes, homophobics, etc. If that doesn't work, they try to silence them in other totally undemocratic ways, as we see here with Georgie boy.

The irony is that they claim to be democratic. - That's only true as long as you agree with them.

[Melisandre]

This there for shows very weak leadership through out they create a problem yet can not solve what they have created.

I still believe our children should be taught all languages spoken in this city to protect them for now and the future when they can only speak and understand from an early age one language and not know what is being said by others I find this unfair .

Yet our children are carring a record through out school from a early age which affects them for the rest of their life read this and the comments. Children no matter from where will always call one another names and say hurtful things .

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3694123/A-boy-THREE-investigated-hate-crime-numbers-children-accused-racial-abuse-soars.html