Views on Labour's racist dog whistle

The blogosphere covering Reading’s local politics this Easter weekend has been buzzing over Labour’s nasty racist campaign. 

Warren Swaine (Lib Dem) has posted contrasting Labour’s Battle and Church Ward literature.  Another Lib Dem, ex-councillor Gareth Epps has written reminding readers of the last time Reading Labour launched an unjust, despicable campaign against the same man.

Labour’s ex-councillor Andrew Tattersall has written of his disgust of and contempt for the Group he was once a member.

My colleague, Cllr Richard Willis (Conservative) shares the view of all the above that Labour’s campaign is indeed a dog whistle

However the latest to join in, Adrian Windisch (Green) tries to stand up for Labour and make light of their campaign.  Adrian attempts to justify it by citing literature from other parties also using the “born and bred” phrase.  Jane Griffiths (Labour’s ex-Reading East MP) points out that Adrian “omits to mention that two of those, Twickenham and Peckham, use the phrase precisely to refer to race, and to indicate that the candidate they are promoting is black, without saying so.”

Adrian also misses the fact that all his examples are about candidates who actually live in the constituency they are fighting for – unlike Labour’s Church Ward candidate who lives in Tilehurst, WEST Reading.

One last, but crucial piece of evidence Adrian has omitted is Labour’s use of the phrase “She will fight for us here in Church Ward because she is one of us.”  It is used in conjunction with “she is born and bred”, the two phrases are repulsing residents in Church Ward.  Unlike Adrian, they are not fooled.

Labour's Church Ward literature should be destroyed.  A prominent apology should appear on their replacement leaflets. 

Update:  Unlike the Conservative Agent who wrote direct to Labour's agent, the Labour agent has distributed and allowed Tony Jones to publish his letter.

Tony Jones has published Labour's denial.  The arrogance of Labour is there for all to see.  Not only do they refuse to apologise, they also refer to their previous unjust campaign against the same man.