Ourtrage as top local Lib Dem backs Iran over British sailors 03/04/07

Tottenham Conservatives have today blasted comments made by senior local Lib Dem, Neville Collins. The former council candidate has said, on his blog, that Britain should be "internationally isolated over the sailors’ crisis, not Iran".

Justin Hinchcliffe, Chairman of Tottenham Conservatives, said: "Although his post was posted on April 1, it is no joke. People from the around the country will to outraged to note that he supports Iran's government over our troops in the Gulf. Iran's treatment of the sailors is outrageous. Appeasement won't work. The Conservative Party strongly supports the EU and the British government's stance and hopes the sailors are soon released. Our thoughts and prayers remain with the fifteen sailors and their families."

Mr Collins, a leading Liberal Democrat activist in Tottenham, is no stranger to controversy. In the past he sparked outrage by declaring, “no intelligent person wants to live in Tottenham unless they are tired of life!” He added that local residents who praised the diversity of South Tottenham – where there are 105 different languages – in an Evening Standard survey, where “…either (one) lying or (two) high on drugs when they spoke to the researchers of the survey”.

Neville Collins made the comments on his blog (on-line diary). Mr Collins stood in the recent council elections in Tottenham Hale as a Lib Dem candidate and was humiliated in a by-election when he trailed in 3rd place behind both the Conservatives and Labour, despite strong support from Lynne Featherstone, MP. 

Justin Hinchcliffe added: "I call on the Lib Dems to state that this man will never be allowed to run for public office again under their banner. A candidate who insults Tottenham residents and supports Iran over our troops in Iraq is not fit to ever hold office".