Tory suspended over racist email
By Matthew Moore and PA

Last Updated: 5:37pm GMT06/11/2006


A Conservative councillor and former parliamentary candidate has been suspended from the party after a racist email was sent from her address.




Ellenor Bland, who runs a clothes shop, has been a councillor since 2003
The email included a poem about Pakistani immigrants coming to Britain to claim benefits, and a cartoon of the white cliffs of Dover covered by the words "P*** off - we're full".

Councillor Ellenor Bland, who was the Tory candidate in Swansea East at the 2005 general election, insisted that the message was forwarded by her husband David, adding that its contents had been "light-hearted".

"I am not a racist. I have always embraced anybody who comes to our country with a skill. Anybody who can put anything into the country is fantastic," she said.

"If anyone wants to accuse someone of being racist, we have Asian friends and we work well together and all accept each other's different ways," she added.

But she has been suspended by her own party pending a full investigation, after the Liberal Democrats reported her to the Commission for Racial Equality.

Edward Davey, Liberal Democrat campaigns chairman, said that the "offensive" message showed there were still "deeply unpleasant elements" in the Conservative party. He has also written to David Cameron urging him to take "the strongest action" against the person responsible.

The poem, about a Pakistani family who come to Britain and are soon joined all their friends, includes the line: "We have hobby, it's called breeding. Welfare pay for baby feeding. Kids need dentist? Wife need pills? We get free! We got no bills!"

Ms Bland, who runs a clothes shop in Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire, has represented the Conservatives on Calne Town Council in Wiltshire since 2003.

She lists "heritage" and "traditions" as being among her interests on her page of the council website.

[line]

So you're a Racist and you want to send all your cronies a rascist email..what do you do..what do you do? Well you send it from your work PC of course...so everyone will know where it originated from..LMAO talk about STUUUPID!!