DEWSBURY and Mirfield MP Shahid Malik has warned that Thornhill Edge Post Office must be saved to heal racial divisions.
Mr Malik said the decision to save Savile Town Post Office at the expense of Thornhill Edge had become a race issue.
In his report on Thornhill Edge, Mr Malik said the closure threat had provoked “serious racial disharmony.”
Savile Town Post Office, in a largely-Asian area, was reprieved after a strong local campaign only for Post Office Ltd, which must shut 2,500 post offices across the country, to switch the threat to the mainly-white Thornhill Edge community.
Pointing out Post Office Ltd’s duty under the Race Relations Act, Mr Malik warned closing Thornhill Edge could be seen as racial discrimination.
In his report he said: “The correct decision to allow Savile Town to remain open has been followed by the incorrect decision to designate Thornhill Edge. The fact Savile Town is almost 100 per cent non-white and Thornhill Edge is almost 100 per cent white is irrelevant.
“However many believe that race was a factor and have long standing grievances and this has resulted in serious racial disharmony.
“This was clear at the consultation meeting which I organised with many people expressing, directly or indirectly, race as a key component in their arguments.
“Some even suggested that the decision was making them racist.
“It is clear that due to lack of local knowledge due consideration and regard was not given on the impact of such a decision on race relations in Dewsbury.”
Mr Malik spelled out the requirements under the Race Relations Act 1976 saying it was unlawful to discriminate on the grounds of race “including, of course, white groups”, which he highlighted in bold.
Mr Malik said that while Post Office Ltd was “not technically subject to the Act” the company had a “moral responsibility” to adhere to it.
He said under the Act, Post Office Ltd had to “promote good relations between people of different racial groups” and added: “No reasonable person would consider it contentious to state that (promoting good relations) has not been adhered to by Post Office Ltd.”
Mr Malik has sent his Thornhill Edge report to local residents but has refused to release his 16-page report on Savile Town.
Post Office Ltd said it kept Savile Town because Asian people were afraid to go into Dewsbury and because staff at Savile Town spoke Asian languages.
Mr Malik claimed confidentiality between himself and a constituent Abdul Patel, the postmaster at Savile Town. Release of the report was refused under the Freedom of Information Act.
Mr Malik said he was able to
Turn to Page Three
publish his Thornhill Edge report because he had permission from postmaster Una Robinson.
In his 38-page Thornhill report Mr Malik included a petition signed by 234 pensioners showing the impact on the elderly.
As with Savile Town it was claimed that elderly people were afraid of going into Dewsbury.
“Although crime rates have fallen overall in Dewsbury the perception and fear of crime is very real among vulnerable and elderly residents,” said the report.
Mr Malik said Thornhill was a disadvantaged community and closing the post office would hit old people the hardest. Bus services were inadequate and the area was hilly making trips to alternative post offices difficult.
Coun Khizar Iqbal (Con, Dewsbury South) has previously branded the issue “divisive” and said: “This never has been about race and using that dilutes the real argument for keeping Thornhill open.” continues here
Mr Malik said the decision to save Savile Town Post Office at the expense of Thornhill Edge had become a race issue.
In his report on Thornhill Edge, Mr Malik said the closure threat had provoked “serious racial disharmony.”
Savile Town Post Office, in a largely-Asian area, was reprieved after a strong local campaign only for Post Office Ltd, which must shut 2,500 post offices across the country, to switch the threat to the mainly-white Thornhill Edge community.
Pointing out Post Office Ltd’s duty under the Race Relations Act, Mr Malik warned closing Thornhill Edge could be seen as racial discrimination.
In his report he said: “The correct decision to allow Savile Town to remain open has been followed by the incorrect decision to designate Thornhill Edge. The fact Savile Town is almost 100 per cent non-white and Thornhill Edge is almost 100 per cent white is irrelevant.
“However many believe that race was a factor and have long standing grievances and this has resulted in serious racial disharmony.
“This was clear at the consultation meeting which I organised with many people expressing, directly or indirectly, race as a key component in their arguments.
“Some even suggested that the decision was making them racist.
“It is clear that due to lack of local knowledge due consideration and regard was not given on the impact of such a decision on race relations in Dewsbury.”
Mr Malik spelled out the requirements under the Race Relations Act 1976 saying it was unlawful to discriminate on the grounds of race “including, of course, white groups”, which he highlighted in bold.
Mr Malik said that while Post Office Ltd was “not technically subject to the Act” the company had a “moral responsibility” to adhere to it.
He said under the Act, Post Office Ltd had to “promote good relations between people of different racial groups” and added: “No reasonable person would consider it contentious to state that (promoting good relations) has not been adhered to by Post Office Ltd.”
Mr Malik has sent his Thornhill Edge report to local residents but has refused to release his 16-page report on Savile Town.
Post Office Ltd said it kept Savile Town because Asian people were afraid to go into Dewsbury and because staff at Savile Town spoke Asian languages.
Mr Malik claimed confidentiality between himself and a constituent Abdul Patel, the postmaster at Savile Town. Release of the report was refused under the Freedom of Information Act.
Mr Malik said he was able to
Turn to Page Three
publish his Thornhill Edge report because he had permission from postmaster Una Robinson.
In his 38-page Thornhill report Mr Malik included a petition signed by 234 pensioners showing the impact on the elderly.
As with Savile Town it was claimed that elderly people were afraid of going into Dewsbury.
“Although crime rates have fallen overall in Dewsbury the perception and fear of crime is very real among vulnerable and elderly residents,” said the report.
Mr Malik said Thornhill was a disadvantaged community and closing the post office would hit old people the hardest. Bus services were inadequate and the area was hilly making trips to alternative post offices difficult.
Coun Khizar Iqbal (Con, Dewsbury South) has previously branded the issue “divisive” and said: “This never has been about race and using that dilutes the real argument for keeping Thornhill open.” continues here
![Churchill, Hitler and the Unnecessary War](http://patbuchananbooks.com/wp-content/uploads/bk-pjb-chuw165.jpg "Churchill_Hitler_the_Unnecessary_War\")
Post a comment on AAWR
0 Responses to "The issue's black and white"Post a Comment
We welcome contributions from all sides of the debate, at AAWR comment is free, AAWR may edit and/or delete your comments if abusive, threatening, illegal or libellous according to our understanding of, no emails will be published. Your comments may be published on other nationalist media sites worldwide.