Demo against the EDL, Waltham Forest, 27.10.12, photo Paul Mattsson

Demo against the EDL, Waltham Forest, 27.10.12, photo Paul Mattsson   (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)

The Tory parliamentary candidate for the marginal Dudley North constituency, Afzal Amin, has been forced to quit after he was secretly filmed collaborating with the far-right racist English Defence League (EDL).

He apparently offered money to the EDL to stage a provocative demo against a local “super-mosque”, which would then be called off, with the political credit going to the ‘conciliatory’ Mr Amin.

The opportunist Tory also promised, as part of the ‘deal’, to be an “unshakeable ally” for the EDL in parliament.

Tory leader David Cameron, who has previously denounced Ukip for its racism, has been quiet as a church mouse now that one of his own candidates has been caught out stirring up ethnic divisions in the community.

David Pitt, Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) prospective parliamentary candidate for Dudley North, said:

“The accusation that the Tory candidate for Dudley North was prepared to inflame issues around race for personal or party gain is an absolute disgrace.

What Dudley needs is jobs and decent pay for doing those jobs. Dudley needs homes for our young people and an end to cuts and privatisation in our NHS and the growing misery of austerity.

What we don’t need are attempts to divide our community, to get us to fight amongst ourselves rather than campaign for a better life for all.

I spoke on behalf of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) at the rally in opposition to the last EDL march in Dudley. The people of Dudley don’t want to be used like this. We expect our politicians to help solve problems, not create them.”