Labour's campaign in Hodge Hill 'racist' say Trade unions

6.09.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Mon 9th Aug 2004

Trade unions in Birmingham have accused Labour of running a 'racist' campaign in the Hodge Hill by-election. The tactics involved 'pandering to racists' and were likely to play into the hands of the BNP and National Front, according to the trades council's anti-racist officer John Kelsey.

I saw virtually all of the literature put out by Labour in the by-election and some of it was the most vile I have ever seen. I am glad that the Birmingham Trades Council have taken this up, racism must be kicked out of mainstream politics.

The city's Trades Council said the party's literature distributed during the by-election votes consisted almost entirely of attacks on Liberal Democrat candidate Nicola Davies 'for being soft on failed asylum seekers and yob crime'. The Trade Council have invited Liam Byrne, the new MP, to attend their next meeting to explain the Labour campaign and answer their charges.