A FORMER BNP activist recently elected to Durham County Council has defended his political background after being criticised by campaign group Hope not Hate.
The anti-racism and fascism organisation accused Spennymoor councillor Peter Molloy of being a “hateful figure” with “vile far right views”.
But Cllr Molloy, who is an independent councillor who also retained his seat on Spennymoor Town Council, said constituents know his political past and voted for him because of his record serving the town.
How Hope not Hate view Cllr Pete Molloy's victory in the recent Durham County Council election
Hope not Hate said coverage in the ‘nationalist’ publication Heritage and Destiny celebrating Cllr Molloy’s election victory and his own social media posts – which they describe as rants referring to racism, Islamophobia and conspiracy theories – suggest he has a dark history of longstanding BNP activism with horrendous views that he seems to continue to hold.
Activists called on the new county council leadership – a joint administration led by the Liberal Democrats – to disavow his views.
It states: “He should be nowhere near the administration of Durham County Council and the new leadership should condemn his views if they want to lead a council for all Durham’s residents.”
MP Kevan Jones
North Durham’s Labour MP Kevan Jones, against whom Mr Molloy stood as a BNP candidate in the 2010 General Election, said: “I’m sure many of the people who voted for him would have been unaware of his despicable right wing views.
“The new leadership should make a strong statement condemning this individual.
“This intolerance has no part in modern County Durham.”
Army veteran Cllr Molloy, who was a Labour member from 2003 to 2006, said he joined the BNP because he was opposed to the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and Britain’s EU membership.
“My views are patriotic and not far right hateful,” he said.
“Being a former member of the British National Party, which is no secret to the people of Spennymoor, is part of my political past and now I am an Independent.
“Being an Independent, I am not a member, supporter or representative of any political party and when I have been in the council chamber, I have been able to support other councillors from different political parties when I have felt their idea was in the best interest of the town.
“The people of Spennymoor first elected me onto the town council in 2019, and I feel that they were happy with my commitment to the town and the work I have done on behalf of constituents for them to re-elect me back onto the town council and to elect me onto Durham County Council, where I am now focused on such issues as pushing for financial levelling up, addressing any infrastructure problems and trying to come up with a solution to the traffic issues on Rock Road when the schools finish for the day.”
Cllr Amanda Hopgood
Durham County Council's Liberal Democrat leader Cllr Amanda Hopgood said: "Cllr Molloy does not form part of any of the groups that make up the new administration.
"The leadership of the new administration believe that there is no place in this council for racist or far right views, we do not support or condone any of the far right views or statements made by Cllr Molloy."
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