Suspected Anti-Semite Forced to Resign
Source: The Financial Times, UK | August 10, 2001
Chief Quits Over Racism Charge
By KEVIN BROWN
Donald Martin, head of policy at the Federation of Small Business, has resigned over allegations of anti-semitism, ending a stand-off at the organisation.
Mr Martin, who was also a vice-chairman of the federation, resigned during an emergency meeting of the organisation’s national council on Wednesday night.
Federation officials said he continued to deny claims in the anti-fascist magazine Searchlight that he distributed anti-semitic books and had been involved in racist organisations in Britain and Australia.
However, they said he decided to stand down after realising that a majority of members thought his resignation would be the best way of limiting damage to the federation, the UK’s biggest small business organisation.
In a statement, the federation said Mr Martin told the national council that his resignation was in the best interests of the organisation, which had come under strong pressure to dismiss him since the Searchlight article appeared.
He had earlier refused demands for his resignation from John Emmins, the organisation’s national chairman, forcing the leadership to call an emergency meeting of the 32-strong council.
Yesterday, Mr Martin repeated a statement issued last month dismissing the Searchlight allegations as “false and inaccurate” and insisting he was neither anti-semitic nor racist.
The statement said he valued racial and religious tolerance, and abhorred the activities of those “including Searchlight” who sought to cause strife between different groups.
“All those who have known and worked with me within and without the FSB over many years know my abhorrence of anti-semitism, religious intolerance and racism, and that I passionately uphold the right to freedom of speech,” he said.
Copyright: The Financial Times Limited
