Nikosi Mandela, the grandson of Nelson Mandela, appeared on the television show 'Good Morning Britain' on Monday 15 June to complain about his grandfather being referred to as a communist and a terrorist - and to plead for the removal of the protective covering from his grandfather's statue in Parliament Square.
He also expressed sympathy for the view that 'the fight for freedom from oppression should not be seen as black against white, but as everyone against the racists'.
During another interview with Sky News he mentioned the leader of Britain First, Paul Golding, by name.
His words are tantamount to calling Paul Golding a racist, and by extension, tarring the rest of us at Britain First with the same brush.
As Britain First is currently prevented from responding in the mainstream media to charges of racism levelled against us in this fashion - due to the all-pervasive political correctness and no-platforming that is plaguing our society - we would nevertheless welcome the opportunity to set the matter straight, and we hereby submit this open letter to Nikosi Mandela:
Dear Mr. Mandela,
We at Britain First would like to exercise our right of reply to your comments during your interviews with 'Good Morning Britain' and with Sky News.
Whilst we strenuously object to accusations of racism, we do have some sympathy with the you and the rest of Nelson Mandela's family.
I am sure that it cannot be pleasant to have an ancestor described in such derogatory terms as a communist and a terrorist when you would undoubtedly prefer his legacy to be one of a freedom fighter who fought to bring an end to apartheid.
As you say - 'the past is the past', and the greater good that someone does in their life should outweigh, and should be recognised over and above the bad things that they may have been responsible for in the pursuit of that greater good.
However, the 'Black Lives Matter' (BLM) movement takes the uncompromising view that anyone who may have done or said something deemed to be 'racist' at any time in their lives is undeserving of having their memory honoured in any way, shape or form - including by the means of having a statue erected to their memory in a public space such as Parliament Square.
Your support of the BLM movement, despite the looting and destruction of billions of pounds worth of property, and the extreme violence employed that has resulted in the deaths of many innocent people, would seem to indicate that you support their philosophy of 'the end justifies the means' - even if the means are unlikely to achieve any significant and lasting improvement for the prospects of black communities.
The same might be said of your grandfather's campaign of terror in the pursuit of ending apartheid in South Africa, which (all things considered) resulted in a much worse situation for black people than before, and where the unrelenting black violence against whites is now rapidly impoverishing the country.
To say that 'the end justifies the means' is an inconsistent logical position to take if at the same time you are extolling the virtues of peace, justice and democracy.
Also, to say that 'the end justifies the means' is to take on the mantle of fascism as espoused by many dictators in the past such as Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler.
Here in the UK we are one of the least racist countries in the world - and through our democracy we have developed systems of law that ensure justice for all, and that encourage peaceful and tolerant behaviour through the demonstrable equality of opportunity for all - a concept enshrined in those laws.
Patriots and nationalists such as Paul Golding and Britain First, who are proud of our country and its history, its heritage and its traditions, seek only to build and maintain a positive environment where peace, justice and democracy can flourish.
This is something that is currently under tremendous threat by the political forces on the Left with their destructive identity politics and their exploitation of our tolerant and conservative good nature for their nefarious political purposes, and Britain First is the only right-of-centre political organisation in the UK that is prepared to stand up to them.
To describe us as racists is a wilful misrepresentation of our beliefs and of our patriotic movement, and we call upon you to revoke your comments about Paul Golding and Britain First, and to disavow the brutal tactics employed by the BLM movement in pursuit of political gain.
In return, we will support your call to liberate both Nelson Mandela and Winston Churchill from their unsightly protective boxes and to have their statues returned to their former glory so that future generations can learn from our shared history.
Timothy Burton
Chairman, Britain First