BNP trails in last in Cheshire by-election

| Thursday, 11 November 2004 Source: Searchlight

The BNP picked up a mere 81 votes in a council by-election in Ellesmere Port on 11 November despite bussing in activists from as far away as Burnley and Chester to help in the campaign.

The low turnout of just 18% might have been expected to favour David Joines as the BNP had canvassed the Stanlow and Wolverham ward extensively and delivered leaflets to all houses.

Earlier in the campaign he had told the Liverpool Daily Post, "We have already seen a lot of support for our party in this area and are feeling confident about the upcoming by-election".

The TUC mounted a massive campaign to stop the BNP winning a council seat in the borough. Unlike the BNP, the anti-fascist campaign was a local broad-based affair.

John Wilson held the seat comfortably for Labour with over 60% of the vote.

The BNP website usually ignores poor results but this time claimed, with a large pinch of wishful thinking, "the result shows that with further work the BNP could make significant progress".

A more realistic assessment came from a local anti-fascist organiser who told Searchlight that the BNP was shocked at being beaten by Tories, who have hardly any presence in Ellesmere Port. The BNP did so badly that it "could have been beaten by donkeys", he said.

Although the BNP had not previously contested this ward, Joines had stood in another Ellesmere Port by-election in July, in which he came third.

Turnout 18.1%