BNP loses again

| Friday, 4 March 2005 Source: Searchlight

The BNP's campaign for Mayor of Stoke-on-Trent was dealt a heavy blow after the party finished third in the East Valley by-election. The BNP had predicted victory and had bussed activists in from across the country during the campaign. So confident was the BNP of gaining another councillor in Stoke that party leader Nick Griffin and elections officer Eddy Butler were both present on polling day.

Once again, a disappointed Griffin headed off home without making a victory speech.

The BNP could have won the ward. Last June it finished second and only needed a 2.8% swing from Labour.

But the fascists had not counted on the determination of Norscarf, the local anti-BNP group. In conjunction with Searchlight the local activists distributed three hard-hitting and localised leaflets across the ward. Even BNP activists acknowledged that this made a difference.

Searchlight's Nick Lowles told the StoptheBNP website: "The local activists worked tirelessly to stop the BNP winning. They have been out campaigning four times a week for the last five weeks and their efforts have paid off.

"Our campaign was proof that localised campaigning can work. We kept our campaign local, highlighted the uselessness of existing BNP councillors and exposed the BNP for what they really are."

The BNP has now been deprived of an effective platform to challenge for the Stoke-on-Trent Mayoral election on 5 May.

More detailed analysis of the election result and the anti-BNP campaign will appear in the April edition of Searchlight.

Results, East Valley, Stoke-on-Trent, 5 May 2005