Butler serves up more failures

| Tuesday, 1 November 2005 Source: Searchlight

The British National Party contested three council by-elections in September and October and polled pitiful results in all of them. So low are the BNP's expectations these days that its website crowed about what a great result Bob Crane achieved for the party in a ward in Leicestershire with a mere 13.7%.

The BNP's report pointed out that Groby ward in Hinckley and Bosworth had only a 5% "non-white population" and no Labour candidate stood. The turnout was low, the BNP claims it canvassed the whole ward and was "very well received". Yet Crane got less than 250 votes. Even so, the result has gone to the BNP's head as it is now talking about getting an MEP elected in the East Midlands at the next European election.

Eddy Butler, the claimed BNP elections genius, was given an award for his efforts at the party's Red White and Blue festival this year – a reflection of how the BNP tries to con not only the public but also its own members. After some reasonably well thought out campaigns in 2003 and 2004, his genius has deserted him. The nazi party has stood in well over 20 council by-elections since its last victory in Goresbrook, Dagenham, in September 2004 and has got nowhere in every one of them. It even lost Goresbrook in a second by-election in June 2005 following its own councillor's resignation after a mere eight months in office.

It is perhaps not surprising that the BNP is shy about reporting all its by-election results on its website. It did mention the Derwentside result, claiming its 12.9% was "commendable", because it had achieved more than the 10% it aimed for. However there was not a word about Edward Scott's embarrassing 3.6% in Hull.

If you hear about a fascist candidate standing in your area, please tell us at the earliest opportunity so that anti-fascists can respond.

Results

Derwentside District Council, Stanley Hall ward 29 September 2005

Turnout 24.5%

Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council, Groby ward 6 October 2005

Turnout 33.6%

Hull City Council, Beverley ward 13 October 2005