BNP polls under 10% in two by-elections

| Saturday, 22 July 2006 Source: Searchlight

The British National Party fared even worse than usual in two council by-elections on 20 July.

In Chichester's West Wittering ward, Andrew Emerson took a mere 123 votes, an 8.2% share, which placed him fourth out of five candidates. Nevertheless the BNP website claimed it was "excellent news" and that the result "augers well for the British National Party in West Sussex".

West Wittering is a safe Conservative seat, so much so that the Labour candidate only received 48 votes. It was because Emerson beat Labour that the BNP claims this as a good result.

But if Chichester was bad, Hartlepool was worse. Ronald Bage's 68 votes in Park ward amounted to a mere 6.7%. This is worse than the BNP's result in May in the only Hartlepool ward where it stood. The BNP website kept quiet about this one.

The BNP is increasingly contesting Conservative wards and occasionally doing well, as the result in Bridge ward, Redbridge, on 13 July showed, but Chichester and Hartlepool were most certainly not much of a success.

The BNP is standing in four more council by-elections next week. Elections now seem to be the party's main activity throughout the country.

Results

Chichester District Council, West Wittering ward, 20 July 2006

Hartlepool Borough Council, Park ward, 20 July 2006