BNP carries on failing

| Saturday, 7 October 2006 Source: Searchlight

The British National Party won a surprise 29% of the vote in a council by-election in Loughborough. Andrew Holders, the party's Loughborough organiser, took 478 votes to come second to Labour in Shelthorpe ward, Charnwood Borough Council on 6 October.

The BNP had recently arrived in the area in style, by clearing rubbish from a local park. The party is hoping to contest the local elections there in May 2007.

A week earlier the BNP came last out of six candidates in a by-election in Blackburn. In a high turnout for a council by-election, far-right voters slightly preferred the England First Party to the BNP.

The BNP candidate was Nick Holt former organiser of Blackburn branch until he resigned in August after a semi-public falling-out with the BNP hierarchy. This is not the first time he has had to give way to the EFP, which has had two councillors in Blackburn since May. In 2004 Holt came bottom of the poll in Blackburn's Meadowhead ward, 100 votes behind the EFP.

The only councillor the BNP ever had in Blackburn left the party less than a year after he was elected in a by-election in November 2002. Robin Evans then wrote a letter to his former BNP colleagues denouncing the drug dealers and football hooligans in the local party branch. He had previously admitted that he could not follow council business. "This is all mumbo jumbo," he told fellow councillors. "I don't understand a word of it." He was referring to the council budget.

In Gateshead the BNP slightly increased its percentage of the vote compared to May in a by-election in Dunstan and Teams ward but still only came third in this safe Labour seat. The BNP has never done well in the Northeast despite claims to be gaining support there.

The BNP fared worst in Cribden ward, Rossendale, coming bottom of four candidates with just 9.1%. The candidate, Kevin Bryan, was the BNP's only candidate in Rossendale in May, when he came last out of three candidates in a closely contested election in Irwell ward.

On 19 October 2006 the BNP is fighting a Manchester City Council by-election in Gorton South ward against four other candidates. The BNP has little organisation in Manchester and only fielded two candidates in the whole city in May, one of whom, Derek Adams, is standing again this time.

The BNP's reconstituted Manchester unit held its first meeting on 28 September. The BNP website claims over 30 members attended, no doubt bussed in from surrounding areas as the party generally does. The report claims that the candidate is "well known local business man Derrick Adams" – clearly not so well known that the BNP can spell his name correctly.

Shelthorpe ward, Charnwood Borough Council 6 October 2006

Turnout 33.5%

East Rural ward, Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, 28 September 2006

Turnout 46.2%

Dunston and Teams ward, Gateshead Borough Council, 28 September 2006

Turnout 21.1%

Cribden ward, Rossendale Borough Council, 28 September 2006

Turnout 34.8%