More by-election failures for BNP and NF

| Friday, 30 April 2004 Source: Searchlight

The BNP claimed it was "delighted" with the 14.66% it polled in a London Borough of Hillingdon council by-election in South Ruislip on 29 April 2004 but the truth is it was yet another in a long run of by-election failures for the BNP since the 2003 council elections. The result confirms the growing reputation of the BNP as a party of no-hopers and losers.

A relatively high 36% turnout for a council by-election brought victory to the Liberal Democrats, who took the seat from the Conservatives. Labour was squeezed into third place.

The full result was:

The National Front fared even worse in a Kent County Council by-election in Ashford South East, coming last of six candidates. The NF's percentage was much lower than the 10.16% and 12.50% its two candidates achieved in the Ashford Borough Council elections a year ago. The full result was:

In the two days before the South Ruislip ballot, local anti-fascists distributed 5,000 copies of the Searchlight election special newspaper throughout the borough. They stuck to their task in the face of foul weather and intimidation by a gang of BNP thugs in a car trying to film them on behalf of the nazi Redwatch website, which promotes the harassment of anyone who opposes the BNP.

During the count a BNP activist, Peter Shaw, improperly took photographs and the BNP made false accusations against a Labour councillor. The claims fell flat on their face when the police challenged the BNP to supply evidence of any wrongdoing by the councillor. The councillor had to be given protection from a gang of BNP thugs when he left the building.

The distribution of the newspapers followed Searchlight's call for work in the ward and has clearly stung the BNP. Its website claimed that Unite Against Fascism had bussed in loads of supporters from across London. In fact those who came were drawn mainly from west London. Searchlight would like to thank everyone for their response.

Events at the Rifleman pub in Hounslow showed that the BNP's claimed respectable image is a very thin veneer indeed. Passers-by on the evening of Saturday 24 April complained about nazi chanting coming from the premises, venue of a joint Blood and Honour and BNP gig featuring Polish and British nazi bands. When the nazi scum attending it spilt out onto the pavement there were violent assaults on Asian people.

The publican claimed he had called the police. Perhaps he can explain why this pub has been a regular haunt of the BNP.