BNP targets London elections

Sonia Gable | Wednesday, 16 January 2008 Source: Searchlight

The BNP has organised a "nationwide mobilisation" in its campaign for the May 2008 London elections. Activists have been called to east London on the weekend of 19-20 January to take part in two days of action. A rally on Saturday evening will be addressed by Nick Griffin, the BNP leader, and Simon Darby, the party's deputy leader and press officer, has also promised to help in the weekend's activities.

At stake is one or more places on the London Assembly, which would bring the BNP political influence and, more importantly for Griffin, generous salaries (by BNP standards) for the Assembly members and money for support staff.

The BNP will contest the London-wide list section of the election in which it needs to obtain 5% of the vote to guarantee one seat. With 8% it is likely to get two seats and with 11% three seats.

The BNP has often exceeded 10% in votes in council by-elections, but it is one thing sending activists from far and wide to campaign in one ward, as in a by-election for North West Leicestershire District Council on 10 January where the party came in just 62 votes behind the winning Conservative. It is quite another achieving such results across 32 London boroughs. Nevertheless the BNP came worryingly close with 4.7% last time round in 2004 and would probably have broken the 5% threshold had the UK Independence Party not taken so many votes. The UKIP is unlikely to do nearly as well this time, leaving the far-right field open for the BNP.

The BNP has also said it will contest the City and East constituency, which includes the borough of Barking and Dagenham, where the party has 12 councillors.