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The BNP makes gains in Stoke

Stoke-on-Trent resident | 25.02.2004 15:26

The BNP are making inroads down in the city of Stoke-on-Trent. This is despite Staffordshire only having a very small ethnic minority population, with the exception of Wolverhampton in the south. The rise of the BNP seems to be because of the failure of New Labour who have lost a lot of support from its traditional voters.

In a move which has taken the city of Stoke-on-Trent by surprise the British National Party has gained one new councillor yesterday on the 24th of February. Stoke City Councillor Barry Cuthbertson yesterday resigned from the Labour Party to join the BNP. Councillor Cuthbertson who represents the Norton and Bradeley Ward joins Counsillor. Steve Batkin from the Longton North ward to form a BNP Group. Councillor Cuthbertson is well liked and highly respected by his ward constituents and this latest move has taken his constituants by surprise.

Stoke-on-Trent resident

Comments

Hide the following 3 comments

Danger of BNP--if there is no left alternative

26.02.2004 15:09

I am not saying that politics should be primarily based around fighting elections. However, it is a crucially important aspect of providing a left/internationalist political alternative. We have to fight in all arenas of the class struggle and the anti-colonialist/imperialist struggle, but rlections do matter if only to keep the BNP out of power.

Labour is widely discredited and working people are looking round for answers. Therein lies an opportunity for the left and a danger. If the left is electorally passive, the BNP comes along and presents a plausible answer to the problems of working people--get rid of the blacks, jobs for whites etc., ad nauseum. before we know it we have a bunch of goose-stepping Basil Fawlties strutting around the council chambers.

The left absolutely MUST present an electoral alternative. We can argue about the political basis of this alternative, but the left must get its electoral act together. I am not enirely happy about every aspect ofthe SSP/Socialist Alliance/SP/Respect, but at least they are trying to present an anti-racist, anti-imperialist alternative and I will support their initiatives.

Chris

The Left is going nowhere fast

27.02.2004 10:05

To the above commenter, there was such an alternativel leftist candidate when the BNP stood in Abbey Hulton about six months ago, in the form of the Socialist Party. Their candidate came bottom, while the BNP came second.

Get from that what you will...

Tom A

stop the Fascist BNP

27.02.2004 15:13

Unite Against Fascism:
 http://www.uaf.org.uk

kurious