My London borough neighbours Barking and Dagenham. In may of this year I reached into my postbox to find a newsletter entitled 'The Voice of Freedom' intrigued by the name and the British flag was boldly printed in the corner and the picture of a man doing what looked like a spot of gardening. On closer inspection it was the paper produced by the BNP to raise funds. This time it was free, I'd never felt so special.

When I called to ask why Ive got people putting hate mail through my door they said I was from a "priority" area that had shown "previous support" to the BNP. Then I was told I was part of a "ignored" minority and that I might want to know what was going on in my area. I explained that my block was multi-cultural , like the rest of Britain, and not to waste their time. This isn't the first time I've received some reading material from the BNP in my area. The last time i received a pamphlet from an old lady with white hair and harmless demeanor who handed it to me outside Tescos. Tescos and racism a match made in heaven. You just cant trust them little blue and white packets.

So my area is up for The Labour government has identified some key deprived areas in England that apparently really need their full-on attention. They think that these areas based in East London, Oldham, Liecester etc are full of "disenchanted white working class" and may fall into Nick Griffin's slimey hands positioned in a hugging motion ready to grasp any old jobless idiot who decides that they aint happy with Labour. I find it insulting. If your poor and white you're going to vote BNP?.

The BBC seem eager to relate the East end/Essex to a nationwide problem. On their website they accompany an article on the views of ordinary local people with the disturbing photograph of a Pie 'n' mash shop. What exactly are they trying to say? If your foreign don't step in a pie and mash shop you'll get your head kicked in? that there are secret societies of racists that meet on dark evenings in pie and mash shops and arrange lynchings in the local park? Or just everyone from east London is a racist. Ive been eating in them my whole life and Ive never ever heard a racist comment in one.

The fact is why there are people in Britain and specifically in Barking in Dagenham who were stupid enough to vote BNP last time out. Will they again? Some will, the changes in Barking and Dagenham over the last few years are immense. People believe and rightly so that the state of UK immigration is a shambles. Places like Barking and Dagenham are feeling the strain. Typical working class manual jobs are going at an alarming rate, foreign workers are cheaper, and these are the people that will suffer because of that.

I believe that the people here voted to give Labour a bloody nose, not to excuse the fact that people did vote. I do think that they didn't want the BNP in. When your ignored you do stupid things. Maybe last time out the purpose was fulfilled and all of a sudden Barking and Dagenham is attracted a lot more attention, a lot of attention to people that need it.

Labour too will see this as a hotly contested seat and the current MP for Barking and Dagenham Margret Hodge will be struggling and offering the residents the world. By giving the attention before the election to this part of London I believe the BNP will receive a sharp decrease in votes. More people will vote ,knowing the seriousness of the battle, and BNP will slip into fourth behind the Liberal Democrats.

Maybe then the BBC, BNP, and Labour will realise not every white disillusioned male east of the city is a racist. We do have a moral compass and 'Pie 'n' Mash' is as harmless as well, mash.

W.J Watkinson