05/09/03
The far-right British National Party have picked up another council seat after a by-election in Essex.
The party now has 18 local councillors, after the election of building maintenance manager Nicholas Geri, 47, himself the grandson of an Italian immigrant.
Mr Geri said he was "pleasantly surprised" at winning a seat in the Grays Riverside ward.
His party has tried to moderate its policies and rhetoric in an effort to shake off its racist image and become more electable.
The by-election was triggered by the death of a Labour incumbent.
Mr Geri's victory - with a 22% turnout - left Labour with an overall majority of 21 on the council.
Nasty, extremist and racist, the BNP got in narrowly on the back of empty promises, low turnout and bogus respectability
Alan Olive
Labour activist
He said: "We bring common sense. Things have gone the wrong way and the way that people don't want them to go, that is why they voted for us.
"Asylum problems, NHS problems, crime and the causes of crime."
Labour and the Liberal Democrats said the victory of a far-right candidate would be a rallying call for those opposed to racism.
Alan Olive, regional director of the Eastern Region Labour Party, said; "We will now redouble our efforts in this community and work on behalf of local people to prove the value of a hard-working Labour team and we will work hard to expose the BNP for what they really are."
He added: "Nasty, extremist and racist, the BNP got in narrowly on the back of empty promises, low turnout and bogus respectability.
"The truth is they have absolutely nothing to offer and will let local people down."
Earnshaw Palmer, the only Liberal Democrat councillor in Thurrock and one of three black councillors on the local authority, added: "This is a sad day for democracy and a sad day for the people of Thurrock.
"It is a wake-up call to the voters and the major political parties."
But he added: "It is not a national mood swing it is an aberration. It is what happens when the silent majority stay at home.
"There is no racial problem in this area and the BNP have nothing to offer the people of Thurrock."
Eric Pickles MP, Tory local government spokesman, said: "As a former councillor and council leader myself I am saddened and angry that they have won a seat in Essex.
"The BNP contribute nothing to society nor do they attempt to bring answers to the issues facing our local communities.
"The reality is, they are the problem and not the solution."
In the May local elections the BNP won 11 new council seats in England, with its biggest success five more seats in Burnley, Lancashire.
The far-right British National Party have picked up another council seat after a by-election in Essex.
The party now has 18 local councillors, after the election of building maintenance manager Nicholas Geri, 47, himself the grandson of an Italian immigrant.
Mr Geri said he was "pleasantly surprised" at winning a seat in the Grays Riverside ward.
His party has tried to moderate its policies and rhetoric in an effort to shake off its racist image and become more electable.
The by-election was triggered by the death of a Labour incumbent.
Mr Geri's victory - with a 22% turnout - left Labour with an overall majority of 21 on the council.
Nasty, extremist and racist, the BNP got in narrowly on the back of empty promises, low turnout and bogus respectability
Alan Olive
Labour activist
He said: "We bring common sense. Things have gone the wrong way and the way that people don't want them to go, that is why they voted for us.
"Asylum problems, NHS problems, crime and the causes of crime."
Labour and the Liberal Democrats said the victory of a far-right candidate would be a rallying call for those opposed to racism.
Alan Olive, regional director of the Eastern Region Labour Party, said; "We will now redouble our efforts in this community and work on behalf of local people to prove the value of a hard-working Labour team and we will work hard to expose the BNP for what they really are."
He added: "Nasty, extremist and racist, the BNP got in narrowly on the back of empty promises, low turnout and bogus respectability.
"The truth is they have absolutely nothing to offer and will let local people down."
Earnshaw Palmer, the only Liberal Democrat councillor in Thurrock and one of three black councillors on the local authority, added: "This is a sad day for democracy and a sad day for the people of Thurrock.
"It is a wake-up call to the voters and the major political parties."
But he added: "It is not a national mood swing it is an aberration. It is what happens when the silent majority stay at home.
"There is no racial problem in this area and the BNP have nothing to offer the people of Thurrock."
Eric Pickles MP, Tory local government spokesman, said: "As a former councillor and council leader myself I am saddened and angry that they have won a seat in Essex.
"The BNP contribute nothing to society nor do they attempt to bring answers to the issues facing our local communities.
"The reality is, they are the problem and not the solution."
In the May local elections the BNP won 11 new council seats in England, with its biggest success five more seats in Burnley, Lancashire.
Comments
Hide the following 8 comments
Real Concerns
05.09.2003 10:36
"Nasty, extremist and racist, the BNP got in narrowly on the back of empty promises, low turnout and bogus respectability." - Alan Olive, Labour Party
The fact is, in most cases, people vote BNP because the BNP is the only party which can get people doorstepping in an area. Pieces of paper stuck through doors go in the bin. Doorstepping, especially in low paid/skilled areas, is vital. If the politicians can't turn out for the people, the people won't turn out for them. Also, if he thinks Nazi's make empty promises, he should remember Hitlers near perfect record: only 1 election pledge unfulfilled, elimination of the Jews.
"It is a wake-up call to the voters and the major political parties." "It is not a national mood swing it is an aberration. It is what happens when the silent majority stay at home." - Earnshaw Palmer, the only Liberal Democrat councillor in Thurrock
If it isn't a national mood swing, I don't know what is. The number of people who would have voted BNP if they had gone and voted, but didn't, is probably just as notable as the number of Labour supporters feeling apathetic. And calling it an aberition? Get real, Mr Palmer, before they offer you repatriation!
"The BNP contribute nothing to society nor do they attempt to bring answers to the issues facing our local communities." - Conservative
They do bring answers, very evil answers none the less, otherwise, why would people vote for them.
Generally, I don't think this is more than rhetoric, real action is needed in all areas of society, including politics.
Rebel W
crisis of labourism
05.09.2003 11:48
the horrible truth is that there has always been a darkness at the heart of the labour party, a party which rose to prominance at the height of the british empire, and always pandered to imperial notions in order to make itself in its own words @a party fit for government@. by playing on the imperialist wishes of a narrow band of labour-aristocrats at the expense of the needs of the vast majority of the working class, labour has sown the seeds of bigotry, and will do nothing to stop the rise of the neo-fascists.
crisis
hold on a mo
05.09.2003 16:38
The BNP made their initial breakthrough in northern mill towns that have tended to elect Labour MPs.. But if you look at the results in detail, they've done best (and got councillors elected) in the traditionally Tory-voting wards within those towns.
And their scattered victories elsewhere have tended to be in traditional Tory wards.
Truth is, in all recent elections the Conservative vote has collapsed, leading in some areas to the BNP replacing them as the main right-wing party.
I'm not saying NO Labour voters have switched to BNP! But evidence from both polls and my own conversations with people is that the general trend is Labour voters staying home and Tories voting BNP.
Of course that can just as easily lead to disaster! But the point is, don't give up on people who voted Labour. Most of them are just not voting because there's no credible left-wing party. If we had a party with the profile and track record of the SSP in England I think things could be very different.
kurious
Crisis of the whole kingdom
05.09.2003 19:24
BNP is bad too.
So does it dawn on you what is the only left solution?
A peaceful system.
ram
BNP - not far right at all
05.09.2003 20:18
They are in fact nationalistic left wingers.
Their economic policies are not at all right wing, and their social policies cannot be described as right wing simply because they are authoritarian in nature. In fact, they appear to be gaining most votes through a combination of their left wing policies (especially state support for pensioners) combined with racism (pensions paid for by excluding non-white 'scroungers').
So racist, yes - fascist, yes - but then fascism depends socialist policies. But far right? No - not even centre-right.
There's a brief explanation on the Political Compass website:
where you can also see how closely your views fall to theirs...
Helge Grundvig
You idiots
31.07.2004 21:51
How long will it be before you realise your stupidity?
You people frighten me.
Andy Bruce
e-mail:
andybruce@ntlworld.com
yeah yeah
07.08.2004 11:59
dave
e-mail:
finchkll@aol.com
So what?!
15.09.2004 21:29
Ludendorff