Loki
06-05-2009, 03:01 PM
First county council seat for BNP (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/lancashire/8085392.stm)
The British National Party (BNP) has won its first county council seat in England in the party's stronghold of Burnley in Lancashire.
The BNP won one seat with the Liberal Democrats taking the remaining five. All six seats in the town had been held by Labour since 2005.
Burnley already has four BNP members who sit on the local borough council.
Tony Martin, a Labour county councillor in the town for 20 years, said it was "an awful day for Labour in Burnley".
In Burnley, with 11% of its 65,000 electorate from ethnic minorities, mainly Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities, the turnout was measured at about 35% after the first three results - well down from the 2005 turnout of nearly 60%.
“ I think we were the victims of uncertain economic and political times nationally ”
Kitty Ussher, Labour MP for Burnley
The BNP's Sharon Wilkinson defeated Labour's Marcus Johnstone in the Padiham and Burnley West ward to gain her seat on the county council.
Leader of Lancashire County Council Hazel Harding was also defeated, losing her Rossendale North seat.
Ms Wilkinson said: "It is absolutely wonderful for the party and gives me the opportunity to represent more people."
Kitty Ussher, Labour MP for Burnley, said: "It is disappointing.
"We have lost some really good county councillors who have worked very hard to serve their community.
"I think we were the victims of uncertain economic and political times nationally.
"Hazel Blears wore a brooch saying, 'Rocking the boat'. If you are in choppy waters you don't change the captain.
"We have a very good and able prime minister to take us through this difficult time."
“ I'm devastated. I lost my own seat and ended up coming third ”
Tony Martin, a Burnley Labour councillor for 20 years
Gordon Birtwistle, the Liberal Democrat leader of Burnley Borough Council and prospective parliamentary candidate for the town, said: "We are over the moon - we have completely wiped Labour off the map.
"They had all six seats, today they lost the lot, of which we took five of the six.
"Obviously Labour nationally are in a catastrophic position."
Tony Martin, a Labour county councillor in Burnley for 20 years until Thursday's election defeat, said: "It has been an absolutely awful day for Labour in Burnley.
"We expected the results to be bad but we hoped we could hold on to a couple of seats.
"I'm devastated. I lost my own seat and ended up coming third.
"It is the same for Labour as it was with the Tories in 1997.
"They just had to reform themselves and are now doing very well with Cameron.
"We have been in power for 13 years and sometimes you get the backlash. We will be back."
The British National Party (BNP) has won its first county council seat in England in the party's stronghold of Burnley in Lancashire.
The BNP won one seat with the Liberal Democrats taking the remaining five. All six seats in the town had been held by Labour since 2005.
Burnley already has four BNP members who sit on the local borough council.
Tony Martin, a Labour county councillor in the town for 20 years, said it was "an awful day for Labour in Burnley".
In Burnley, with 11% of its 65,000 electorate from ethnic minorities, mainly Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities, the turnout was measured at about 35% after the first three results - well down from the 2005 turnout of nearly 60%.
“ I think we were the victims of uncertain economic and political times nationally ”
Kitty Ussher, Labour MP for Burnley
The BNP's Sharon Wilkinson defeated Labour's Marcus Johnstone in the Padiham and Burnley West ward to gain her seat on the county council.
Leader of Lancashire County Council Hazel Harding was also defeated, losing her Rossendale North seat.
Ms Wilkinson said: "It is absolutely wonderful for the party and gives me the opportunity to represent more people."
Kitty Ussher, Labour MP for Burnley, said: "It is disappointing.
"We have lost some really good county councillors who have worked very hard to serve their community.
"I think we were the victims of uncertain economic and political times nationally.
"Hazel Blears wore a brooch saying, 'Rocking the boat'. If you are in choppy waters you don't change the captain.
"We have a very good and able prime minister to take us through this difficult time."
“ I'm devastated. I lost my own seat and ended up coming third ”
Tony Martin, a Burnley Labour councillor for 20 years
Gordon Birtwistle, the Liberal Democrat leader of Burnley Borough Council and prospective parliamentary candidate for the town, said: "We are over the moon - we have completely wiped Labour off the map.
"They had all six seats, today they lost the lot, of which we took five of the six.
"Obviously Labour nationally are in a catastrophic position."
Tony Martin, a Labour county councillor in Burnley for 20 years until Thursday's election defeat, said: "It has been an absolutely awful day for Labour in Burnley.
"We expected the results to be bad but we hoped we could hold on to a couple of seats.
"I'm devastated. I lost my own seat and ended up coming third.
"It is the same for Labour as it was with the Tories in 1997.
"They just had to reform themselves and are now doing very well with Cameron.
"We have been in power for 13 years and sometimes you get the backlash. We will be back."