Fears of Forthcoming BNP Success

[Loyalist]

A former minister has warned that the UK's main parties are "complacent" about the British National Party, after the BNP won a local election.

Labour MP Peter Hain told the BBC that Labour's own supporters were being targeted by the far-right.

He said the government needed to make sure local, rather than foreign, workers were prioritised for jobs.

A BNP leader said the recession had helped the party win because potential supporters were being hit hardest.

Mr Hain was speaking after the BNP won a seat at a by-election for Sevenoaks Council in Kent. (Continues)

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The British National Party is on course to win its first seats in the European Parliament this year, Gordon Brown has been warned. Senior Labour figures have told the Prime Minister they believe two BNP candidates are likely to be sent to Brussels under the proportional representation system of voting, The Independent has learnt.

They fear Labour’s campaign for the European election in June has been too slow to get off the ground and its lack of preparation is allowing the BNP to win over disaffected Labour voters.

Yesterday, the far-right party was celebrating a surprise win in a council by-election in Swanley, Kent, where the BNP candidate took 41 per cent of the vote after Labour’s support collapsed.

It is the first time the BNP has won an election in a southern English county, and shows it is broadening its appeal beyond its traditional northern heartlands. The party also polled more than 28 per cent of the vote this week in a council by-election in Thringstone, Leicestershire – a seat it had never contested before.

Mr Brown has been told the BNP has a strong chance of fielding successful candidates in the North-west of England and Yorkshire and the Humber. A senior Labour source told The Independent yesterday: “We have got to get our act together – and very quickly. No one is focusing on the European elections; no one knows who is in charge.” (Continues)

Source

[British and Proud]

I won't get too carried away just yet, but the future looks bright.

[woody]

With the way the world is going, it's not surprising that they gained a little support. It's long overdue here in the states, and we will see which way the wind blows after we get a taste of Obama.

[Lenny]

I remember they missed the 5%-national-hurdle by a only a few tenths of a percent in 2004.

Anyway how relevant is the European Parliament beyond the monetary and prestige factors? EU-Parliament members get generous salaries I understand (that can be redistributed to the party); and there's a certain level of respect accorded to parties that can get seats, I suppose. But isn't the whole problem with the EU-Parliament that people don't really know what they do? [Hence very low voter turnout rates]. Do they even do anything?

I guess the prestige factor alone is worth it.

[Treffie]

The only thing that I'm worried about is that this new found support for the BNP would be temporary. The recession has bitten, but what happens if and when the recession is over? The electorate is very fickle, let's hope the BNP can embrace and maintain its new membership.