Bob Batten RIP
Posted by admin978 on April 16, 2018 · Leave a Comment
National Front chairman Kevin Bryan writes:
On Tuesday 10th April I attended the funeral of Nationalist stalwart Robert Batten. The funeral was held in Wallsend, North Tyneside.
Bob Batten was for many years a member of the National Front and he stood in many elections, they include three General Elections, two Mayoral Elections and seven Council Elections.
The late Bob Batten (left) on a National Front activity in Newcastle with his longstanding friend and comrade Simon Biggs.
We believe Bob was the first National Front candidate since Martin Webster to retain his deposit. Bob achieved this as the North Tyneside Mayoral candidate for the National Front, Bob polled over 2500 votes and exceeded the 5% needed to retain his deposit.
Bob Batten died of a heart attack aged just 68: all his working life Bob had been a grafter, a very honest, loyal & proud man.
For many years Bob had been very good friends with Simon Biggs and his wife Hazel, and Simon paid a fitting tribute to Bob with an excellent speech in the church.
Simon and fellow Nationalists clubbed together for a beautiful Union Flag floral tribute. I was proud to travel to the North East to pay my respects on behalf of the National Front.
RIP Bob Batten
Kevin Bryan
Chairman, National Front
H&D’s Peter Rushton adds: Bob Batten was for many years the most reliable stalwart of nationalism in North East England – an area traditionally dominated by a monolithic Labour vote. As NF candidate for North Tyneside’s Wallsend ward in 2004 he took more than 10% of the vote, then in 2007 he polled more than 14% in Howdon ward. He contested the same area again in 2010, 2011 and 2012 – on the latter occasion finishing runner-up to Labour.
With the collapse of UKIP a radical nationalist challenge will once again be the only true opposition to Labour in areas such as North Tyneside. Bob Batten’s premature death deprives the NF of a loyal standard bearer in the battles to come: a new generation of nationalists will have to live up to his example.
