Election Results 2016

Labour’s Sadiq Khan elected Mayor of London. Record low votes for London nationalists. Paul Golding and the Britain First slate well ahead of the BNP’s Dave Furness.
BNP fail to take Marsden ward, Pendle: this year’s only realistic target.
Ex-BNP independent regains Bradford council seat.
BNP crushed in Burnley, where UKIP gains one seat.

This week’s elections have been a disaster of historic proportions for the British nationalist movement, forcing a serious rethink of our whole strategy and organisation. In our capital city we have seen the worst nationalist result in the history of the London mayoralty and GLA.

2012 seemed as bad as it could get for the BNP, when its London mayoral candidate Carlos Cortiglia polled 1.3% and its GLA list 2.1% – but this year was a lot worse, with the mayoral vote falling to 0.5% and the list vote to 0.6%.

Back in 2008 the BNP polled 5.4% in the GLA election and won a seat. In just eight years the party’s vote in the capital has collapsed to microscopic levels: eight of every nine votes have been lost. The tragedy is that many of its activists, including mayoral candidate Dave Furness, are decent people – but they are now flogging a dead horse for the benefit of a crooked national leadership interested only in milking donations and potential legacies.

This year the BNP was outvoted in London by the anti-Islamic party Britain First, which had benefited from extraordinary levels of media coverage over the past couple of years, although even these Britain First results are poor by all previous nationalist standards: 1.2% for the mayoralty and 1.5% for the GLA list. Contrary to earlier false rumours online, both Britain First and the BNP were beaten by fringe parties such as Women’s Equality and George Galloway’s Respect. The BNP also lost to the likes of “Cannabis is Safer than Alcohol”, the Animal Welfare Party and the Christian People’s Alliance.

Paul Golding’s party might win a few recruits from the BNP now, having achieved more than double the BNP’s vote in London, but it is difficult to see how it can contribute to the broader nationalist cause.

Earlier this year the BNP made the fatuous announcement that the party was now concentrating its resources only on council seats that were thought winnable. The truth was that they were desperate to find candidates in any branch that could summon up the resources, but this amounted to only seven candidates in the entire country outside London.

The only truly winnable seat was Marsden ward, Pendle, home of Brian Parker – the only surviving BNP councillor in Britain. John Rowe was narrowly defeated this year in his latest bid to join Cllr Parker – losing to the Conservatives by just 36 votes and polling 437 votes (36.4%).

Predictably this was by far the best nationalist result this year. Elsewhere BNP candidates were heavily defeated, even when (as in Pendle) they had no UKIP opposition. Despite UKIP’s absence, Chris Barnett was badly beaten in Gannow ward, Burnley – a ward which the BNP once won. He finished a distant third with 113 votes (8.8%). The final nail in the coffin of Burnley BNP was the crushing defeat of Chris Vanns in Rosegrove with Lowerhouse ward: he was bottom of the poll with 45 votes (3.8%).  UKIP gained just one seat in Burnley: Hapton with Park, which was once the strongest BNP ward in the country.

The BNP’s only candidate in Yorkshire – Chris Houston in Kingstone ward, Barnsley – had no UKIP opponent and managed a decent 198 votes (11.0%), though this was well down on BNP votes in the same ward back in 2007 and 2008.

Another acceptable BNP vote was achieved by Bill Kitchen who polled 200 votes (7.6%) in the St Peter’s ward of Tameside: one of only two BNP candidates in the whole of Greater Manchester this year. He had no UKIP opponent, but finished bottom of the poll. In nearby Reddish South ward, Stockport, the BNP’s Ged Williams was not so lucky: he polled just 42 votes (1.3%), while UKIP finished a distant runner-up to Labour with 14%.

In the whole of southern England (outside London) the BNP had just one candidate: John-Laurence Moore in Hayling West ward, Havant. This concentration of resources didn’t help Mr Moore, who polled 12 votes (0.5%).

Former National Front chairman Kevin Bryan achieved the NF’s best result of 2016, and proved (as with some of the BNP results) that it is still possible to achieve a respectable vote when there is no UKIP opponent. Mr Bryan polled 128 votes (10.2%) in Irwell ward, Rossendale.

As with the BNP, the National Front was unable to compete with UKIP when both parties were standing. In Kingstanding ward, Birmingham, Terry Williams finished 6th of 7 candidates with 21 votes (0.5%). Elsewhere in the city his NF colleague Adrian Davidson polled 37 votes (0.8%) in Oscott ward, while Paul Morris took 46 votes (1.0%) in Sheldon ward. In Bricknell ward, Hull, the NF’s Nick Walsh polled just 7 votes (0.3%).

Despite having UKIP opposition, the NF’s Chris Jackson managed a commendable 77 votes (2.2%) in Todmorden ward, Calderdale. There were two NF candidates in the Derbyshire borough of Amber Valley: Mick Sharpe polled 15 votes (1.0%) in Ripley & Marehay, and Tim Knowles 14 votes (1.2%) in Langley Mill & Aldercar.

At the Scottish Parliament election, NF chairman Dave MacDonald finished 9th of 12 on the regional list for NE Scotland, polling 617 votes (0.1%). In the Welsh Assembly election the NF list for the SE Wales region polled 429 votes (0.2%). In the only nationalist campaign at constituency level in London, NF veteran Richard Edmonds knew he was unlikely to make much impact against UKIP, and so it proved: he polled 1,106 votes (0.6%) in Croydon & Sutton.

On a generally grim night, one of the more respectable national results was achieved by Dr Jim Lewthwaite of the British Democratic Party, who managed to defeat both the Lib Dems and the Greens in Wyke ward, Bradford. Dr Lewthwaite polled 89 votes (2.8%). Elsewhere in Bradford, independent Lynda Cromie regained the Queensbury ward seat that she once held for the BNP. Mrs Cromie joins her husband Paul (a local millionaire and former BNP organiser) as a Queensbury independent councillor. Neither of the Cromies has had any connection with the nationalist movement for several years.

The new British Resistance party was no exception to the rule of nationalists being crushed by UKIP – even while UKIP itself failed to make significant gains. One of the party’s leaders, ex-BNP organiser Carl Mason, polled 9 votes (0.4%) in Nunnery ward, Worcester. His colleague Linda Bell polled 16 votes (1.4%) in Gorse Hill ward, while Alan Draper managed 6 votes (0.4%) in St John ward.

In Barton ward, Salford, the new party’s candidate Wayne Tomlinson took 17 votes (0.7%), while his colleague Eddy O’Sullivan (previously a frequent BNP candidate) polled just 9 votes (0.4%) in Swinton South, where he was beaten by the English Democrats as well as UKIP.

Former BNP candidate Paul Hilliard managed a respectable 127 votes (3.2%) standing as an Independent in Chaddesden ward, Derby.

In Besses ward, Bury, one of the English Democrats most dedicated activists Steve Morris polled 280 votes (11.5%): he clearly benefited from the absence of UKIP in his ward, but even so this was a good result. UKIP’s absence didn’t save fellow ED Dr Paul Rimmer from a drubbing in the Liverpool mayoral election, where he finished bottom of the poll with 2.7%.

UKIP’s results so far have been patchy, with the party once again failing to win seats in Oldham, where their closest second-place was achieved by an Asian candidate in Waterhead ward. In Dudley, expected to be one of UKIP’s strongest boroughs, they gained just one seat. Yet again there seems to be an East/West rather than North/South divide where UKIP is concerned, with its successes heavily concentrated in parts of Eastern England, while failing to make any breakthrough in the North West, and enjoying only slight success in the West Midlands.

Overall UKIP seems to have made a net gain of 26 council seats across the whole of England: unimpressive when one considers that this is by comparison with 2012, which was not a vintage year for Nigel Farage’s party. UKIP gained two seats on the GLA, having failed at the previous two elections, taking the party back up almost to the level of London support it held in 2004.

UKIP crisis as Oldham candidate banned by party bosses!

UKIP’s local election campaign has been plunged into crisis after party bosses blocked the candidature of a popular local activist, due to concerns over alleged “racism”.

Graham Whitehead – who last year finished a close runner-up in Failsworth East ward, Oldham, to Labour council leader (now MP) Jim McMahon, had been chosen by local UKIP members to represent the party again this year.

Mr Whitehead had attracted a great deal of local support by campaigning on issues highly relevant to Failsworth voters, such as his opposition to controversial proposals to demolish Phoenix Mill – destroying 100 jobs – so as to develop the site for housing.

Yet the national UKIP leadership’s “vetting” process blocked Mr Whitehead from standing as a UKIP candidate this year, due to controversial posts on his Facebook page.  While these would fit with the outlook of many Oldham voters, they outrage the liberal sensibilities of UKIP’s national bosses.

So Mr Whitehead had to go, and there will be no UKIP candidate in Failsworth East this year. UKIP Councillor Warren Bates, who represents the next door ward Failsworth West, told the local newspaper Oldham Evening Chronicle:

I joined UKIP as a party of hope. I fought for the EU referendum but it just seems to be referendum mania now. It’s taking over local politics. UKIP seems to be completely out of touch with local politics.

Will Cllr Bates be next for the chop? And does UKIP now stand any chance of succeeding in former BNP heartlands such as Oldham?

Meanwhile the bitter divisions at the top of UKIP appear to be worsening after today’s decision by the Electoral Commission to make Vote Leave the officially designated campaign on the Leave side of the referendum. UKIP’s sole MP Douglas Carswell supports Vote Leave, but the party’s leader Nigel Farage and its biggest donor Arron Banks support the rival Grassroots Out (which includes Leave.eu). Mr Banks has indicated that he might fund a legal challenge to the Commission’s decision. This could delay the entire referendum until October: if so it would raise questions as to the ability of tycoons to distort the electoral process.

Is this the end for the English Democrats?

During the crumbling of Nick Griffin’s BNP after the 2010 general election, several of the party’s best activists opted to join the English Democrats. The main advocate of this move was Eddy Butler, the BNP’s East London election guru who had relocated to Epping Forest, where he masterminded several local council election victories but became a factional opponent of Griffin. Those who accepted Mr Butler’s advice included former Leeds city councillor Chris Beverley and Barnsley branch organiser Ian Sutton.

One undoubted advantage of the EDs is that the party’s founder and leader – Essex solicitor Robin Tilbrook – is a thoroughly decent and honest man.  Unlike Nick Griffin or his successors in the BNP, Mr Tilbrook puts money into his party rather than taking it out. But this year’s election nominations suggest that he might be running out of patience and optimism. (Most of the party’s recruits from the BNP have already dropped out.)

The EDs had announced that controversial former UKIP activist Winston McKenzie would be their candidate for Mayor of London, but at the close of nominations his was found to be invalid, due to one signatory having also nominated another candidate. Perhaps this was a straightforward if foolish error, but suspicious minds speculated that the EDs might have decided not to waste their £10,000 deposit (plus a further £10,000 to appear in the booklet and additional costs of a credible campaign).

Such suspicions were heightened when instead of the advertised fourteen or fifteen candidates in the Police and Crime Commissioner elections, the EDs in fact nominated only four.  At the previous PCC elections ED candidates had saved several deposits, but the party leadership will be well aware that this time the turnout of major party voters will be much higher, since polling day coincides with local council elections. Consequently ED candidates are this time unlikely to save their £5,000 deposits in the PCC contests.

If the previously high-spending EDs have decided to cut costs, this might indicate the beginning of the end for the party.  Regrettably there is little political space for the English Democrats, unless and until UKIP’s challenge falls apart.

 

Nationalist candidates at 2016 council elections – full list

The first big surprise in the 2016 English council elections is that the BNP has fewer council candidates (outside London) this year than the National Front. With almost all councils now having issued their official lists of candidates standing in the May 5th elections, H&D can publish what is almost certainly a complete list covering the various nationalist parties.

The NF has eight council candidates (plus Richard Edmonds for the GLA); the BNP has seven (plus a London-wide list of GLA candidates). Like the BNP, the anti-Muslim party Britain First is contesting the London mayoral election and has a GLA list, but Britain First has no candidates outside London.

As we predicted in the March-April issue of H&D, a new nationalist party registered just in time for these elections: British Resistance, whose five council candidates include several former BNP activists (see below).

The British Democratic Party has just one candidate this year, partly because its strongest region in Leicestershire has no council elections in 2016.

We include the civic nationalist English Democrats here, even though most of the prominent BNP activists who defected to the EDs five years ago now seem to have given up, so the majority of this year’s ED candidates are people who were never members of the BNP, NF or any other radical nationalist party.

Kevin Hilliard – who stood against Adam Walker last year in an election for BNP chairman – is standing as an independent candidate for Chaddesden ward, Derby, which he previously contested for the BNP. Another Independent – former BNP councillor Lynda Cromie – is seeking a comeback in Queensbury ward, Bradford, where her husband Paul is still a councillor.  Mr and Mrs Cromie left the BNP some years ago and no longer have any connection with the nationalist movement.

A council by-election in the east London borough of Havering is also being held on May 5th and is being fought both by the NF’s Kevin Layzell and the BNP’s Denise Underwood. Aside from the GLA battle between the BNP and Britain First, this is one of only two council wards where there will be rival nationalist campaigns this year. The other is Swinton South ward, Salford, where former BNP parliamentary candidate Eddy O’Sullivan is standing for the new British Resistance party against Craig Holmes of the English Democrats.

By contrast, several nationalist candidates are lucky enough to have no UKIP opponent this year, including what should be two BNP targets – Gannow ward, Burnley, and Marsden ward, Pendle.

Also likely to benefit from UKIP’s absence are the NF’s Kevin Bryan in Rossendale; the BNP’s Christopher Houston in Barnsley and Bill Kitchen in Tameside; and several ED candidates including their entire slate in Liverpool, Steve Morris in Bury, Colin Porter in Barnsley, and Kevin Rafferty in Newcastle-under-Lyme.

More news of the 2016 local election campaigns, as well as information about the simultaneous GLA, Scottish Parliament, Welsh and Northern Ireland Assembly and Police and Crime Commissioner elections will appear on this site later.

National Front candidates

Amber Valley Borough Council
Langley Mill & Aldercar – Timothy Knowles
Ripley & Marehay – Michael Sharpe

Birmingham City Council
Kingstanding – Terry Williams
Oscott – Adrian Davidson
Sheldon – Paul Morris

Calderdale Borough Council
Todmorden – Chris Jackson

by-election: London Borough of Havering
Heaton – Kevin Layzell

Hull City Council
Bricknell – Nick Walsh

Greater London Assembly
Croydon & Sutton – Richard Edmonds

Rossendale Borough Council
Irwell – Kevin Bryan

Todmorden Town Council
Walsden – Chris Jackson

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British National Party candidates

Barnsley Borough Council
Kingstone – Christopher Houston

Burnley Borough Council
Gannow – Chris Barnett
Rosegrove with Lowerhouse – Chris Vanns

Havant Borough Council
Hayling West – John-Laurence Henry Moore

by-election: London Borough of Havering
Heaton – Denise Underwood

Greater London Assembly
Mayor – Dave Furness
London-wide list – Dave Furness, Paul Sturdy, John Clarke, Michael Jones, Peter Finch, Nicola Finch, Denise Underwood, Stephen Dillon, Philip Dalton, Roger Tonks, Gareth Jones, Bede Smith.

Pendle Borough Council
Marsden – John Rowe

Stockport Borough Council
Reddish South – Ged Williams

Tameside Borough Council
Ashton St Peter’s – Bill Kitchen

Ightenhill Parish Council
Chris Vanns elected unopposed

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British Resistance candidates

Salford City Council
Barton – Wayne Tomlinson
Swinton South – Eddy O’Sullivan

Worcester City Council
Gorse Hill – Linda Bell
Nunnery – Carl Mason
St John – Alan Draper

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British Democratic Party candidate

Bradford City Council
Wyke – Dr Jim Lewthwaite

———-

Independent candidate

Bradford City Council
Queensbury – Lynda Cromie

Derby City Council
Chaddesden – Paul Hilliard

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Britain First candidates

Greater London Assembly
Mayor – Paul Golding
London-wide list – Jayda Fransen, Paul Golding, Jake Elstone, Christine Smith, Anne Elstone, Nancy Smith, Hollie Rouse, Peggy Saunders, Donna King, Kevan McMullen, Steven Connor.

———

English Democrat candidates

Nuneaton & Bedworth Borough Council
Attleborough – Stephen Paxton
Bede – David Lane

Liverpool City Council
Riverside – Michael Lane
St Michaels – Dr Paul Rimmer
Warbreck – Steve McEllenborough

Liverpool Mayoral Election
Dr Paul Rimmer

Salford City Council
Swinton South – Craig Holmes

Bury Borough Council
Besses – Stephen Morris

Epping Forest District Council
High Ongar, Willingale and The Rodings – Robin Tilbrook

Barnsley Borough Council
Central – Colin Porter
Hoyland Milton – Justin Saxton
Rockingham – Kevin Riddough

Maidstone Borough Council
Shepway South – Timothy Raymen
Shepway North – Gary Butler

Slough Borough Council
Cippenham Green – John Barrow

Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council
Town – Kevin Raftery

Walsall Borough Council
Rushall-Shelfield – Chris Newey

by-election – London Borough of Croydon
West Thornton – Winston McKenzie

Police and Crime Commissioner candidates
Bedfordshire – Toni Bugle
Kent – Steve Uncles
South Yorkshire – David Allen
West Yorkshire – Therese Hirst