 BNP looking for a ‘Hold’ and ‘Gain’ in Burnley
THE journey to where the British National Party stands today started back in May 2002 when, against all the odds, the BNP won three seats on Burnley Council. That unexpected success in the former Lancashire mill town sent shockwaves through the political establishment and provided the launchpad to take the BNP to its current very healthy state with nearly 100 councillors and on the verge of a breakthrough into the mainstream political arena.
In Burnley in three weeks time, the BNP will be contesting ten seats and the Party has two main priorities - for Sharon Wilkinson, the leader of the BNP group on Burnley Council to hold her Hapton with Park seat and for John Rowe to gain the seat in Rosegrove with Lowerhouse.
Last May, John tied with the Labour candidate in the ward on 489 votes each. Originally John had been two votes ahead, but after pressure from the Labour candidate and agent, two ballot papers that had previously been stamped as “spoiled” were included back into the count. After the drawing of straws, the Labour candidate was declared the winner and despite a battle in the High Court all last year, John failed in his attempt to get the result overturned.
But now he’s back and determined to win this time around and he believes has a substantial sympathy vote from local voters behind him as many think he was robbed of the seat last year.
In six of the ten seats, the BNP was the main challenger in 2007 and where Labour won the seat last time, we must be optimistic of at least closing the gap because of the Government’s unpopularity. David Shapcott has a 145 majority to try to overhaul in Trinity, but there’s more of a mountain to climb for Chris Vanns in Gawthorpe, who faces a 449 Labour majority.
John Cave must believe he has an outside chance in Gannow where the Lib-Dems have just a 76 majority over the BNP and the same must apply to Paul McDevitt contesting Brunshaw Ward for his third time. Although he has a 213 Lib-Dem majority to make inroads into, he might just supply the surprise of the night if there is to be one.
Election night in Burnley is one of the media’s favourite ports of call and this television coverage might give BNP supporters across the country a good indication of how the British National Party will fare overall.
Burnley Borough Council
Briercliffe:
Patricia Thomson (BNP)
Opponents: Lab, Con, Lib-Dem
May 2007: Lib-Dem 1074, BNP 515, Lab 130, Con 115.
Brunshaw:
Paul McDevitt (BNP)
Opponents: Lab, Con, Lib-Dem.
May 2007: Lib-Dem 680, Lab 499, BNP 467, Con 139.
Cliviger with Worsthorne
Ben Smalley (BNP)
Opponents: Lab, Con, Lib-Dem, Ind.
May 2007: Con 840, Ind 372, BNP 260, Lab 225, Ind 216, Lib-Dem 213, Green 84.
Coalclough with Deerplay:
Scott Atkinson (BNP)
Opponents: Lib-Dem, Lab.
May 2007: Lib-Dem 1055, Lab 265 .
Gannow:
John Cave (BNP)
Opponents: Lab, Con, Lib-Dem.
May 2007: Lib-Dem 560, BNP 484, Lab 446, Con 209.
Gawthorpe:
Christopher Vanns (BNP)
Opponents: Lab, Con, Lib-Dem.
May 2007: Lab 854, BNP 405, Con 201, Lib-Dem 149.
Hapton with Park:
Sharon Wilkinson (BNP)
Opponents: Lab, Con, Lib-Dem.
May 2007: BNP 620, Lab 544, Lib-Dem 299, Con 271.
Rosegrove with Lowerhouse:
John Rowe (BNP)
Opponents: Lab, Con, Lib-Dem.
May 2007: Lab 489, BNP 489, Lib-Dem 452, Con 164.
Trinity:
David Shapcott (BNP)
Opponents: Lab, Con, Lib-Dem.
May 2007: Lab 514, BNP 369, Lib-Dem 311, Con 96.
Whittlefield with Ightenhill:
Joan Shapcott (BNP)
Lab, Con, Lib-Dem.
May 2007: Con 1060, BNP 323, Lab 322, Lib-Dem 277. |