The curious case of Councillor Chris

Critics are calling for the resignation of Tamworth councillor Chris Cooke – who despite holding the Glascote seat as an independent, recently issued a leaflet supporting a BNP candidate in a by-election.

Cooke has been interesting anti-fascist researchers for some time after posting right wing comments on local newspaper websites.

He also has a link to the BNP on his website, arguing that the party is the victim of “smears, lies and disinformation.”

During a by-election in the in Castle Ward in November, Cooke then leapt to the defence of the far-right party’s candidate Lynne Smith, who had been targeted by the Unite Against Fascism pressure group.

UAF were encouraging people to turn out and vote to defeat the BNP – a campaign that was ultimately successful as the party trailed in third (with Labour snatching the seat from the Tories by just six votes).

In the run up to voting, Cooke – who had no direct interest in the election - took exception to what he regarded as interference by outsiders. So, in support of Lynne Smith, he distributed a defence of the BNP to 1,000 homes and attempted to rubbish the UAF.

That’s provoked a lively correspondence in the Tamworth Herald, with the Conservative Andrew James calling on Cooke to resign and stand under his “true colours”.

Cooke admits, “I did help the BNP's Lynne Smith in her recent by-election campaign. I know Lynne as a long standing and respected Tamworth resident.

“Three years or more ago I thought much the same as anybody else about the BNP - nasty, racist, fascist thugs.

“Therefore it was a shock to me to find a couple of people I respected as sincere and intellectual telling me that they were BNP members.”

But he insists that he won’t resign and stand for them in a by-election, insisting that after spells in the SDP and UKIP, he has “had enough” of political parties.

(To see more about the debate check out Chris Cooke’s website here).

The Stirrer.