BNP’s campaign falls flat in Croxteth

The British National Party has failed to secure a seat in the council by-election in Croxteth. Despite determined campaigning, the people of the ward overwhelmingly rejected the fascist party and its violent convict candidate, Peter Tierney.

Tierney, 52, owns the Quiggins Attique antiques shop on Aigburth Road and holds a conviction for actual bodily harm. In April 2009, he assaulted a man with a camera tripod for handing out anti-fascist leaflets in Liverpool City Centre. Tierney’s personal election leaflet claimed that he was against bullying.

As part of his campaign, the BNP turned out in the ward numerous times to deliver leaflets door-to-door.They also held a rally in the area on polling day, whilst DVDs filled with racist propaganda were dropped through letter boxes under the title of “Liverpool Anti-Traitors.” The DVDs contain a version of the CCTV footage from Peter Tierney’s court case, which the party have time-lapsed to try and make it appear as though he was innocent. They also contain a You Tube BNP video from the general election, footage of a Welsh branch of the BNP being “horrified” by the “terrifying” presence of ethnic minorities in Wembley, and several videos espousing racial separatism which were created and promoted by white supremacist groups.

At the polls, the BNP’s share of the vote dropped to 2.58% from the 3.11% they gained when complete unknown George Muse stood for the party in Croxteth in 2008.

The full breakdown of results is as follows:

Lab: 1447
Lab: 1424
LD: 611
LD: 479
SLP: 135
BNP: 117 (2.58%)
SLP: 70
Green: 63
UKIP: 50
English Democrats: 35
English Democrats: 33
Con: 31
Con: 29
UKIP: 19

A spokesperson for Liverpool Antifascists said: “This result fits with a typical pattern for the BNP. Despite being far more active in campaigning than any other party, they have been roundly rejected, and their share of the vote has decreased with a higher turnout. After a series of succesful election campaigns by Liverpool Antifascists, and being run out of the City Centre twice in a row, people are alert to the fact that they are not an alternative to mainstream politics but its worst extreme. And at a time when the working class are under concerted attack from those in power, less and less people are convinced by the dead-end road of race politics.”

Martin Cummins and Stephanie Till of Labour were elected to represent Croxteth ward. Till, as the lowest polling of the two victors, will have to defend her seat at the local elections in May.

Liverpool Antifascists

BNP stand violent convicted criminal in Croxteth by-Election

A freeze-frame from the CCTV footage of the incident,
as uploaded to YouTube by Liverpool BNP themselves

The British National Party’s candidate in the upcoming Croxteth council by-election has a conviction for violently assaulting a political opponent during the European elections two years ago.

The by-election is being held due to the recent death of Councillor Rose Bailey and the resignation of Councillor Phil Moffatt. The BNP’s chosen candidate is Peter Tierney, who owns the Quiggins Attique antique shop on Aigburth Road, who is considered a “super-activist” by the party.

In April 2008, Tierney used a camera tripod to whack a trade unionist and anti-fascist campaigner across the head from behind. The wound had to be glued together in hospital. He pleaded not guilty on the grounds of self-defence, but after viewing the CCTV footage, a jury unanimously found him guilty of assault and causing actual bodily harm.

Commenting on his decision to stand, a spokesperson for Liverpool Antifascists said; “Peter Tierney is just the latest in a long line of high-profile BNP candidates with criminal records for violence. That he is so highly regarded by his party in Liverpool and nationally demonstrates that, despite token efforts to clean-up their image, violence and intimidation against political opponents remains part of their strategy. His brother, Andrew, has said that those who oppose the BNP are ‘fair game. Local organiser Mike Whitby has promised that anti-fascists’ identities will end up on ‘a website far worse than Red Watch,’ the hate site which has inspired attacks on activists’ homes and families.”

“In the 2010 General Election and in every local election they have contested, the BNP have been roundly rejected by the people of Liverpool. When they recently tried to campaign in the City Centre, they were chased off the streets – twice. Liverpool Antifascists hopes that the people of Croxteth show the same good sense and give this fascist thug the boot.”

The Croxteth by-election will take place on Thursday 18th November.

Liverpool Antifascists