Things can only get...

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October 9th saw nine by-elections - though two of these were in the same ward for two overlapping authorities, Cheshire County Council (which ceases to exist next March) and the Cheshire East Unitary (which comes into existence in April).

The BNP fielded candidates in just two of these eight areas - the Herne Bay division of Kent County Council, and the Alexandra ward of the London Borough of Haringey.

In Herne Bay they came a poor fourth (though trailed by UKIP) with 399 votes (7.7% of the vote). The turnout was a low 23.2%, giving them a share of the electorate of just 1.79% which is very poor.

In Haringey they did worse, achieving a result of extraordinary awfulness:

Lib Dem 1,460
Labour 772
Conservative 443
Green 221
BNP 27

That's 0.9% as a share of the vote, and a vanishingly tiny 0.32% as a share of the electorate. In other words one out of every 300 voters on the electoral register went out and voted BNP.

The past couple of weeks suggest something of a crisis for the BNP - they are struggling to find candidates across much of the country, and where they do stand their votes range from poor to appallingly bad! Next week the Dewsbury East by-election, triggered by the resignation of Colin Auty, will give us some indication of how they are faring in an area where they have previously gained significant support. It should be interesting.

BNP candidate dubs Dewsbury 'slum'

Joe Barber (Joey Smith) sneering at Dewsbury

The BNP candidate for next month's Dewsbury East by-election has branded Dewsbury an 'enriched slum'.

Singer-songwriter Joe Barber made the comment on social networking website MySpace on September 8 after a visit to Melton in Leicestershire. Writing under his stage name of Joey Smith, Mr Barber said: "I was so taken aback by the warm hospitality that I am strongly considering moving here away from the 'enriched' slum of Dewsbury."

He added that the town used to be as pleasant as Melton but had declined over several decades.

Carl Morphett, spokesman for anti-fascist group Kirklees Unity, said: "It's what you expect from the BNP. They try to concoct this false impression that they love the town. People genuinely love Dewsbury and Joe Barber who doesn't come from the town obviously doesn't care for it. If he thinks Dewsbury is a slum, what hope have people got with a BNP councillor who has no regard for the town whatsoever?

"Dewsbury East has had a BNP councillor and it's obviously made no difference whatsoever if that's what Joe Barber is saying. I'd like to see a councillor who genuinely loves the town and cares for Dewsbury, not one who spends their time slagging it off."

Mr Barber, who lives in Soothill, Batley, said: "I stand by my comments. Dewsbury is a slum. There's empty buildings, big businesses leaving and I wouldn't walk through there at night but that's even more reason to stand and to do something about it. There's a lot of people considering moving away because of it but I think the answer is to stay and try to do something about it. Dewsbury has a great history and a proud heritage and it's a pity to see it go down the drain."

He added that if elected he would work to address the problems in Dewsbury, particularly in the town centre.

Dewsbury Reporter

Auty quits after BNP leadership bid fails

A former BNP councillor has resigned his Kirklees seat in the wake of his failed party leadership bid.

Colin Auty, who was elected British National Party member for Dewsbury East in 2006, launched a campaign to oust BNP chairman Nick Griffin earlier this year. But his bid collapsed just weeks after it began, with Mr Auty claiming the BNP party machine had rallied against him.

Under the extremist party's rules, he needed to get 100 signatures to challenge Mr Griffin, but failed. He resigned his BNP membership in July, then officially left Kirklees Council at the end of last month.

A council spokesman said: "I can confirm that the chief executive has received a letter from Colin Auty informing him of his resignation with effect from August 31. A by-election will be held in due course."

Mr Auty describes himself as a "moderate," but has said his decision to resign the seat stemmed from the way people in Kirklees have treated him over his far-right activism. He has said: "I can't get involved in projects because of my BNP badge. I get shot down by the establishment. I have met some nice people but they can't afford to be seen standing by my side."

He added that his wife had had a "rough time" for being married to a BNP councillor.

The resignation is the latest blow for the BNP in Kirklees, which it sees as a stronghold. In last May's local elections, a concerted campaign saw trades unionist Steve Hall take a Heckmondwike seat from the BNP, for Labour. Just one BNP councillor remains on the Kirklees authority – Heckmondwike's Roger Roberts.

Unusually, there is no mention of Mr Auty's decision to resign on the Yorkshire and Humberside news section of the BNP's official website.

Yorkshire Evening Post

Cllr stands down from 'undemocratic' BNP

A British National Party councillor in West Yorkshire has quit the party after failing to oust party leader Nick Griffin.

Councillor Colin Auty, who has represented Dewsbury East on Kirklees Council since 2006, says he will continue as an independent councillor for another month and then give up the seat. Coun Auty, who quit the far-right party yesterday, said he had become disillusioned with the BNP during his failed leadership bid. He describes himself as a "moderate" and said the party machine had rallied against him.

"One official described me as a joke candidate. It might sound funny coming from a BNP, but I believe in democracy. The process was certainly not democratic."

In the past he has criticised the party's image, saying voters were turned off when they saw Griffin's bodyguards wearing "shades and leather gloves".

Coun Auty failed to get the 100 signatures he needed to mount a challenge to Griffin. His decision to resign his seat, which will prompt a by-election, also stemmed from the way people in Kirklees have treated him.

"I can't get involved in projects because of my BNP badge. I get shot down by the establishment. I have met some nice people but they can't afford to be seen standing by my side."

He added that his wife had had a "rough time" for being married to a BNP councillor.

"It's not nice to live in fear. My wife is fed up with it."

He said he may consider standing as an independent candidate in the near future.

Yorkshire Post