EPPING FOREST: BNP fielding no candidates in election

IN a dramatic turn of fortune the British National Party will be fielding no candidates in the forthcoming local elections.

Only four years ago the BNP had seven members on Epping District Council, more than at any other time in their recent history.

But this year none of the 18 seats that are up for re-election on May 5 will be contested by the far-right organisation.

Many of the seats are in Epping and Waltham Abbey, and the Liberal Democrats are looking to use the opportunity strengthen their position and oust Loughton Residents Association as opposition to the dominant Conservatives.

District Councillor Stephen Murray, who is an independent, said: “I was pleasantly surprised to see that the BNP are putting forward no candidates this year. It can only be a sign of weakness. Only four years ago there was talk of them being a majority, now their membership on the council is down to one.

He said that internal divisions and campaigning by ant-fascist organisations were the root of the the collapse.

“Eddie Butler, who is married to a former BNP councillor from the area, stood against Nick Griffin a recent leadership contest which has caused fratricidal disputes", said Councillor Murray.

“I also think that Searchlight have done valuable work in the area in waking people up to the true nature of the BNP as a racist organisation.

“However it is very important for people not to become complacent and for us to keep an eye on them.”

Councillor Murray was sceptical about the Lib Dem's chances of becoming district's second most powerful party, saying that their centre-left support could collapse having formed a coalition government with the Conservatives.

The BNP's one remaining District Councillor, Pat Richardson, said: “Sometimes it is hard to find candidates. Most parties are going through difficult times.

“None of the seats in Debden and Alderton where we have most of our support are up for re-election so that is another factor.

“I think at the minute people are more interested in their home lives than in politics.

“It is swings and roundabouts, the game of politics. Recently Labour had strong support now they only have one district councillor.”

Epping Forest News

Local parents reject BNP governor

Parents of children at Hereward Primary School have condemned the nomination of local BNP leader Pat Richardson as a school governor.

Richardson put herself forward for the role after no candidates came forward from the local community.

Speaking to the Epping Forest Guardian, Hannah Martin, who lives on the Oakwood estate and whose three year old goes to Hereward, said she was disgusted at the prospect of Richardson becoming governor. She said: "My son is mixed race and I know there are lots of black children at the school. Teachers and staff here have always been brilliant in making everyone feel welcome, and I think there is a danger that this would ruin all that."

Sam Kelly, a mother of two whose 10 year old son is at the school, said: "My son has been here for seven years and I have never known any problems over race. I think the school needs to think what kind of message this would send out."

Local father Lee Thurland said: "I don't know much about the BNP but what I have heard I don't like."

The school, which has been praised by OfSTED for its multi-cultural environment, will have to decide whether to accept the nomination of the councillor from the far-right party, which advocates the "repatriation" of non-white people.

Richardson said: "I would hope to bring some common sense to the decision-making process down there."

"Common sense" is what the BNP commonly refers to its policy of alienating and expelling non-white and mixed race people. Advancing such racist policies in a primary school is very ominous indeed.

If you think you would make a better school governor than the local leader of an extremist political party, you can submit your nomination via the town council:

Town Clerk : Enid Walsh
Loughton Town Council
Buckingham Court
Rectory Lane
Loughton
Essex, UK.
IG10 2QZ
Tel : +44 (0)20 8508 4200
Fax: +44 (0)20 8508 4400
E-mail: contact@loughton-tc.gov.uk

Epping Forest BNP Watch

BNP attack on unlikely "Marxist agitator"

The latest edition of the BNP's irregular (in more ways than one) "Debden Patriot" newsletter is devoted to "revealing" the supposed Marxist conspiracy to impose a communist dictatorship on Loughton's Debden estate.

The attack is particularly aimed at Methodist church-going Loughton Residents Association (LRA) councillor Rose Brookes, dubbed "Red Rose" by the BNP for "her long history of far-left activism with Marxist front-groups" (She lists her activities as "voluntary work for Barnardos and raised funds for a charity for bereaved children" - not activities one normally associates with the workers control of production). The leaflet is a transparent smear campaign against a jovial and hard-working councillor whose only "crime" is her vocal opposition to racism. In the BNP's bizarre little world, anti-racism and Marxism are one and the same, although members of the Conservative party have also been among those to actively campaign locally against the problem of racism. They consider that all opposition to their fascist politics is communist.

Oddly, the leaflet was distributed mainly to residents in the Broadway ward, which is not Rose Brookes' seat and has never been contested by the LRA. She won the Alderton ward seat last year in a massive swing against the BNP (see chart) - another "crime" that the BNP cannot forgive her for.

BNP activists are highly territorial. It seems they would prefer a truce in the style of the Nazi-Soviet Pact: the LRA can have the supposedly middle-class areas of the town, while the BNP can have a monopoly in the working-class areas. No doubt the pressure is on from national HQ to prevent further losses, which could have a negative impact on Nick Griffin's control freakish leadership.

Its losses in Alderton and Fairmead wards last year have shaken the local BNP, demonstrating that the LRA can win votes from across the community. In fact, class differences are dissipating with the Conservatives the only party to actually increase both its share and its number of votes in the BNP's largely working-class Broadway stronghold last year. With council accommodation mostly sold off under right-to-buy, Loughtonians are more aspirational and class/party loyalties have loosened, particularly with the decline of loyalty to the Labour party. This has benefitted the BNP in Broadway and, previously, in Alderton and Fairmead. But they are feeling the possibility of a crunch on their vote and the desperate personal smears are an attempt to warn the LRA off their remaining patch of support.

The LRA has been making in-roads into the Broadway ward with a campaign to register Debden estate's green spaces as village greens and save them from development. The BNP does not have the nous to consider such a move. Now it is nervous that the LRA will contest Broadway and break the BNP vote, in the same way the BNP broke the Labour vote. The attack on Rose Brookes is therefore the rearguard action of a retreating force that can only resort to traducing those who have democratically triumphed over them.

The BNP have so far capitalised on this decline in class-based ideology to advance their race-based ideology. But there is only so far racism can be a vehicle for public support in a town that is 99 per cent white. They are seeking other avenues: attempting to revive class politics with attacks on the LRA as "middle-class nosey parkers" (an ironic twist, given that they accuse the LRA of being Marxist class warriors) and portraying themselves as an alternative residents' voice, although they don't have any track-record of success. These are likely to be far less successful than the racist line they have pushed so far, which has largely focused on black students at Epping Forest College who they accuse of drug-dealing and anti-social behaviour (an accusation that the police have refuted).

The truth is that the BNP in Loughton is a cornered animal fighting for its life. And slowly but surely, other political forces - namely the Conservatives and the LRA - are beating them back on their territory. Desperate accusations of Marxist insurgency are all they have. Yet, McCarthyite red-baiting is likely to be far less successful than black-bashing. The electorate are not fools.

Epping Forest BNP Watch

Jaywick: Shanty town? Not us, say residents

Jaywick residents have rejected claims from a British National Party councillor that the village “resembles a shanty town”.

Peter Turpin, a councillor for the BNP in Epping Forest, wrote a blog in which he singled out Jaywick for criticism. He wrote: “There are parts of it you wouldn’t want to be at night and parts you certainly wouldn’t want to live.”

Dan Casey, a resident of Jaywick and a member of the Jaywick Forum and the Jaywick Residents’ Forum, said Mr Turpin’s comments were out of line. He said most Jaywick residents were proud to live in the area.

“The BNP is not for Jaywick, definitely not. I would never class it as a shanty town. We moved here five years ago, and we think it is wonderful. We are so happy with the involvement and what goes on. It is a great place to live,” he said.

In his blog, Mr Turpin wrote: “If there is anyone out there who does not think there is poverty in this country then take a trip down to Jaywick on a sunny day and have a look around. Some parts of this once-bustling seaside resort resembles a shanty town. Have a seat in one of the cafes in Meadow Way and observe. You will see it, you cannot miss it. There are parts of it you wouldn’t want to be at night and parts you certainly wouldn’t want to live.”

Mr Turpin has a caravan in the Jaywick area, and says he has been visiting the town since childhood.

He said: “I have been going there for quite a few years now. It seems to be getting worse. It is quite depressing to go there. They should have proper houses with gardens, and not live in holiday homes like that.”

He said the BNP was the only party that could turn around the area. Mr Turpin said the party did not currently have a candidate to stand for election in the area, but plans to focus on getting a BNP organiser for supporters in Clacton. He made his comments on an Epping Forest BNP blog last week.

Colchester and North Essex Gazette