Loughton Residents' Association winners in town council by-election

The shame of the Jewish community - the BNP's Pat Richardson

Christmas, the weather, and women, have all been blamed by the British National Party (BNP) for losing them one of their safest seats

In a closely fought by-election battle for Loughton Town Council's Broadway, ward Katie Nicholson of the Loughton Residents' Association (LRA), won by 23 votes ahead of The BNP’s Edward Long.

BNP district council group leader Cllr Pat Richardson said: “I'm a little bit disappointed but it was very close. There was the weather, it's the run up to Christmas and other matters. There's always apathy. It seems to be the main presence for people these days. They're turned off by the whole business of politics. I think it was partly tactics on the part of the other group. They had a woman in. It seems to make a difference. It' s only one round not the whole thing. I think a lot more people are edging towards us.”

Loughton's LRA town mayor Cllr Ken Angold-Stephens hailed the result as a fantastic success. He said: “It was an excellent result for us. It's the first time we have contested that ward and to come from nothing to win was an incredible achievement. It was the BNP's strongest ward so I think they must be hugely disappointed. Last time there was a big protest vote and people voted BNP because they had no other choice. We have given them that choice.”

The election was called after the resignation due to ill health of the sitting BNP councillor Garry Martin.

Epping Forest Guardian

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