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.

Two years of BNP support

Tamworth's only independent councillor has been defending the far-right wing British National Party's policies for at least two years, the Tamworth Times has learned.

In an interview with the Times on Tuesday, Councillor Cooke said voting for the BNP was 'an option' for him that he would not be ashamed of. And, despite a call to arms in the defence of free speech, he said the organisation Unite Against Fascism should be banned from distributing anti-BNP literature in the run up to elections.

"I would like to see a law against it," He said.

As reported exclusively in the Times last week, Councillor Chris Cooke assisted the BNP's candidate at the Castle ward byelection, by printing and hand-delivering campaign material in the run-up to the poll. Now the Times can reveal that Coun Cooke has been posting pro-BNP comments on websites since at least 2006.

And, in an open letter to his constituents, Coun Cooke launched an attack on the pressure group Unite Against Fascism - branding them as Nazis.

Coun Cooke, who was until 2001 a high-ranking member of the anti-European United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) and previously a member of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), told the Tamworth Times this week that he had not voted BNP in the past. Nor had he ever been a member of any party other than the SDP or UKIP. He said UKIP was the last party to which he had a political affiliation, and he left because he felt its members behaved in a way that made it more difficult for Britain to get out of Europe.

Coun Cooke added: "My position now is that I would vote for the person, not necessarily for the BNP as a party. It is certainly an option for me to vote for the BNP, and I would not be ashamed to do so. Neither would I be ashamed to vote for the United Kingdom Independence Party or, at the moment, the Liberal Democrats. I would not vote for either

In one of his internet messages, posted on the BNP's own message board in September 2005, Coun Cooke wrote of NHS salaries: "I hope when the BNP come to power (note - 'when'!) that they allow themselves to dig a bit deeper into such things as the NHS than just the pay of the top guys. The whole edificial empire needs an overhaul."

In response to threats by anti-fascists to disrupt a ballet performance by BNP member Simone Clarke in January this year, Coun Cooke said the campaigners were simply out to wreck the dancer's career. He described them as 'evil fascist bullies'. In September this year, he posted a staunch defence of the BNP in response to criticisms on another website - in which he described party members as 'sincere, brave and intelligent'.

Following a raid on shops selling hardcore pornography in Swindon in March this year, Coun Cooke posted: "I shall be voting BNP too. Not because their policy says boot them all out - it doesn't (bad news for those who want the BNP to kick all immigrants out perhaps?). And I've no wish to hurt innocent people. But it's only the BNP that will be tough on the criminal vermin who deal in this sort of **** and drugs. And if they are not our home grown vermin then - quite right - they should be booted out of the country - and their dependents they must take away with them."

In his letter to constituents, Coun Cooke described the UAF as: "A motley crew of --shall we say - alternative lifestylers and Marxists. It is by their own threatening behaviour and actions that these 'anti-fascists' show themselves to be the much truer Nazis."

Coun Cooke posted a response on the Tamworth Times website following last week's story, denying that he was defending the BNP in his letter. He said: "It was instead rubbishing a bullying leaflet that an obscure United Against Fascism (UAF) group had got delivered in this ward to pervert this by-election result."

He added: "My letter also makes very clear that I don't like bullies, and will always defend people's rights to take part in the democratic process - anybody! I would do the same for any party or individual."

icTamworth

Councillor helped in BNP campaign

Tamworth's only independent councillor has admitted aiding the far-right wing British National Party with their election campaign in last week's byelection.

Councillor Chris Cooke's firm PDQ printed the postal vote letters for the BNP candidate Lynne Smith. Councillor Cooke, representing Glascote, yesterday admitted helping post the letters to voters, prior to the Castle Ward by-election. Coun Cooke also told the Tamworth Times: "I am against the European Union, and I think immigration has gone far too far."

Defending his assistance to the BNP, Coun Cooke said the printing was a business decision. He had helped Ms Smith gain access to blocks of flats, and posted some of the letters himself. He said he had a long-standing friendship with Ms Smith.

He added: "I said I would print material for any of the other parties. I knew the BNP candidate before she was a candidate, so it is quite natural for me to help her. I had no hand in it, apart from helping her get into the high rise flats. I explained to her how to do that and delivered the leaflets."

Coun Cooke denied that there was a conflict of interest between his role as an independent councillor and helping the BNP campaign. He did not believe he had let down the people who voted for him.

He said: "I am what I am. Everyone knows my views as a councillor, and as an independent I am beholden to nobody."

In a recent letter to Tamworth residents, Coun Cooke defended BNP candidates, saying they had become the victims of 'hysterical propaganda' for 'daring to stand for a legal political party that says immigration has gone too far and we must get out of the EU'. On the candidates for the Castle byelection, Coun Cooke wrote: "not one of them would disgrace our council."

Both the leaders of the Conservative and Labour groups on Tamworth Borough Council expressed their disappointment at Coun Cooke's actions. Both stopped short of calling for his immediate resignation, but said he should not stand as an independent again.

Coun Peter Seekings (Lab) said: "I am absolutely shocked that he would deliver leaflets for a party that in my opinion is a racist party. I think he has let down his constituents because he has always claimed to be an independent. It is going to be very difficult for him to be elected again as an independent."

Coun Jeremy Oates (Con) added: "I am very disappointed in his actions. When people voted for him, he was standing as a candidate independent of any political party. If he wishes to align himself with the BNP he should say so when seeking election."

The Castle Ward seat was up for grabs following the retirement of Conservative councillor, Graham Ingley, who stepped down due to ill health. The by-election was won by former Mayor Marion Couchman (Lab) --by just six votes. She took the seat with 619 votes. The Conservative candidate, Ian Stuart, won 613 votes, followed by the British National Party candidate Lynne Smith with 208 votes. Jenny Pinkett, for the Liberal Democrats, won 95 votes.

Overall, 5593 votes were cast. This represented 27.4 per cent of the electorate. The result does not significantly change the make-up of the council. There are now six Labour councillors, 23 Conservatives, and one independent.

icTamworth

Tamworth BC Castle ward by-election

Solidly Conservative Tamworth is a highly desirable place to live. An area with which we are familiar, this south Staffordshire town sits hard on the Warwickshire border (which once bisected it), and much of its wealth and growth was generated by coal mining.

The mines of south Staffs and north Warwickshire now gone, the character of the place has changed fundamentally in the last decade or so, a change reflected in the political make-up of the town.

Once a solidly working-class Labour-voting town, the disappearance of the pits and the contraction of industry made Tamworth attractive to people living in the nearby West Midlands conurbation, who have decamped there in large numbers, making Tamworth something of a dormitary for Birmingham and its industrial suburbs. There is almost certainly an element of "white flight" to add in to the equation.

In 1998 Tamworth Borough Council was controlled by 28 Labour councillors, with just two others (one Conservative and one Independent) forming the opposition. By 2000 there had been a dramatic change - Labour still controlled the council with only two votes, but were reduced to 16 seats, with the Conservatives on 13 and the Independents retaining one. In 2002 boundary changes saw a revival for Labour, which retained council control with 22 seats against the Conservatives' 8 - but the relentless effects of demographic changes delayed by the boundary re-drawings were making themselves felt. In 2004 the Tories took control of the council (Con 16, Lab 13, Ind 1). In 2006 the Labour Party's decline continued apace - Con 22, Lab 8, Ind 1, and in 2007 they lost another two seats (Con 23, Lab 5, Ind 2).

Of course, Labour's catastrophic fall from grace in Tamworth cannot be wholly attributed to population movement. There are, as always, local factors, and we should take account of the failure of many Labour voters to identify with the "New Labour" project in what is an "Old Labour" area. We might also note the desultory efforts of the Liberal Democrats, who in May contested only four out of Tamworth's ten wards, coming last in each, their participation having little effect on the outcome of the Conservative/Labour battles fought across the town.

Tamworth being home to an insignificant number of ethnic minorities, the town has no history of racial tension, and was long barren ground for right-wing extremist parties. Even in the heady days of the 1970's the National Front never managed to raise more than a tiny, short-lived and completely ineffective group. The BNP presence is also tiny, but demographic and political changes there have been, and these produced a surprise result in the May local elections when the BNP's sole runner achieved a 25.14% vote share in Stoneydelph ward.

What makes that result interesting is the source of the BNP vote. In May 2006 the Stoneydelph result was (percentage vote share in brackets):

Con 827 (56.68)
Lab 632 (43.32)

Total 1459

In May 2007, with the intervention of a BNP candidate, the result came out as:

Con 606 (38.57)
Lab 570 (36.28)
BNP 395 (25.14)

Total 1571

We can see immediately that the big losers to the BNP were the sitting Conservatives, 18% of their vote apparently switching to the BNP - which, we believe, did not fight a full campaign. The implications are readily obvious - had the Liberal Democrats intervened they could hardly but help to further diminish the Tory and Labour vote share to the benefit of the BNP, and had the BNP engaged in a full canvass they may well have put themselves within spitting distance of a win.

Heartened by this missed opportunity in Tamworth Stoneydelph the party has jumped at the chance to contest a by-election in Conservative Castle ward, where its candidate is Lynne Smith (pictured), who contested Stoneydelph in May.

A businesswoman, 52 year-old Smith is - on the surface - a paragon of respectability, more Tory party material than BNP. Her campaign is typical of that the BNP has fought in so many by-elections of late, being a direct appeal to the sensibilites of Middle England, with (as far as we have seen) little or no advertising of the BNP's core policies on race and immigration - a large and telling ommission, not exactly reeking of forthright honesty..

This time the BNP has campaigned full bore, deputy-leader Simon Darby and Nuneaton serial candidate Alwyn Deacon getting involved, which is a good indication that the party has expectations in Castle ward - though, perhaps wisely, nobody is saying what they are.

However, we believe that such is the effort expended by the BNP that their minimum expectation cannot, in all seriousness, be for less than a 20% vote share and the consignment of the Liberal Democrat to fourth place.

The May 2007 result in Castle ward was:

Con 917 (47.61)
Lab 736 (38.21)
Lib 273 (14.17)

Total 1926

November 8th by-election result:

Lab 619 (40.32)
Con 613 (39.93)
BNP 208 (13.55)
Lib 95 (6.18)

Total 1535

Analysis: A greatly-reduced turnout saw a disappointing (for them) result for the BNP, while Labour somewhat surprisingly held on to its vote and grabbed the seat more or less by default, winning by a mere six votes after a recount. Once again it appeared to be the Tory vote that was directly affected by the BNP standing, with the residue of their lost votes and the Lib Dems disastrous showing possibly accountable by the massive drop in the number of voters who were willing to turn up at the polling station. How much of this was thanks to the appalling weather and how much to voter apathy/disillusion/disinterest is debatable.

According to the ever-sycophantic Green Arrow, the BNP 'pulled out all the stoppers and knocked their knuckles raw', which ties in with Denise's statement above that they had campaigned hard and clearly expected to do well. The fact that they managed to take over 25% in Stoneydelph would have encouraged them to think that 20-25% was a realistic possibility in this by-election but again we see the BNP vote staying relatively low even when the political climate in the country is perceivably favourable to the party, and we are treated to yet another by-election (how many is that now?) where the BNP have worked hard and achieved little.

The BNP's results over the whole country last May and in every by-election since have, despite all the hard work on the ground, produced nothing new for the party, and it's fair to ask ourselves if it has hit its peak or if it still has a way to go. One thing is for sure - the drama of the Barking and Dagenham result is starting to look very old and the small success of a by-election gain keeps eluding the party. Long may it continue.

Posted by Denise G and Antifascist