BNP lose another councillor

The BNP last night lost another councillor when Amber Valley member Cliff Roper resigned from the party whip and became an Independent.

In his resignation statement he said:

"It is with sadness that I have this evening resigned the British National Party whip on Amber Valley Borough Council. I will now sit as an Independent Member of the Council, though I retain my membership of the British National Party and, of course, my nationalist views.

This change will make no difference to the way I assist and deal with enquiries from my constituents, but is a symbolic protest at recent events within the British National Party, both at a national and local level."

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Breaking news - Another one goes...

The BNP has one fewer councillor this evening after Emma Colgate informed Thurrock council that she was no longer taking the BNP whip.

Colgate, once close to Griffin, is just the latest councillor to withdraw from the BNP and it is yet another sign that party is collapsing. A few days ago it was claimed that BNP membership was down 50% on 2009.

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BNP loses another councillor

A shock by-election has been called as a councillor has sensationally stepped down from his post as Camp Hill ward representative.

Darren Haywood has cited `job commitments’ as the reason why he has quit the role a little over a year after he was elected. This means that a by-election will now be held on Thursday, December 10 where people who live in the Nuneaton estate will go to the polls to decide who will represent them at the Town Hall. The 30-year-old’s decision to stand down means that the British National Party (BNP) now only has Barpool councillor Martyn Findley, in the council chamber.

The Nuneaton News has been told that candidates are expected to be put forward by the BNP, the controlling Conservatives and the opposing Labour group.

Mr Haywood’s sudden departure has come as `no surprise’ to the leading faces at the two main political parties, who have claimed that he did not carry out his duties properly to the people he was supposed to serve.

Andrew Burtenshaw, chair of Nuneaton Conservatives said: “The people of Camp Hill have been let down by a faceless BNP councillor. Up and down the country, BNP councillors have a shocking record of failing to deliver for the residents that they serve. In contrast, Conservative councillors in Nuneaton and Bedworth have been focussing on keeping our streets clear of crime and grime and delivering good value for money for our residents.

"People in Camp Hill will now have a choice between a Conservative council that has been spending residents’ money wisely, and a Labour party that spent 34 years allowing money to be frittered away on fountains and supaloos instead of getting the basics right.”

Councillor Dennis Harvey, leader of the Labour group, said that he knows only too well the lack of service given by Mr Haywood as he also represents the Camp Hill ward.

“This does not come as much of a surprise,” he said. “As far as I know, Mr Haywood has attended no meetings of the council since June and the BNP have shown an abysmal interest in representing Camp Hill since their candidate was elected in 2008. The Labour Party has always been at the forefront of representing the interests of Camp Hill and will continue to do so.”

Alwyn Deacon, West Midlands organiser for the BNP, defended Mr Haywood, saying: “I cannot believe that Labour and the Conservatives suggested that we are faceless, I could name some of their councillors who are just there to make up the numbers. He has resigned for his work commitments, he could have stayed on but he felt that it was only fair to give the electorate the choice to decide who they want to represent them because, as a result of his work, he was not able to do that. He has to work, he has a mortgage to pay and he didn’t think it was fair on the people of Camp Hill to suffer because of this.

“We expected to be criticised, we always are, but let me say this, when it came to fighting to try and stop the closure of the green grocers in Camp Hill, the BNP councillors stood shoulderto- shoulder with the people who were protesting. They also voted against an increase in councillor’s allowances and were the only councillors to give their increase to charity, namely the riding centre in Galley Common, so to say we have done nothing is a fabrication.”

Philip Richardson, assistant director for legal and democratic services at the borough council explained the by-election process.

“We are aiming to hold the byelection on Thursday, December 10 this year, to comply with government regulations,” he said. “Residents in the Camp Hill ward who have requested a postal vote will be receiving their forms shortly. They should complete these and return them to the council as quickly as possible.

Anyone who wishes to vote and who isn’t currently on the electoral roll must register by Wednesday, November 25.”

Nuneaton News

BNP man's cash gifts broke rules

A BNP councillor breached a strict code of conduct by sending £5 notes in Christmas cards to pensioners, a probe has found.

The Standards Board for England has ruled that Queensbury Councillor Paul Cromie's actions could be considered to be an "inducement" for votes. Coun Cromie was reported to the Board after he gave the cash to more than 200 people living in sheltered housing in his ward last December - only months before his wife Lynda was elected as a BNP councillor for Queensbury with a slim 155 majority.

The Board, which enforces ethical standards, has ruled that Coun Cromie's actions brought his office into disrepute. But its decision to take no further action against him has been criticised by political group leaders in Bradford.

Coun Cromie has always insisted the donations were made as a goodwill gesture from his councillor allowance and was not made aware on any problems when he checked with Council officers.

It follows an incident earlier last year at the same housing complex where Coun Cromie was reported to the police over claims he bought votes by paying £100 for a Christmas party. It led to allegations the Conservative candidate was later turned away from the home during canvassing for last year's local election as a direct result.

Coun Cromie refuted the "votes for treats" allegations and the police later confirmed their probe came to nothing. But the Board referred to these allegations in its report, released yesterday, saying: "The ethical standards officer concluded that an objective member of the public, with knowledge of the relevant facts, could well view Coun Cromie's donation as a reward for turning away the Conservative councillor or an inducement to vote for the BNP in the forthcoming elections."

The Board also said that it was "inappropriate" for Council members to link their continuing position as a councillor to a resident's direct financial gain - Coun Cromie had signed the cards in the second incident using his official title and included his Council business card and the BNP party logo,.

It happened only months before the local elections in May when Coun Cromie's wife Lynda, was standing as a BNP candidate. The board report states: "As the gifts were directly linked to the name and to the party, they could have also been considered as an inducement to vote for Coun Cromie's wife.

"The implication that any member might have been elected because of gifts to voters erodes confidence, not just in that member, but in local democracy."

Mrs Cromie was elected to the same ward earlier this year, polling 1,718 votes and defeating Conservative Councillor Stuart Hanson by 155 votes. The report then refers to a conversation Coun Cromie had in July last year when he told a senior Council officer about giving £500 to a local church. He also promised a donation of £50 a month from his allowance through his term of office. He had asked whether he needed to inform the officer every time he gave money to a worthy cause, the report says. And the officer said this was not necessary - which "contributed to Coun Cromie's confusion about the manner in which a councillor may give gifts".

Councillors are free to make donations to anyone as a private individual.

Today Labour group leader, Councillor Ian Greenwood, said: "I think he's been extremely lucky that the Standards Board has been so lenient when it is clear he breached the code of conduct. My view is that it is totally unacceptable to send money to voters if you are an elected member."

Liberal Democrat group leader Councillor Jeanette Sunderland said: "I am surprised that the Standards Board has not recommended some form of suspension or his removal. I think Coun Cromie has shown extremely poor judgement in terms of his own personal behaviour."

The Council's ruling Conservative group did not want to comment.

Michael Bowness, the Council's interim head of legal services, said: "We note the findings of this report and following this case we are drawing up clear guidelines for members regarding donations, charitable or otherwise."

Responding to the report's findings, Coun Cromie said: "I did e-mail the Council and said I would be making donations throughout my time as councillor and was simply told there is no criteria for notifying them of gifts. Otherwise I would not have done it. I have been donating to Queensbury charities for 30 years and am not going to stop now. Obviously I will be careful and make sure it is done within the code."

It is not Coun Cromie's first brush with the Board. In October last year he was investigated over an e-mail containing pornographic images - and was later cleared of breaching the code.

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