Reader article: The BNP's Quiet Revolution...gets quieter

This article was submitted by one of our readers, Iliacus. We welcome any contributions (as long as those contributions conform to the law and are in reasonably good taste) from our supporters. Please send your articles to us at lancaster.uaf@zen.co.uk

Martin Wingfield and others have taken to proclaiming the advent of The Quiet Revolution, by which they mean the BNP's ability to field candidates in more seats, in more areas, and to gain a decent level of support in traditionally unpromising areas.

This has to be a worry. It would be very troubling if a party of the nature of the BNP could begin to poll 15-20% of the vote across significant areas of the country, and with this government's cack-handed introduction of a different form of semi-p.r. for various bodies (notably the European Parliament, but also the London Assembly) support at this level could translate to elected members. The consequences, in publicity and finances, could be disastrous.

However, the evidence in the past couple of weeks is that Wingfield's Quiet Revolution is "turning down the volume".

December 13th saw no fewer than nine local authority by-elections (plus at least one parish election). The BNP fielded only one candidate, who polled just 2.6% of the vote in an election won by a Conservative Moslem of Asian origin. Even UKIP managed to field candidates in three of the contests - picking up 2.2, 5.5 and 10.1%. Hardly brilliant, but denting the BNP's claim to be the "fourth party of English politics". Curiously not a single seat changed hands, the Conservatives retaining four, Lib Dems three, with one each for the Greens (perhaps they, rather than UKIP, are the real fourth party then?) and Independents. The Parish Council seat was retained by a Lib Dem.

On December 20th there were just two by-elections (plus one in a town - i.e. parish - council). The Conservatives retained a seat in Hackney in a six(!)-cornered fight, but no BNP candidate. Even the Communists fielded a candidate!

In Benfleet two seats were vacant in the same ward, both Conservative defences. They held one; the other was gained by Labour. The BNP fielded two candidates. They polled around 20% in coming 5th and 6th - or last, to put it another way. In supposedly "white flight" Essex this was hardly a sparkling display, particularly in the absence of any other choice apart from Labour and Conservative.

There was also a Town Council by-election in Shepshed, Leicestershire. Now the other parties really don't make a big issue of town council by-elections, but the BNP - clutching at electoral straws - like to pretend they are hugely significant. (Unlike the other parties, for example, they include parish and town representatives in their totals of elected councillors.) The BNP seem to have made a serious effort, including tellers at the polling stations all day. Their reward was to come 5th and 6th out of seven candidates as Labour took both seats from the Tories. Again, the vote share was around 20%, though with only one Conservative candidate there may have been some very odd vote-splitting. Oh, and the turnout was a truly miserable 14.5%, which means that one registered elector in around 33 took the trouble to vote BNP. A quiet revolution indeed!