By-Election: Loughton - Alderton ward, Epping Forest (30/8/2007)

BNP hold this seat !

After a three year hiatus the BNP is back on the winning track with our first council by-election win since 2004.

Yesterday's win in Loughton Alderton Ward means the Party retains a total of six councillors on Epping Forest District councillor in southern Essex.A closely fought campaign between the BNP and the Independent Residents Association resulted in a win for Tony Frankland, a victory even more worthy by noting that this was the first ever election the Party has won that was caused by one of our won councillors quitting.

Voters tend to punish parties which force by-elections in mid term.

The victory is testimony to the hard working team of councillors headed by Cllr. Pat Richardson and the valued contribution they have made in improving the lot of residents in the Loughton area. By-elections in wards that we have previously won or even where we have previously done very well are also very difficult for us, as the enemy 'know we are coming' and can pull out all the stops to prevent us from winning. The enemy consists of (amongst other groups, organisations and institutions) all the other parties together (who invariably choreograph their campaigns), it also consists of various hostile Trade Unions and 'Third Party' groups - in this instance a group called Redbridge and Epping Forest Together which is sponsored by the anti-British Searchlight organisation - who intervene in the elections campaigning against us.

So difficult is the task that the BNP has previously never won a by-election in these circumstances.The opposition lined up with hard campaigns by all the other parties. Labour (who used to control the ward) put out a lot of leaflets - the contents of which were dominated by attacks on us and the claim that only they could defeat us and did some canvassing. The Conservatives also put out many leaflets (the contents of which were again dominated by attacks upon us), the canvassed and whipped their vote in and again claimed that only they could defeat us.

The Liberal Democrats put in a very heavy campaign, with a large number of different leaflets (oh yes, the contents of which were….), they carried out at least two canvass sweeps and whipped in.

UKIP even put out several different leaflets and did some canvassing.

The Loughton Residents Association (who work very closely with Redbridge and Epping Forest Together) also put in a very heavy campaign (they have come second twice in a row). It is fairly clear that the other parties used their leaflets to attack us and canvassed against us, leaving the so-called Loughton Residents Association as the main challenger.Well it did not work!

We out performed the lot of them in a textbook campaign. The poor electors of Loughton Alderton ward must have had more leaflets delivered and had more knocks on their doors than in any recent election in British political history.

On polling day it was not uncommon to see people from three different parties whipping in on the same street!

It was a political slugging match.The truly appalling vote for UKIP must now, if any reminders were ever needed, be seen as the final last gasp of what was in 2004 the UK’s largest euro-realist party.

While its failed leadership continues to posture and make feeble anti-EU noises, it remains an hindrance rather than a help in the battle to free the UK from the EU. The hard working campaign led by Eddy Butler deserves to be wholeheartedly congratulated by the entire Party for this unprecedented win.

Results in full

FRANKLAND, Tony: BNP - 393 (32.2%)

BROOKES, Ros: Residents Asso. - 367 (30.1%)

WOOLLCOTT, Neil James: Lib-Dems – 172 (14.1%)

STACEY, Edward John: Cons – 163 (13.3%)

BARNES, Stephen William: Lab – 98 (8.0%)

SMITH, Andrew George: UKIP – 28 (2.3%)

Electorate: 3,344 Turnout: 36.72%

http://www.bnp.org.uk/news_detail.php?newsId=1687