BNP set for election triumph
VOTERS in Bishop’s Stortford are today (Thursday, 03 May) set to send political shockwaves around the country by electing British National Party councillors…
…The strength of BNP support in the town has taken political opponents by surprise. Veteran councillors Mione Goldspink (Lib Dem) and Keith Barnes (Independent) both admitted to the Observer they fear they will lose out to the extremists…
…Mrs Goldspink, a councillor for 16 years, said: “I am seriously worried I might not get back. There’s much more BNP support than we ever imagined.
“They are tapping into people’s disappointment and distress and, in some cases, anger at the Government, but there’s a lot of misinformation and misunderstanding about immigration and housing.
“I’m surprised Bishop’s Stortford people are showing themselves to be racist. If they get in I think the electorate will be horrified, but it will be too late.”
Mrs Goldspink added that she was “shaken” at several “prosperous, settled, middle class” Thorley Park voters telling her they would be voting BNP.
Mr Barnes, a councillor for 24 years, said the BNP had “stirred things up” and “nobody is sure how the election is going to go”.
Labour candidate John Battersby said: “We have mixed messages. Some have been taken in by their message but others have said they’ll vote for anybody but them to keep them out. The BNP do pose a threat unfortunately.”
Conservative branch chairman Graham McAndrew said: “We were surprised by the support for BNP in Thorley and St Michael’s Mead.”
He felt the town had changed dramatically since the last local elections four years ago due to the growth of Stansted Airport.
The BNP’s national election officer, Eddie Butler, told the Observer: “We have an excellent chance of getting people on the town council.
“Stortford’s character has changed. Before, people had no experience of problems associated with multi-ethnic populations.”
http://www.hertsessexnews.co.uk/news/observer/2007/05/03/bnp%20set%20for%20election%20triumph.lpf
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