THE latest YouGov poll puts support for the British National Party at 4% in London and 7% in the North and Yorkshire. The pollsters freely admit that voters in general are reluctant to reveal that they will be voting for the British National Party, so it is highly likely that BNP support in these two regions could be higher.
While the media focusses its attention on London, we shall be hoping that our Quiet Revolution will make its mark in Leeds and that come May 2nd, the sole BNP councillor in the city will be joined by a colleague or two.
This was how the votes stacked up across the whole of Leeds last May.
Labour – 32.51%
Conservative – 26.82%
Liberal Democrat – 19.69%
BNP – 11.16%
Green – 3.91%
Morley Borough Independents – 2.72%
UK Independence Party – 0.90%
The British National Party fought all 33 seats, 12 months ago and this year it’s a full quota once again with a 34th BNP candidate standing in the double vacancy ward of Calverley & Farsley.
In the 18 seats listed below, BNP candidates polled over 10% of the vote last May and this is where our battleground will be this year. In six seats we came second and two of these seats, Ardsley & Robin Hood and Middleton Park, look to provide the Party with its best opportunity to gain another City councillor.
Although Kevin Meeson has a 600+ Labour majority to overcome in Middleton Park, he is very upbeat out his chances. He reports:
“The response on the doorstep has been brilliant, much better than last year. There is real anger over the Government’s stand on tax and pensions and lifelong Labour supporters are now saying they will never vote for them again.”
Although gaining councillors is one target, it is the building of the BNP vote in the city which is the main priority. With local and European Elections next year, and the possibility of a General Election in the forseeable future, the British National Party needs to establish itself as a real challenger to the three main parties in Leeds.
Leeds City Council
Ardsley & Robin Hood
Joanna Beverley (BNP)
Opponents: UKIP, Con, Ind, Lib-Dem, Lab
May 2007: Lab 1967, BNP 1538, Con 1181, Lib-Dem 567, UKIP 325.
Armley
Shaun Fitzpatrick (BNP)
Opponents: Green, Con, Lib-Dem, Lab
May 2007: Lab 2287, Con 737, Lib-Dem 676, BNP 656, Green 610.
Beeston & Holbeck
Dean Taylor (BNP)
Opponents: Green, Lib-Dem, Lab, Con, UKIP
May 2007: Lab 2079, Con 889, BNP 703, Lib-Dem 591, Green 269, UKIP 181.
Bramley & Stanningley
David Gatenby (BNP)
Opponents: Lab, Con, Lib-Dem, Green, ED.
May 2007: Lab 2123, BNP 971, Con 820, Lib-Dem 599, ED 326, Green 325.
Burmantofts & Richmond Hill
Mark Collett (BNP)
Opponents: Lab, Con, Green, Lib-Dem
May 2007: Lib-Dem 2331, Lab 1450, BNP 898, Con 164.
Calverley & Farsley
Robert Leary (BNP)
Jane Hollings (BNP)
Opponents: Lib-Dem, Con, Lab.
May 2007: Con 3775, Lab 1635, BNP 872, Lib-Dem 778.
City & Hunslet
John Atkinson (BNP)
Opponents: Con, Lab, Green, Lib-Dem, Ind.
May 2007: Lab 1647, Lib-Dem 552, Res 520, BNP 440, Green 215.
Crossgates & Whinmoor
John Douglas (BNP)
Opponents: Lab, Lib-Dem, UKIP, Con.
May 2007: Lab 2619, Con 1984, BNP 894, Lib-Dem 779.
Farnley & Wortley
Helen Foster (BNP)
Green, Con, Green, Lib-Dem, Lab.
May 2007: Green 2284, Lab 1607, BNP 760, Con 649, Lib-Dem 268, UKIP 165.
Killingbeck & Seacroft
Mark Powell (BNP)
Opponents: Lab, Con, Lib-Dem, UKIP, Green.
May 2007: Lab 2789, BNP 862, Lib-Dem 799, Con 698.
Kippax & Methley
Peter Maverick (BNP)
Opponents: Lab, Con, Lib-Dem.
May 2007: Lab 3403, Con 1422, BNP 754, Lib-Dem 515.
Middleton Park
Kevin Meeson (BNP)
Opponents: Lab, Con, Lib-Dem.
May 2007: Lab 2467, BNP 1817, Lib-Dem 537, Con 467.
Morley North
Tom Redmond (BNP)
Opponents: Lab, MI, Con, Lib-Dem.
May 2007: MI 3069, BNP 1328, Lab 1018, Con 674, Lib-Dem 231.
Morley South
Mike Mee (BNP)
Lab, MI, Con, Lib-Dem Ind.
May 2007: MI 2385, BNP 1928, Lab 1385, Con 539, Ind 206, Lib-Dem 201.
Pudsey
John Hirst (BNP)
Opponents: Lab, Con, Lib-Dem, Green.
May 2007: Lab 2917, Con 2257, BNP 816, Lib-Dem 471, Green 250.
Rothwell
Robert Peel (BNP)
Opponents: Lab, Con, Lib-Dem.
May 2007: Lib-Dem 2453, Lab 2166, BNP 664, Con 639.
Temple Newsam
Peter Hollings (BNP)
Opponents: Lab, Con, Lib-Dem, Ind
May 2007: Lab 2388, Con 2294, BNP 1642, Lib-Dem 707.