BNP breakthrough as Labour lose Lancs

June 05, 2009

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Sharon Wilkinson

THE BNP has won its first ever county council seat in Lancashire as Labour took a beating in local elections.

The far-right party won one seat in Burnley and the Liberal Democrats took five - previously all six seats in the town were held by Labour.

Labour also lost control of Lancashire county council overall for the first time since 1981 - with the Conservatives winning a majority on the council.

In all, Labour lost 25 seats, including that of leader Hazel Harding in Rossendale North, with the Tories gaining 18 seats.

Before the election Labour held 43 seats, with the Conservatives on 33, the Lib Dems on four, Greens on one and Independents three.

The vote left Labour on 14, the Lib Dems on 10, up seven, and the Tories gaining overall control by reaching the 43 seats needed for a working majority.

The BNP won one seat and Independents four.

Kitty Ussher, local Labour MP for Burnley, said the BNP win in his constituency was "disappointing."

"We have lost some really good county councillors who have worked very hard to serve their community.

"I think we were the victims of uncertain economic and political times nationally."

In Rossendale North, Labour county council leader Hazel Harding was ousted from the seat she has held for the past eight years in a disastrous day for her party.

A nerve-wracking count saw the Conservatives claim all five available seats in Rossendale, making two gains.

Mrs Harding said: "Obviously I am very disappointed. I believe I have worked very hard for the local people in Rossendale over the past eight years.

"I think the county council has been better for having Labour in power. We have worked hard for the people of Lancashire and they will get what they vote for."

Labour County Councillor Sean Serridge also lost his Whitworth seat after being beaten by Peter Steen.

Rossendale South saw the three main parties contest the seat of former council leader Duncan Ruddick.

It was current borough councillor Darryl Smith who kept the seat for the Conservatives with a majority of more than 1,200 votes. I

In Rossendale East, Jimmy Eaton retained his seat and managed a comprehensive win by 1,449 votes; his nearest rival Bob Sheffield was second with just 863.

And to round off a terrible day for Labour, stalwart Bob Wilkinson lost his seat to Peter Evans by 416.

The total turnout for the county council election in Rossendale was 36.8 per cent.

'Self-indulgent' Purnell under fire

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want to leave, Stretford (05/06/2009 at 15:10)

Not a good move...

Sanity Clause, Small Print (05/06/2009 at 15:38)

Get Thatcher back and string Blair up

chris.city, Manchester (05/06/2009 at 15:40)

And what do the fools of Burnley expect racist bigotry will get them...........

red (05/06/2009 at 16:00)

just a fresh porker of pigs to feed at the public trough. if you think it will make any difference whatsoever to your council taxes or crime or development, dream on. too many levels of government.

Laura Norder, Didsbury (05/06/2009 at 18:40)

Well, I hope you dafties (that voted this numpty and her ilk in), are proud of yourselves - aye, right!

astepcloser (05/06/2009 at 18:51)

Manchester MPs Blears, Kaufman & Chaytor. Look what you have done. It's terrible that you have allowed the Tories back in. A party that should have been dead & buried never to be seen of again. But worse even than that, you have made some people vote BNP. Shame on you all. BE GONE.

1970, hell (05/06/2009 at 19:43)

bnp bnp bnp, u r the 1 for meeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

jo black (05/06/2009 at 19:47)

Good. I am very pleased.

Sean Dalaigh (05/06/2009 at 21:32)

Laura Norder, Didsbury (05/06/2009 at 22:30)

"I think, Laura, that you'll find that this was a democratically conducted poll of the populace. Do you have a problem with democracy?" - Sean Dalaigh
No. But I hope that the people that used their mandate as some form of protest, don't have cause to regret votingfor a party that would remove their right to exercrise the same mandate, allowing the filth that is the BNP to claim a perverse victory.

Remember: BNP front is a nazi front.

Scoople, Manchester (05/06/2009 at 22:31)

"Working class hero" In case you are confused about what racism is let the BNP spell it out from their constitution.

The British National Party stands for the preservation of the national and ethnic character of the British people and is wholly opposed to any form of racial integration between British and non-European peoples. It is therefore committed to stemming and reversing the tide of non-white immigration and to restoring, by legal changes, negotiation and consent, the overwhelmingly white makeup of the British population that existed in Britain prior to 1948.

Does this need any more explanation?

Andanotherthing, Mcr (05/06/2009 at 22:42)

"Well, I hope you dafties (that voted this numpty and her ilk in), are proud of yourselves - aye, right! Laura Norder, Didsbury"

I think, Laura, that you'll find that this was a democratically conducted poll of the populace. Do you have a problem with democracy?
Sean Dalaigh

Sean, democracy is not perfect, thankfully despite the additional coverage the BNP has been afforded by the press, church and minor TV presonalities...Democracy has worked you are a minority group Sean, but we let you take full participation.

David, North M/C (05/06/2009 at 23:54)

Labour have got what they deserved and it's not through the expenses and I don't think that they will come back once they are voted out.

fairs fair, burnage (05/06/2009 at 23:57)

Im not surprised at the support for the bnp. rightly or wrongly the white british working class feel the main parties are abandoning them and they feel no one is listening to them, so why cant the government donate a few million to help the poorer white people to be understood and maybe also throw in a few bob for rafting and retreats for them to bond with each other, and while we are at it how about a white policemans federation as well. can no one see the point

ALAN MUFC (06/06/2009 at 00:39)

BRING IT ON....ONLY THE BEGINIG

Guzunder, Altrincham (06/06/2009 at 08:12)

Well done BNP. A nice thin end of a very big wedge. Won democratically by True Brits in a town that has been progressively blighted for the last 50 years.

john davis (06/06/2009 at 08:58)

Kitty Usher just hasn't got it, people would now rather vote for the man in the moon that Labour, I have been a Labour supporter all my life but never again, I will always vote locally, nationally and European but will choose my vote carefully. The only thing Kitty Usher will be worried about is not the local Labour activists and councillors who work damn hard but for herself, kinda of feel you might be on your last leg of your journey because when the election comes which will be before October 2009 trust me you will get marmalised into 3rd or 4th place Kitty.

The unpalatable truth, Manchester (06/06/2009 at 09:48)

Working class hero-so you don't feel "represented"....fair enough.

But surely you don't want to be "represented" by the likes of the ignorant,facist idiots and racsit thugs that make up the BNP?

Mark, South Manchester (06/06/2009 at 10:15)

Hang on - Tories 43 seats, Labour 14, Lib Dems 10, Independents 4 & BNP just 1. Yes one seat from 72.
Yet who do the MEN "continue" to give maximum publicity and all the headlines to - yes the BNP again. Deep down do you really want them to win, because it makes better copy?
The other small parties must be livid with the amount of "free publicity" the media give to the BNP - while totally ignoring them!!

steve grimsley, Macclesfield (06/06/2009 at 10:31)

Good comments Fairs Fair.Totally agree with what you say.White working class British do feel left out.Give it twenty years we will be able to use"is it because Im white"to get heard.Makes you wonder.People have been driven to the BNP by the uselessness of mainstream political parties ,forgetting that their first job is to serve people from this Country and not the rest of the bloody world

Guzunder, Altrincham (06/06/2009 at 11:03)

Thank you all at the MEN for all your adverse advertising. Please continue your good work in promoting the fastest growing political party, the BNP. Thank you agan you anti british journalists for all you have done.

Jack Thorley Trafford, Timperley (06/06/2009 at 11:04)

Let those who have never fiddled their tax returns or expense accounts "throw the first stone"

The unpalatable truth, Manchester (06/06/2009 at 11:27)

Gazunder-so tell me-what would you have us do with non-white people in Burnley?

And I include those born here.

And where are YOU from...originally?
Scandinavia?
A Viking?
A Celt?

You see mate-the trouble is-there is no such thing as a "true brit"...we are made up of peoples from all over the globe!!!
That's the way it is and short of legalised genocide,always will be.

BNP members and their sympathisers are invariably ignorant of their own history and resort to baseline mantras of "they're taking our jobs" or "they're taking over the country" while totally ignoring the fact that members of their own ancestory could well be one of "them."

I await your response.

Princess_Pam, Crumpsall (06/06/2009 at 11:35)

well it was Burnley, the most racist town in the North-west. All national and international companies should now pull out of Burnley and lets build a wall around Burnley and treat them like the animals they are.

beswick red (06/06/2009 at 12:10)

perhaps people should understand what is going on they are not right wing false term !! they are national socialists and have nothing im common with the conservative party they are like communists and are also offshoots of socialism just like the numpties who vote labour who like to impose their will on people with all their petty rules and regulations give me freedom to pursue my own way in life the only parties to allow that are the liberals and conservatives give me freedom anyday it looks good on the labour party cannot even lose gracefully

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