FURIOUS scenes greeted the far-right BNP’s European election victory after a night of drama at Manchester town hall.
Party leader Nick Griffin – who has a conviction for publishing material likely to incite racial hatred – will now represent the north west of England, including Greater Manchester, in Brussels.
Newly-elected Euro-MPs from all the mainstream parties walked off the stage in protest as Griffin began his victory speech.
Sir Robert Atkins, the Conservatives’ top candidate, described the BNP as an ‘aberration’.
Tony Lloyd, MP for Manchester Central, described the result as a 'moment of shame’ for the region.
The BNP won the last of eight seats in the north west by around 5,000 votes, ahead of the Greens.
It came fifth in the north west elections with 132,094 votes meaning the party gained their second seat of the night.
His victory came after the party won its first seat when Andrew Brons received 120,139 votes in the Yorkshire and Humber region.
Earlier hundreds gathered outside the town hall under the Unite Against Racism banner ahead of the candidates arriving for the declaration.
Euro election results night - as it happened
Placard waving campaigners manned the entrance to the Town Hall to greet the MP delegates.
And when the BNP leader arrived in a gold people carrier vehicle they stormed forward preventing him from getting out.
Paul Jenkins
The BNP is not a normal political party and they should not be treated as such
Earlier speakers told crowds to the strains of the Bob Marley hit One Love that a vote for the BNP was a vote for ‘racism and ignorance’.
The BNP wins came as the party appeared to attract significant numbers of disaffected Labour voters.
Health Secretary Andy Burnham, a North West MP, said the result was a “sad moment for British politics”.
He said: “It is deeply uncomfortable to see the BNP polling in the numbers they have.
“Whatever the country’s problems the BNP are never the answer.
“The BNP is the ultimate protest vote, a two fingered vote and largely a comment on Westminster politics.
“I think the BNP have got very clever in hiding their racist beliefs.”
Aberration
Tory MEP Sir Robert Atkins described the BNP as an ‘aberration’.
Speaking after his re-election, Sir Robert said: “We have today an aberration which many right-thinking people in this country and in this region will be appalled by.
“I know that my colleagues in the Labour Party and Liberal Democrats will join with me in regretting what has happened tonight.
“I can promise on behalf of the sensible parties represented tonight that we will fight the battle for regional and British interests.
“I am sad that a triumph has been tarnished by the election of someone who we do not approve of.”
Re-elected Labour MEP Arlene McCarthy added: “I am sad that democracy has thrown up the aberration of the BNP. It is a party of prejudice and intolerance.”
Lib Dem MEP Chris Davies, speaking after his re-election, said: “Ninety-two per cent of the people of the north west have rejected a party which promotes policies of racial hatred.
“It says something about us as individuals. We can try to justify it as a protest vote but I do not think that the BNP hides its racist views and clearly some people sympathise with that.”
Sad
Sir Richard Leese, Labour leader of Manchester City Council said: “It is a very sad day for the north west.
“I think it shows the flaws in a system that allows them to get a seat with such a small share of the vote.
“All of us who care about this country, care about our way of life here, care about democracy, will spend the next five years working to make sure the fascists are not returned.”
But Mr Griffin said he was “absolutely delighted”.
“It will be a huge change in British politics,” he said.
“The most demonised and lied about party in British politics has made a massive breakthrough tonight.
“The public have had their say in a democratic election and we should respect that.”
The European elections use a method of proportional representation used in elections to the European Election is called the d’Hondt system.
The voter votes for a candidate, personally, but the vote is principally counted as a vote for the candidate’s party.
The basic idea is that a party’s total vote total is divided by a certain figure which increases as it wins more seats.
The party with the highest vote gets one seat allotted in the first round. Its vote is then divided by two. The party with the highest vote in the second round then wins a seat and its vote is divided by two.
If a party which has already won a seat wins another round then its percentage vote is divided by the number of seats it has won plus one.
This continues until all the seats are allocated.
The elected MEPs are: Sir Robert Atkins (Con), Arlene McCarthy (Lab), Paul Nuttall (UKIP), Chris Davies (Lib Dem), Saj Karim (Con), Brian Simpson (Lab), Jacqueline Foster (Con), Nick Griffin (BNP).
Euro election results night - as it happened
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PROTESTERS pelted BNP leader Nick Griffin’s car with eggs.
And the price of Eggs these days, they should have just used Bricks..
I would not vote for the BNP because I dont believe they understand the strength in diversity. I also disapprove of the actions reported here. This is a democratic country with democratic principle on free speach. Unite Against Racism is as guilty as BNP when it comes to unacceptable behaviour.
The protestors are worse than Nazis.
Churchill said the next fascist will be the anti fascist.
How right you were sir.
People have a right to protest and that's what they're doing, though throwing stuff really doesn't help. The BNP will be defeated by argument - I hope that includes tonight. Apparently they came 6th in Manchester.
Surely some of the eggs should have been hurled towardS the direction of Salford ,and Rockin the boat Blears ,and for that matter.,towards Hyde and Purnell and the rest of the expenses culprits?
Its shocking the hatred and violence some people express and how they wish to kill democracy. The egg throwers should be ashamed of themselves.
I'd prefer that he was there to see the BNP lose descisively.
was anyone arrested and charged with anything because this behavior should not be tolerated whoever it is aimed at lets hear if anybody got arrested.
No matter what a parties policies are, this is disgusting behaviour by the protesters, they should be arrested for breach of the peace or criminal damage or harassment
I thought we lived in a democratic society?.
Nice to see the far left and communists are out protesting. I wonder how long these protesters would survive in China and North Korea, classic communists.
They should remember they can protest only because of our supposed democracy. Everybody should have the right to hold their own views and not have their electoral business blocked.
Let me see if I get this right: The man is a Hater... so these folks that Hate HIM come out and Hit Him.... and that is all well and good?? Just how does that make One any Better than the Other ??? Look, the bottom line is...... you Either have a Free System or you Dont. Is it going to be " I dont like what he is saying......therefore He has no right to say it !" What happens when someone doesn't like what YOU are saying ??
I have just seen the footage on tv and it was a disgrace. Lets hope those causing a disturbance and criminal damage are arrested. Whats the chance the MEN will hold their hands up and take some blame for this, after all they spent a week running scare stories about the BNP although I found few of the claims substantiated when I visited the BNP website?
The protesters are the fascists.
However much you may not like them, they do have a small, but significant vote and cannot be ostracised if elected.
The protestors are worse than Nazis.
Trelleck
Thanks for the laugh.
"The protestors are worse than Nazis"
What throwing eggs is worse than genocide? ok mate.
These protesters are anti-democratic. I'd never dream of voting BNP because I listen to what parties say before choosing how to vote. These 'anti-fascists' seem to think I shouldn't be allowed to hear what the BNP has to say. Apparently they are clever enough to realise that the BNP are unsavoury but don't have enough faith in the intelligence of everyone else to come to the same conclusion. These 'anti-fascists' obviously have a very low opinion of most of their fellow voters.
I don't need these elitist louts to decide who everyone should be allowed to listen to. The BNP are as entitled to free speech as the rest of us. We don't need self-appointed 'anti-fascist' types to restrict what we are allowed to hear.
British democracy in action? Little wonder that english people are queueing to leave the place.
Will the last englishman/woman to leave close the door after themselves.
What a disgraceful 'shambles'.
'Evil succeeds when good men do nothing'.
Who still stand up and defend YOU, when you are the last 'scapegoat' left they have to blame?
Quite illuminating this .......... for the past few weeks we have seen article after article printed despising the BNP ...... then these moronic idiots turn up and protest in this manner !!!!
Then we have the likes of Paul Jenkins and Afzal khan bleating that "the BNP are not welcome ... they will bankrupt Manchester (???????????)" etc etc .... these people are only too happy to foist THEIR opinions on everyone else .... to hell with what others think seems to be their "motto" ...................... THEY WOULD DO WELL TO REMEMBER THAT THE ONLY REASON THEY ARE ALLOWED TO EXPRESS THOSE VIEWS IS BECAUSE WE LIVE IN A DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY ............... IN WHICH EVERYONE IS ALLOWED A VIEWPOINT !!!!! YES Paul and Afzal ........ EVEN THE BNP !!!!!!
The way these so called "protesters" acted was wholly irresponsible !!!!! there SHOULD HAVE BEEN ARRESTS MADE !!!!! ............ If the boot would have been on the other foot and the BNP had been causing the disturbance no doubt the prison cells of Manchester would be awash with them !!!!!!, but htese people seem to have gotten away with it .....WHY I WONDER ?????.... could it have anything to do with the fact that we cannot upset certain elements of our society ???????? hmmmmmmmmm no wonder support for the BNP is growing ......... need I say more ????
How do people arguing that far-right parties should not be aggressively campaigned against, for the sake of democratic freedom, reconcile that principle with the fact that the Nazi party were democratically elected in 1933?
A GREAT DAY FOR DEMOCRACY !!.... SORRY M.E.N, YOUR PROPAGANDA DIDN'T WORK !!!
The BNP claims to be respectable, mainstream, and democratic but its new image masks a very ugly truth. Race remains the cornerstone of BNP politics.The fact that the BNP believe black or Asian people can never be British, even if they were born here or have served in the forces or looked after the sick and infirm (40% of workforce in the NHS). They oppose any racial integration and even mixed marriages. They believe ethnic minorities should be second-class citizens under the law. That people should be given preference in the jobs and housing market, and even in choice of schools on the basis of the colour of their skin.The BNP is evidence of a new challenge in British politics.The policies of the BNP are a disaster for the economy of the UK.If the BNP got their way and all non-whites and foreigners were booted out of the country then why wouldn’t all these foreign-owned companies pull out as well? The NHS will collapse,transport will come to halt,the construction industry would come to a stand still.We live in a complex and intertwined global economy. The BNP is a racist, anti-Semitic, anti-Muslim and homophobic party thriving on politics of hate. It is a threat to democracy and human rights - and needs to be stopped.
What a sad, sad night. The Inbred Party and their racist friends won seats all over Europe, eurosceptic parties increased almost everywhere, mainstream progressive parties were thrown into clear political disarray.
The European Parliament has been weakened. This means that the unelected European Commission will find it easier to push through even more arbitrary legislation in the next five years, entering a vicious circle that will increase the overall scepticism about the European project. This is very sad. The World looks at the EU and sees a giant of economic power, a triumph of democracy; the EU looks at itself and can only see a bunch of racists mixed with unelected bureaucrats.
It's shocking that disillusion with the political system has meant an election success for a man who says his organisation's 'ultimate aim' is to see only white people living in the country. But the fact it was a close vote demonstrates the value of campaigning against these people - we must all continue to expose the BNP for what it is, a vicious fascist plot that would abuse the democratic system to pursue its aims of destroying democracy.