They clearly must be doing something right. — Ed.
The British National Party is on course to win its first seats in theEuropean Parliament this year, Gordon Brown has been warned. SeniorLabour figures have told the Prime Minister they believe two BNPcandidates are likely to be sent to Brussels under the proportionalrepresentation system of voting, The Independent has learnt.
They fear Labour’s campaign for the European election in June hasbeen too slow to get off the ground and its lack of preparation isallowing the BNP to win over disaffected Labour voters.
Yesterday,the far-right party was celebrating a surprise win in a councilby-election in Swanley, Kent, where the BNP candidate took 41 per centof the vote after Labour’s support collapsed.
It is the firsttime the BNP has won an election in a southern English county, andshows it is broadening its appeal beyond its traditional northernheartlands. The party also polled more than 28 per cent of the votethis week in a council by-election in Thringstone, Leicestershire – aseat it had never contested before.
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The BNP’s ability to spring surprises in previous no-go areas wasunderlined on Thursday during the ballot in Swanley St Mary’s, whichused to be a rare, Labour-leaning ward on the Tory-controlled SevenoaksDistrict Council. The BNP’s Paul Golding captured it with a majority of76 over Labour. The Tories finished third.
Mr Golding saidafterwards: “I’m going to put British people first on the housingqueue. I’ve had lots of complaints that foreigners and asylum-seekersare getting ahead of them.”