Derbyshire BNP freefall continues
As predicted, the BNP’s four candidates in the region polled very poorly in Thursday’s local council elections.
In Amber Valley, Derbyshire, Ken Cooper came in fourth place in Ripley Ward with 80 votes – 3.2% of the poll. In Codnor & Waingroves ward, Alan Edwards also came fourth with 39 votes, 2.8% of the poll. However, both BNP candidates narrowly beat the LibDems into fifth place. These results are even poorer than the 2010 elections, when the BNP polled 7.5% in Ripley and 4.2% in Codnor & Waingroves.
In Derby, Paul Hilliard came last in Chaddesden ward with 4% of the poll (136 votes), whilst Carol Tucker also came last in Derwent ward, with 3.1% (84 votes). This is a significant drop from their performance in similar elections in 2012, when Hilliard polled 14.7% in Chaddesden and Julie Fuller polled 11.9% in Derwent. That performance was itself a disappointment for the BNP in 2012 – how much lower can they go?
We have been enjoying Derbyshire BNP’s downhill trajectory for a few years now, and it’s good to see it continue.
New UKIP councillors
The most significant feature of the local elections was the dramatic rise in fortunes of UKIP. They now have increased representation on several local councils in the region, with 8 councillors in North-East Lincolnshire, 3 in Daventry, and 2 in Derby.
Whilst enjoying the increased electoral irrelevance of the BNP and their ilk, the entry into the mainstream of a new brand right-wing nationalism in the guise of UKIP poses significant fresh challenges for antifascists. We will be monitoring UKIP in the region closely. This piece from the IWCA, written a year ago, is an interesting contribution to this vital issue.