THE BNP IN 2004

2004 is a decisive year in the fight against racism as the BNP are pushing
for an electoral breakthrough that may bring them out from the margins of
British politics. On Thursday 10 June there are two lots of elections being held -
European and local council. The BNP claim they will stand a record 1,000 candidates
in these elections aiming to increase their hold throughout much of the UK and
more worryingly gain a seat in the European parliament. In Britain this would show
a surge in far right wing support comparable to other Western European countries.
With a Euro MP secured they would form closer, stronger ties with other far right
parties and have more power in decision making. They would also receive significant
financial gains (£200,000 a year )as well as gain further political credibility. 
Click here for excerpts taken from Searchlight magazine that highlights the
BNP’s position in 2004

THE YEAR AHEAD
By Nick Lowles

This year is perhaps the most important in recent anti-fascist history. British fascism, in
the guise of the British National Party, could possibly secure an electoral break-through
that will propel it out of the margins of British politics. If the BNP gains dozens of new
councillors and, more importantly, one or two Members of the European Parliament in
June’s elections, Britain could be on the verge of witnessing a surge in far right support
comparable to several other Western European countries. 
The BNP will never have a better opportunity to change the make-up of British politics
than in June. Boundary changes will mean that most metropolitan and unitary authorities
will have “all-out” elections (where every single council seat is up for election rather than
the usual one third). On the same day the European elections are being contested under
proportional representation. These two factors make it easier than usual for the BNP to
achieve electoral success. 
Whether this happens will be determined by whether the anti-fascist community, joining
forces with com-munity groups, trade unions and the political parties, can rise to the challenge
and stop the fascists. 
The BNP will be fighting on three fronts in the June elections. It will be standing a full slate
in the European elections (bar Northern Ireland), about 600 candidates in the local elections,
and candidates in the London mayoral and Assembly elections. It is expecting to make political
breakthroughs on all three fronts. 
The prize goal is elected representatives to the European Parliament. Elected MEPs would give
the BNP a political legitimacy and influence it so far does not possess. It would also give the party a
respectability that would greatly influence how the public and the media perceive it. The BNP knows
this too. That is why it has prioritised the European elections over the local elections and is building
a £200,000 war chest to produce millions of leaflets and posters for the campaign. 
Success on a European level would also give the party a huge financial boost. The party’s leader,
Nick Griffin, estimates that as much as £200,000 a year will be made available to each MEP and he
has announced that most of it would be directed to building the BNP. “We’d have full time regional
organisers, full time campaign team leaders, training courses for local authorities and media
spokesmen,” he recently wrote, though he somewhat optimistically ignored the restrictions on
how funds for MEPs may be used. 
So can the BNP win MEPs? 
The answer is clearly yes. In fact it will take surprisingly few votes to gain representation. In 1999,
the last MEP place in the England North West constituency was won with just 72,000 votes, 7.72%
of the total votes cast. In May’s local elections the BNP polled 19,000 votes in Burnley and Oldham
alone, and in both towns the party did not contest every ward. 
The North West is the party’s main European target. Griffin is topping the list, thus ensuring
considerable local and national media coverage. Even with one fewer MEP positions available, following
a reduction in the number of UK MEPs, the BNP will only need 9% to guarantee a victory. It would take
just 15% to secure two places. 
Other regions where the BNP poses a threat, albeit on a slightly lower scale, are the West Midlands,
where it would need 11%, and Yorkshire & the Humber, where it would need 12%, though in both
instances the percentage is of a smaller electorate than in the North West. 
Griffin is confident of even greater success. Writing in BNP journals he claims that the party could
secure representation in the South East (8% minimum required), Eastern (11%) and London (9%). 
Local elections 
The BNP will also be hoping to make substantial gains in the “all-out” local elections. Where every
council seat is up for election, a BNP candidate need only come in the first three. Dozens of extra
wards will become winnable as a small section of the electorate slip one of their three votes to a
sole BNP candidate in the ward as a protest. 
It is believed that the party will stand 600 candidates in June, three times the number in 2003. It
has publicly stated that it expects to win another 60 seats but privately some in the leadership
think the figure will be higher. 
There are certainly a number of local authorities where the BNP will be a serious contender in more
than six wards. They include Kirklees, Calderdale, Oldham, Pendle, Burnley, Stoke, Sandwell and
Dudley. 
There will be other authorities where between three and six wards are at serious risk. These include
Sunderland, Bradford, Wakefield, Blackburn, Hyndburn, and Walsall. 
More BNP representation at local council level will not only give the fascists greater local influence
and political power, but make it harder for us to drive them out in the future.