The election is off but the campaigning must begin

Welcome to the first campaign update of the new campaigning year. Now that a general election is off for the time being, it is important that we refocus our efforts onto next year’s local and London Assembly elections. We achieved some great results last May, with the BNP ending up with the same number of councillors as when it went into the campaign. This was despite the BNP leader’s own claim, made only 48 hours before polling day, that the party would gain 30-60 councillors!

But there is no room for complacency. We won because we upped our game. Even the BNP has publicly admitted that we out-organised them. Together with local political parties we ran a much more targeted election campaign operation than the BNP, but more importantly, the parties heeded the call for year-round campaigning. Hence the need to start now for next May. For a look at the anti-BNP campaign for the next year click here.

Nowhere is the threat as big as in London, where the BNP missed out on a London Assembly seat in 2004 by just 0.3%. Following the implosion of the UKIP (which gained two places in 2004 with 8.2% of the vote) and the rise of the BNP in northeast London, we face a Herculean task to stop the BNP this year. Turnout is the key, as this article in the October Searchlight clearly demonstrates click here.

Searchlight is currently drawing up its campaign plan for 2008. If you would like to work with Searchlight or are in a council area/ward where the BNP poses a threat and would like some advice or support then please contact me on nick@stopthebnp.org.uk.

Forthcoming by-elections

Over the next few weeks there will be a number of key council by-elections in Epping Forest and Sandwell. If you have any spare time to help us in either campaign please get in touch immediately. The BNP has six councillors in Epping Forest, while in Sandwell a by-election is likely to be called after a BNP councillor failed to attend a meeting in six months and will therefore lose his seat. It is vital we stop the BNP in both areas.

For general information on the anti-BNP campaign and to find out details of the latest activities please visit www.hopenothate.org.uk.

Thanks for taking time to read this email

Nick Lowles