BNP EYES OPPOSITION CHANCE IN SANDWELL

10-04-2007

In the forthcoming Council elections the BNP's priority area is Sandwell, where they currently lag behind the Lib Dems by just one seat, and the Tories by four. Could the far-right party become the official opposition? Edward Cameron assesses their chances.

The British National Party is fielding a record number of candidates in the forthcoming local elections; more than 650 Naz…, sorry Nationalists, will try to give Tony Blair a bloody nose on behalf of the apparently growing number of people who are anti-immigration, pro-repatriation, anti-anyone-with-skin-darker-than-someone-on-a-flight-back-from-Benidorm.

Locally, Sandwell could be about to get its first all-BNP ward, and there are fears that it might even become the opposition party in the Black Country borough.

James Lloyd was elected for the far-right party three years ago in Princes End, Tipton and he was joined in the council chamber by three colleagues last year.

Russell Green now sits in the same ward, while Carl Butler took a seat in Tividale and local leader Simon Smith was elected in Great Bridge, also part of Tipton, suggesting this might be the areato watch.

Lloyd's recent unflattering press attention might not help the BNP. He lost his pub licence because of failing to report a gun incident to police and he's admitted he might be the party member facing criminal charges for voting on the council's budget even though he was in arrears with his council tax.

There again, party leader Nick Griffin's failed prosecution on racial hatred charges hardly saw the party go into meltdown.

Last May, Labour held on to the vast majority of Sandwell's seats, as they have since 1980, but the borough's biggest winners were undoubtedly the Nationalists who quadrupled their representation, almost rivalling the Liberal Democrats. Just one more seat would see the BNP equal the Lib Dems.

Princes End looks to me certain to fill that requirement. With two out of the three seats already in the hands of the BNP, and with the party's former local HQ being situated there, we're looking at probably the key seat for the BNP to win if they are to spread their influence in Sandwell.

The last incumbent Labour councillor, Ray Howes, isn't exactly vocal. Local activists will tell you off the record that they can't remember him speaking during council meetings.

The ward has quite a young population, and the level of deprivation is high. Both those factors don't make for a high voter turnout, meaning it might only be the party faithful that put their X in the box.

If the Tories make no gains or losses the BNP need 8 seats to become the main opposition. A few years ago it wouldn't have seemed possible. I doubt it will come to that this year either, my assessment is that they will make ground.

They might not become the second party, but something tells me the Tories won't be nursing celebratory hangovers come May 4.