There were three council by-elections in London yesterday, in the boroughs of Barking & Dagenham, Bexley and Havering. The most striking aspect of all three results was the BNP vote. Having not stood in any of the three wards concerned in 2006, the BNP polled 25.1%, 17.3% and 21.3% respectively, coming second in the Havering contest. Of course, East London and Bexley are two areas of unusual BNP strength, but even so the results should serve as a wake-up call to the mainstream parties.
Significantly, the LibDems only fought one of these seats: in Bexley. There was a vigorous LibDem campaign there, the party’s vote share went up and its candidate came ahead of the BNP. The LibDems are very weak in Havering and almost non-existent in Barking & Dagenham, but as has often been noted, the absence of a LibDem candidate can often indirectly help the BNP. As I know from my own canvassing in London by-elections in recent years, especially in Barking & Dagenham, it is not uncommon to be told on the doorstep ‘well, it will be either you or the BNP!’ That does not mean that voters think the two parties have similar policies. But it does reflect the fact that in some parts of London and other areas in the country, the BNP has learnt from the LibDems in its campaigning style and literature, portraying itself as the party that is really rooted in local communities and is focussing on issues that local residents care deeply about. By targeting its resources at by-elections, wherever they occur, the BNP is also asserting its claim to be a mainstream party itself, as LibDems did in the past. Interestingly, the BNP candidate in Havering beat both the Conservatives and Labour, only being prevented from winning the seat by an Independent.
