Liberalising Barking and Dagenham

The good news in the London borough of Barking and Dagenham in May was that the BNP got wiped out. They lost every single councillor they had and party leader, Nick Griffin MEP, failed miserably in his attempt to seize the parliamentary seat of Barking from Margaret Hodge. But the bad news was that the borough became a one-party state, sharing with neighbouring Newham the ignominy of having a 100% Labour Council. That’s right, not a single opposition member. That can’t be good for democracy and it certainly isn’t good for the people of Barking & Dagenham. So it was with great pleasure that several members of the London Liberal Democrats’ regional executive joined local LibDem campaigners to launch a rejuvenated local party in the borough this evening. It’s not all that long ago that Eastbury ward in Barking was LibDem held, but unfortunately one of the councillors died and two moved away. However, the fightback starts here. And there will be plenty for local members and new recruits to do before the next round of local elections in 2014, given the likely AV referendum in May next year and the London Mayoral and London Assembly elections in 2012.

[photo courtesy of Mark Pack]