BNP fails to secure seats in Barking and Stoke Central
Nick Griffin is not elected to parliament, as Labour vote in Barking goes up.
By Samira Shackle Published 07 May 2010 4:57
It seems that the BNP leader, Nick Griffin, has failed to win a seat in Barking, east London. Simon Darby, standing for the party in Stoke-on-Trent Central, also appears to have lost out. They are among a host of failures for the far-right party tonight (it fielded a record number of candidates), but these two seats were the setting for high-profile campaigns that the party believed it could win.
The candidates conceded defeat before the final results were in. The leader of the party, who is already a Member of the European Parliament, said at 2am: "I'm being realistic. Margaret Hodge is clearly going to hold the seat." In an interview on BBC Radio Stoke, Darby was negative about his prospects and complained that the leaders' debates had disadvantaged smaller parties.
To put it lightly, this is a relief. The BNP's campaign has been beset by violence -- perhaps not at every turn (before BNP supporters flock to this blog to refute the claims), but it can certainly claim more bust-ups and physical fights than any other political party.
Yet, to a large extent, the BNP's extremist politics have dictated the perameters of the mainstream debate on immigration,. It is vital to reclaim the discussion from this malignant influence.
Update
5.30am: The final results are through for Stoke Central.
The BNP came third (behind the three main parties), with 7.7 per cent of the vote. This is way behind the Conservatives, who came third with 21 per cent. A total 2,502 people voted for Darby -- 0.1 per cent more than voted for the BNP last year. It's a very slight increase, but not one that we need to worry about.
6.01am: Provisional results for Barking have just been announced.
It's a huge majority for Labour's Margaret Hodge, who won with 54.3 per cent of the vote (roughly 6,000 more people voted for her than in 2005). The Conservatives were in second place, and Griffin secured 14.6 per cent of the vote. This suggests that a significant number of people voted for him (6,620), but nowhere near enough for him to be close to a seat. The surge in Labour support may suggest that the people of Barking are, for the most part, saying a resounding "No" to the BNP.
Final results for Barking have yet to be announced.
Latest tweets
More from New Statesman
- Tools and services:
- Polls
- Predictions
- Jobs
- Archive
- Magazine
- PDF edition
- RSS feeds
- Subscribe
- Special supplements
- Stockists

















27 comments
Maybe, just maybe, the BNP lost out because people didn't like their policies. Their manifesto was out there for all to read - I did - and it wasn't acceptable to decent people. Not everyone relies on the newspapers or TV for their information. The activities of some of their candidates and supporters was also unacceptable.
Another example of minority parties trying to box above their weight.
The people have spoken..They don't want the BNP ANYWHERE
@Kevin
Nothing wrong with minority parties... Just THAT one :P
Up the Greens!
R.I.P Great Britain. Only nation in history to willingly commit mass suicide. Markets are already falling. Anyone who loses their house/job in coming months or finds your home town change beyond recognition. If you voted for the mainstream. You deserve everything you get.
Well, here's to the decent people of Barking and Dagenham! There was me thinking the worst of you, and you proved me wrong! Love from South West London!
I have seen the personal freedom of British people taken away from them bit by bit over the past 50 years and watched as we have become more subservient to an all encompassing State Control in how we think, what we see and hear, how we conduct our day to day lives and what we are allowed to say without being persecuted by the politically correct brigade. We are spied on by the state at every street corner, we are being joined at the hip to a failing EU, mass immigration is overwhelming our social services and causing racial tensions. Stabbings and robberies are a day to day event. The young are being brainwashed by extreme liberalism. We are never asked what we want for our country, but told by politicians. Politicians whose avarice and self grandeur is the business of the day and not the affairs of the country. lied to by politicians who have no honour and who break promises because it was planned that way. Yes, the people have spoken in their vote, but on what grounds are they basing their judgement when a controlled media shouts down opposing views that the three controlling parties do not want us to hear. Brace yourselves Britons, this election result is no answer to our core problems.
"as we are sick to death of you all."
Really???...The fact that the BNP got spanked says otherwise..
BNP manifesto = 90% sensible .The other %10, based on rascism will ensure they will never get elected. That's a real shame.
This comment is from 2nd generation Greek.
The BNP supporters can thank convicted drunk driver, paranoid state of mind and anger management issues Bob Bailey for his not-so impressive behaviour just before election day, that ruined any possilbe chance they had. Thanks Bob I owe you one.
I believe that anyone who will not allow their daughter to marry whoever they choose on racial, religious or cultural grounds should be immediately deported. This includes racist chav scum as well as the medieval beareded pinhead types. Which party is the one that shares my beliefs and would be prepared to do something about it? - None of them. That is why I spoiled my ballot paper for both the local and national elections.
Some of these comments are great. True, I'm also surprised that some of these BNP supporters can even spell BNP. Why don't you get Nick G to have a debate with some Muslims - I promise you he would get humiliated by 16 year kids in a debate about religion, politics, science. Muslims have struggled to create an Islamic State in Muslim countries so how does anyone think they will try and create one here. Groups like Hizt-Tahrir/Al-Mahajiroun are all talk with no substance and aren't even respected amongst the Muslims because they are all chat.
Jon you want to open a pet shop mate with all the lions, dogs, lap dogs, "gone to the dogs" and cats you have there - I think you even had a Swallow -well done Barking a good result
The bnp got what they deserved nothing shame on them they are a bunch of losers and criminals and the people who support them are uneducated and stupid I feel sorry you
How well out current voting process works, if we actually take a min to look at the figures the shocking truth of the matter is that the BNP got 563,743 individual votes and didnt manage to secure 1 seat, whilst the DUP managed to claim 8 seats from just 168,216 votes....One day the actual voice of the people might get to be heard! BNP did rather well in fairness choose how many actual seats they got, its just another case of corrupt politics ignoring public concerns that continue to be expressed in growing numbers through the ballot box
no decent person should ever vote for racists like the bnp. Glad all you disappointed bnp'ers are able to share your pain - hope you don't feel the need to express it with the usual violence. At least you don't have to pretend anymore or suppress your true believes. Let it all hang out, you haven't got anything left to lose. If you think that shadenfreude is an appropriate term here .... you're so right.
I wonder what percentage of the 563,743 people who voted BNP left school at the age of 16 or under.
Well done everyone who voted for the mainstream parties, in a few years time you will be living in an Islamic state.It is a shame, but all our lovly ladies in this Country will be covered from head to toe. Summers will never be the same.Still look on the bright side, there will be a massive reduction in sunburn cases.
dont worry mr griffins there is another election in about 5 or 6 years
The thing is, what alot of people "just do not get" is! liebour let a SH!T LOAD of immigrants in, who then voted for this trash the Liebour party, all I can see mohim uddin? is the british folk rising up to the corrupt government of this country and people like you packing you're bags and clearing off back to where you was born or be it ya father or your grandfather as we are sick to death of you all.
Jon - the Greens got less coverage than the BNP, they managed to do OK. The Lib Dems got plenty of coverage and went nowhere - backwards, in fact. Media bias isn't the issue.
People didn't vote for the BNP for two reasons: they didn't agree with their policies, or they did agree with their policies but thought the BNP were lying. Wherever you stand on immigration, the BNP's projected message - "We're not racist, but we want to reduce all non-whites to second-class citizens" - ought to have all the little lights and sirens on your bull**** detector going crazy. Depending on which part of the message is true, they're either far-right loonies or standard-issue corrupt politicos hitting a hot issue for votes. Either way, they're not the answer, unless the question is "How can we take the mess this country is in, and make it EVEN WORSE?"
crookie - Actually I think you'll find that the only manifesto that pledged to force people to live in an Islamic state was the BNP's! None of the others contained plans to deport people.
Edward Turner:
Bloody hell! We mustn't live in the same country, I didn't realise it was THAT bad!
Maybe it's time for you to emigrate, preferably as far away as possible.It's your poison and your hate which is ruining this country.
Another thing:
I think all these BNP blokes are actually foreigners because they surely can't speak or write English.No don't tell me they are all dyslexic and I am being elitist and politically incorrect by taking the piss out of them.
Yes I know I am a middle class leftist scumbag.Don't bother telling me!
Rory:
Soooo!..If the BNP had formed a government this week, the markets would have recovered and no one would have lost their jobs or their house.
Damn!
Didn't realise a clown like Griffin was capable of performing miracles!
Get real, losers and enrol in literacy classes. Maybe then you might get a job.
Dave C - a lot of them can't spell BNP. If you type "BMP" into facebook and choose "Groups", then the largest group that comes up stands for British Muslim and Proud, with 626 members. The second largest contains 278 BNP types who mispelled the party's name! You couldn't make it up.
anyone voting for labour liars doesnt deserve the air we breathe.
Richard - don't get bitter, get real. If you are a BNP supporter for instance, analyse why they did not get more votes. A political strategy based on the number of votes for whom (not a first past the post vote) will be more informative than retributional pontification.
The BNP had little coverage. The only coverage they had was Gutter Press, PC SH!T, BBC CRAP, ITV CRAP, Blinded by the 3 PARTIES having more than their fair share on prime time TV and you say don't get bitter????? Well I am not bitter. I am disgusted with the double standards and the bitter pills we have had to swallow! If this is British Politics then this Country has gone to the dogs! We used to be Lions! We are now little lap dogs working for the Fat Cats and the puppeteers! Shame on the British people and shame on the powers that be!
Post new comment