East Wickham by-election

[Blythe hill boy]

There will be a by-election in East Wickham ward (LB Bexley) due to the sad death of one of the sitting Conservative councillors.

[Zoe]

Alfred Webster Catterall
 The Conservative Party Candidate
 1362
  13.5
 Elected
 
Sheila Clark
 British National Party
 601
  5.9
 
 
Malcolm Frederick Clarke
 UK Independence Party
 289
  2.9
 
 
Richard John Everitt
 The Labour Party Candidate
 860
  8.5
 
 
John-Anthony Fitzpatrick
 English Democrats - Putting England First
 392
  3.9
 
 
James Kenneth Albert Hunt
 The Conservative Party Candidate
 1234
  12.2
 Elected
 
John Lawrenson
 The Labour Party Candidate
 937
  9.3
 
 
Sylvia Malt
 The Labour Party Candidate
 833
  8.2
 
 
Surinder Singh Manak
 Liberal Democrats
 564
  5.6
 
 
Christopher Marshall
 UK Independence Party
 209
  2
 
 
Pamela Margorie Perrin
 UK Independence Party
 211
  2.1
 
 
Anthony Alan Pickett
 Liberal Democrats
 681
  6.7
 
 
David Frederick Sexton
 Liberal Democrats
 604
  6
 
 
Michael George Tarrant
 The Conservative Party Candidate
 1340
  13.2
 Elected
 

[Pete Whitehead]

This used to be a LD/Lab marginal, and before that quite safely LD. in 1998 for example it elected 2 LDs and 1 Labour with Tories in a very poor third - 2002 2 Lab 1 LD. Tories gained all three seats in 2006 as the LDs collapsed. The BNP got a good vote, beating one of the LD candidates and there were also sizeable votes for UKIP and the English Democrats.  I suppose the BNP wont contest this by-election, preferring to go off and fight in Kensal Rise or somewhere like that..

[JimPage]

Based on the GLA ward level results for the assembly, not the most noted stronghold of Bolshevism in London, I see

Conservative       1452
BNP                     530
Labour Party         510
Lib Dem                234
UKIP                160
Abolish Con Charge   102
Green Party    95
English Democrat    74
Christian Choice    72
Respect                   8
One London     6
Left List                  5
Peace & Socialism     2
Alagaratnam, Rathy  0

[Cool Hand Luke]

The sizeable BNP vote polled both in the GLA elections and 2006 council elections in East Wickham seem to be causing quite a lot of alarm among the political parties ahead of the by-election (yet to be called).

Bexley Liberal Democrats have called for assistance from Militant groups to help defeat the BNP in East Wickham.
http://lancasteruaf.blogspot.com/2008/11/bexley-liberal-democrats-call-for-help.html

Bexley Conservatives have resorted to using the slogan "Nazis in the Town Hall: Now the BNP target Bexley", believing that all that is needed to defeat the BNP is to expose the truth about them being neo-Nazi.
http://conservativehome.blogs.com/localgovernment/2008/11/nazis-in-the--1.html

I wonder what the electorate of East Wickham will make of it all?

[JimPage]

The sizeable BNP vote polled both in the GLA elections and 2006 council elections in East Wickham seem to be causing quite a lot of alarm among the political parties ahead of the by-election (yet to be called).

Bexley Liberal Democrats have called for assistance from Militant groups to help defeat the BNP in East Wickham.
http://lancasteruaf.blogspot.com/2008/11/bexley-liberal-democrats-call-for-help.html

Bexley Conservatives have resorted to using the slogan "Nazis in the Town Hall: Now the BNP target Bexley", believing that all that is needed to defeat the BNP is to expose the truth about them being neo-Nazi.
http://conservativehome.blogs.com/localgovernment/2008/11/nazis-in-the--1.html

I wonder what the electorate of East Wickham will make of it all?

Michael Barnbrook BNP candidate here. The Tory campaign wuld be better to descibe them simply as Fascists

As to why UAF are supporting the Lib Dems here- especially as they came 4th, I have no idea.

If you follow the logic of the UAF campaign here, antifascists will be out canvassing for the tories here as the best placed candidate to beat the BNP. Which for any Marxist may create a wee but of a problem...

[Crimson King]

As to why UAF are supporting the Lib Dems here- especially as they came 4th, I have no idea.

One would like to think it is from ideological commitment in the face of electoral dissapointment

but more likely and practically it is probably because (as noted elswhere) in areas whare LDs are not part of the etablishment (clearly the case here) they will be the repository of some of the 'plague on both your houses' vote, and better there than with the BNP

[Pete Whitehead]

From the UAF website

What is the betting you will not be asked to destribute anti BNP leaflets ? You will be asked to distribute for the Focus Team !

No! this is a sordid attempt by the Liberals to con Anti Fashists into doing thier election work for them.

 

I think thats pretty spot on. The LDs have fallen apart in this area and dont have the campaigners locallly that they used to so theyre using the BNP 'threat' to rope in people who otherwise wouldn't support them.  I think the idea that the LDs are not part of the political establishemtn is outdated.  A vote for them here would more likely split the 'anti-BNP' vote (more accurately perhaps the non-BNP vote).  I think the Conservatives will hold and BNP come second - LD votes could come as much from the Tories and put the BNP in with a chance of winning. If lots of people voted LD that is, which they wont

[Revrod]

The sizeable BNP vote polled both in the GLA elections and 2006 council elections in East Wickham seem to be causing quite a lot of alarm among the political parties ahead of the by-election (yet to be called).

Bexley Liberal Democrats have called for assistance from Militant groups to help defeat the BNP in East Wickham.
http://lancasteruaf.blogspot.com/2008/11/bexley-liberal-democrats-call-for-help.html

Bexley Conservatives have resorted to using the slogan "Nazis in the Town Hall: Now the BNP target Bexley", believing that all that is needed to defeat the BNP is to expose the truth about them being neo-Nazi.
http://conservativehome.blogs.com/localgovernment/2008/11/nazis-in-the--1.html

I wonder what the electorate of East Wickham will make of it all?

Michael Barnbrook BNP candidate here. The Tory campaign wuld be better to descibe them simply as Fascists

As to why UAF are supporting the Lib Dems here- especially as they came 4th, I have no idea.

If you follow the logic of the UAF campaign here, antifascists will be out canvassing for the tories here as the best placed candidate to beat the BNP. Which for any Marxist may create a wee but of a problem...

And Jim, you still wonder why people vote for the BNP?

If you can't even understand why people vote for another party, what good does it do telling them not to vote for it?

[Progressive]

If you follow the logic of the UAF campaign here, antifascists will be out canvassing for the tories here as the best placed candidate to beat the BNP. Which for any Marxist may create a wee but of a problem...

I doubt they will, in many areas they campiagn for Labour or "just vote for anyone other than BNP". I, like many are opposed to the BNP, however negative campaigning and telling the electorate to vote in a set way isn't very popular. The UAF will be giving the BNP free publicity in my view.

[Simon Cooke]

The 'Searchlight' folk campaigned for Conservative candidates in Keighley (bless 'em).  But here they're most likely going with the people they're closest to - no loony lefties so the Lib Dems are the closest alternative (but not lefties of course).

[Neil M]

And Jim, you still wonder why people vote for the BNP?

If you can't even understand why people vote for another party, what good does it do telling them not to vote for it?

Sums it up nicely.

[tonygreaves]

There is some fascinating stuff here. Very revealing (and not about the BNP!)

Tony Greaves

[Borrowman]

Indeed Tony. Most people here have no clue about the ward or the present state of Bexley politics which has moved a long way since the last council elections. The GLA results are totally irrelevant.
The Tories have the highest Council Tax of any neighbouring borough. They have slashed services. The former council leader, who is now one of Boris's deputies, has hardly been backward in looking after himself and of course the constituency MP is Derek Conway.
Labour's campaigning in the recent Christchuch byelection in Bexley was poor, and they came 4th.
The Lib Dems are motivated far more than at the last council elections and we are already campaigning hard... I have ignored the debate here up to now, and will probably continue to do so, because it is a handful of people out of touch with reality. 

[Richard Williams]

You would say that wouldn't you Duncan. After all your wife Grace is the Lib Dem candidate.