news
26th October 2009
BNP defeated by big increase in the anti-fascist vote
A report on the Athersley, St Helen's by election in Barnsley held on October 15th
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October
2009 by-election
Labour
1520
BNP
590
Barnsley
Independent Group 171
UKIP
94
Con
89
Lib
Dem 78
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May
2008 election
Labour
965
BNP
635
Independent
299
Con
200
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The decisive factor in the BNP's defeat was the big increase in turnout from 2008 to 2009. This ensured that the BNP were soundly defeated, even though their vote fell by only 45. With turnout boosted by nearly 450, the anti-BNP vote coalesced around the party best placed to defeat them. Consequently, the victors increased their majority over the BNP from 330 to 930.
The result represents a ‘textbook’ victory for the anti-fascist movement over the BNP. It provides proof that the BNP can only be defeated by confronting its politics head on and not by either attempting to ignore it or by trying to appease its racist agenda.
Athersley also exemplifies the trend that the party seen by the mass of voters as most capable and determined to defeat the BNP attracts the vast majority of anti-fascist voters, and consequently increases its share of the vote.
It is also important to remember that the by-election took place in the context of the greater national legitimacy and profile given to the BNP in the wake of its European election breakthrough. The anti-fascist campaign in Barnsley was able to minimise any potential boost this might have provided for the fascists because it succeeded in exposing the real nature of the BNP and persuaded increased numbers of anti-fascist voters to turn out.
The result follows the pattern which started with the first success of the anti-fascist movement against the modern BNP in Tower Hamlets, London. The election of BNP councillor Derek Beackon in 1992 was reversed due to a massive increase in the anti-fascist vote, not by a decrease in the BNP’s vote.
Barnsley Unite Against Fascism ran a very high-profile campaign, leafleting every house in the ward, urging people to use their vote. We also had a stall leafleting, petitioning and talking to local shoppers on the Saturday before the election. The night before the vote, we distributed 800 ‘Don’t let the BNP sneak in’ cards in an area where the anti-BNP sentiment was strongest.
During the campaign it became clear that a very large percentage of local people opposed the BNP and the key arguments we were able to have were about the importance of voting rather than abstaining. We also found that the BNP’s racism and aggressive attitude had alienated many locals on the doorstep. If people said they were not interested, the BNP were saying, “Do you want lots of Blacks coming in here?”
The Athersley by-election shows that the overwhelming majority of people in Barnsley reject the fascist BNP's attempt to use racism to poison our communities. The 2010 local and General Election will pose further challenges, but we are now more confident than ever that the BNP will be once again be defeated in Barnsley.
To join Barnsley Unite Against Fascism’s campaign to stop the BNP please email barnsley@yhuaf.org.uk or phone 0798 502 8003.
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