BNP secures increased share of vote
The British National Party (BNP) secured an increased share of the vote in key seats in yesterday’s poll.
In the night’s first result in Sunderland South, David Guynan secured 1,166 votes for the party, an increase of two per cent on the 2001 election.
But the BNP’s strongest showing came in the east London constituency of Barking where Richard Barnbrook secured almost 17 per cent of the popular vote, coming in third behind Labour and the Conservatives.
BNP leader Nick Griffin won 4,240 votes in Keighley, west Yorkshire – just over a thousand less than the third-placed Liberal Democrat candidate.
Speaking after the result, he told Sky News that the BNP could use its strong showing in the election to win more council seats over the next four years.
But Labour’s Chris Mullin, who held Sunderland South last night, dismissed Mr Griffin’s party, telling the Guardian that the BNP vote “is not of any significance”.
The BNP contested 112 seats last night and, with results still coming in, looks set to secure a larger share of the national vote than four years ago.
Mr Griffin claims to have worn a bulletproof vest during the campaign after receiving death threats.
