I was delighted today to see that Nick Griffin has announced his plans to step down as leader of the BNP. Any development that lessens the exposure of this man and his odious party should be welcomed.
The election results earlier this month clearly showed that Mr Griffin and his party are on the wane. Despite putting up hundreds of candidates, the BNP failed to win any seats.
Notably, the BNP targeted Barking, where Nick Griffin himself stood as the BNP candidate. I spent a number of days campaigning in Barking during the election and was highly impressed by the organisation and enthusiasm with which Margaret Hodge and her team of activists approached the campaign. Their tireless hard work in speaking to an incredibly high number of local residents about their concerns on a range of issues, including immigration and housing, ensured a fantastic result for the Labour party and for Margaret.
The result was terrible for Mr Griffin, who came in third place in Barking, a million miles from achieving any so-called ‘break-through’. In fact, Margaret defeated him by more than 18,000 votes, with 55% of the vote; an amazing margin.
The position of Mr Griffin within his party would have been made even weaker by their showing in the Barking & Dagenham local elections, held on the same day as the general election. Previously, the BNP had 12 seats on the Council and had talked up their chances of gaining control this time around. However, in the results announced on May 7, the BNP lost every single one of those Council seats, with Labour winning an amazing 51 out of 51 seats. The voters of Barking clearly demonstrated that they would not endorse the hatred-riven politics of the BNP and Mr Griffin.
In the context of this electoral wipe-out, Nick Griffin’s position was always going to come under pressure. It is, however, regrettable that his announcement states that he will stand down in three years’ time. In my view, the sooner he exits the political arena, the better, and let us hope that this is the first step in the long-overdue demise of the BNP as a party in British public life. Speaking as a British MEP, I would be especially delighted if at the next European elections the electorate give the BNP a similar kicking, and Mr Griffin and his fellow BNP MEP Andrew Brons are no longer able to sour debates in the European Parliament with their repugnant views.
Filed under: Labour Party
