08/05/2007

Election Results in Monkton Ward Analysed

Labour 863
Independent 743
Lib Dem 282
BNP (neo-nazis) 221
Conservative 217
Socialist Party 78

Well, in an area in which we have had far higher results (even higher than the BNP vote in the Monkton ward this time round) we polled 78 votes. Of course coming last place to the fascists of the BNP, in an area in which you have propagated so long the socialist case and worked hard for your community, does feel like a kick in the nuts. Actually, the result was not all that bad. To get 3.24% of the vote in a six candidate race is, relatively speaking, something of an achievement, especially when you’re asking the voters to reject capitalism and everything it represents outright and when you tell the voters on your election address only to give their support if they wholeheartedly agree with you

And what the fuck; the BNP got a lower vote in Tony Blair’s own ward and there were only the two candidates there – the BNP and Labour – and in a nearby ward in Spennymoor they polled 13 votes, so I guess if I felt like I’d been kicked in the gonads, these Nazis must have come away from the count doing first class Joe Pasquale impressions. And just what the hell does “unafilliated” mean? I can only assume it means that the Socialist Party is unaffiliated to the pro-capitalist camp, so if that’s what the Nazis mean, then thanks.

Let’s be honest. It is true that the Party has done better, both in terms of votes and percentages, in previous elections on South Tyneside, but this has been due to there being less candidates. It can only be the case that when we’ve only had Labour and a Tory standing against us we get more votes, but most of these will be neither socialist nor even personal votes but protest votes against the two main parties.

For instance, in Primrose Ward in 2000 and 2003, when there were only 2 other candidates, we got 184 (11%) and 316 (12%) respectively. But, in 1998, when there was also a Liberal standing, we only got 104 (6%). This time, with 6 candidates standing, I guess it was only to be expected that the protest and stray votes would go to the Independent candidate and the fascist. Which is what happened, but this is not perhaps a reflection on either the Party, but simply the result of well-known electoral mathematics.

To get 3.34% under these circumstances is something of an achievement. Most of those who did vote for us must have consciously voted for the Party, agreeing with its case against the profit system. If only we could get a handful of them into a local branch!

It pains me, however, that one disturbing feature of this election is the relatively strong showing of the BNP in this this area (9%), something that has been reflected in other traditional working-class wards in other parts of England. It is now becoming the case that the BNP can outvote any party claiming to be socialist on most working-class estates. I think that this must be put down in some measure to the SWP and other left-wing groups embracing Islamism as well as to the Establishment's policy of "multi-culturalism". While the Respect party has sought to be the party of the Muslim "community", the BNP is trying to become the party of the "white" traditional working class "community", with some success.

Oh, that picture at the top? At last Friday’s count, at the table next to mine where they were counting the votes from Primrose, the BNP kicked off, arguing with the polling staff that one ballot box had been tampered with. Apparently, the BNP had gone around the polling booths when voting ended at 10 pm and after council officials had attached their seals, and had attached their own BNP seals (seemingly this is legal) which they would cut when the council staff snapped the official seals at the count. However, one of the seals was missing from one ballot box, so they cried foul, called the police and had held the bloody count up for ages whilst it was investigated. After about an hour, when cops had been despatched to look for the missing seal, they came back having found it and showed the BNP candidate that it hadn't been broken, that it had fallen off because it was not properly fastened (no doubt done on purpose in the knowledge it would fall off and that this would give them the opportunity of a publicity stunt).

Anyway, no one had ever heard of this being done before, but they have set a precedent and will no doubt exploit this now. Just pisses me off that these fascists are now trying to pass themselves off as defenders of democracy and setting the agenda re. the conduct of ballots. It was not too long ago that the late John Tyndall BNP founder and one time leader (now living it up with Hitler and the 3rd Reich top brass in Valhalla), famously said “what we oppose is the system by which the average man on the street is called upon to make judgement on issues he knows nothing about [in other words, via the ballot box].”

And nationally, the BNP did not do that grand. In spite of standing 879 candidates across the country, twice as many as last year, they only won eight seats and lost eight.

Heard from Nick Griffin as he pushed through crowds to catch up with BNP candidates and supporters as they went for a piss up after the count: "Let me past. I have to follow them. I am their leader."

photo courtesy of Capitalism Money Madness

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