According to reports, the party’s sole representative in Burnley – once the party’s stronghold – has been defeated and in other areas the BNP’s vote is down by as much as half.
“It is been a disastrous night for the BNP. They have lost councilors, failed to regain seats they won in 2008 and generally their vote is well down on previous elections”, said Nick Lowles from anti-racist campaign Hope not Hate.
“In some of their strongest wards the BNP vote is down almost 50 percent from 2008, the last time these seats were contested”, added Lowles.
Key BNP areas such as Epping Forest and Pendle are expected to declare on Friday afternoon, but Lowles said the most significant result was the party’s defeat in Burnley.
“The BNP won its first councilor in Burnley in 2002 and the following year it became the second largest party on the council so this is a hugely important victory.”
Since the peak of its electoral success in 2009, when it won two seats in the European parliament, the BNP has been mired in infighting and financial chaos.
This year, it stood substantially fewer candidates than in previous years with no one representing the party in several of its previous strongholds, in Yorkshire and the north-east.
MOL/JR/HE
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