BNP and UKIP cash in on expenses row

Jun 11 2009 by simon halewood, Chester Chronicle

FRINGE parties the BNP and UK Independence Party benefited from the controversy over MPs’ expenses, snatching a seat each in the North West European Elections.

As voters’ resentment and frustration towards Westminster boiled over at Thursday’s polls, BNP leader Nick Griffin claimed the party’s first seat in the region as the party won 132,094 votes, 8% of the total cast.

And the euro-spectic UKIP was celebrating beating the Lib Dems into fourth place with 15.8% of the vote as chairman Paul Nuttall claimed one of the eight available seats.

The Conservative Party escaped relatively unscathed from the national expenses furore and retained its three parliamentary seats with 423,174 votes and a rise of 1.5% on 2005’s results.

But the Labour Party suffered a disastrous 6.9% loss, polling 20.4% of the total vote, leaving them with just one seat.

The result compounded a horrific night for the party nationally as it slumped to its worst ever set of results.

Cheshire Euro-MEP Chris Davies, who retained his seat for the Liberal Democrats, said he hoped disillusioned voters who turned their back on the polls ‘are kicking themselves’ after the British National Party’s win.

He said: “It was the most frustrating election campaign I have ever known.

“There will be a lot of good people who wanted to make a gesture of protest so did not bother to vote.

“As a result they woke up today to find they had a BNP representative, and I hope they are kicking themselves.

“The BNP will join a small group of racists and hate-filled extremists from other countries. The vast majority of MEPs know from Europe’s history that their ideas lead only to death, destruction and misery, and are determined to ensure that it never happens again.”

Sir Robert Atkins, who was re-elected and leads the Conservative North West contingent in Europe, agreed.

He said: “I am saddened. We have today an aberration which many right thinking people in this country and in this region will be appalled by.”

Chester Conservative parliamentary candidate Stephen Mosley claimed the Tories were the ‘clear winners’ by polling almost 30,000 votes – more than the Labour and Liberal Democrat parties combined – in the Cheshire West and Chester Council area.

Commenting on the election of a BNP candidate in the North West, Mr Mosley added: “This is a terribly sad moment for the North West. .

“In West Cheshire there was thankfully no surge to the BNP and the Conservatives will continue to campaign in every corner of Cheshire.”

Chester MP Christine Russell said the fact Labour supporters had stayed at home let the extreme BNP into power through the back door.

She said “I just think there’s no glossing over what was a profoundly disappointing result and the only satisfying aspect is that at least in our area they only picked up 1.45% of the vote.”

She said Labour supporters had been disproportionately annoyed by the row over MPs’ expenses and shown their anger by staying at home.

Nick Griffin hailed the BNP’s win as a ‘defining moment’ and added: “The British lion has awoken and its roar will be heard throughout the world.”

The turnout across the North West was 31.9%.