Labour promote BNP in Sandwell by-election
As if the excitement of the Princes End by-election wasn’t enough, attention has now turned to Newton ward, a rare Lib Dem stronghold in Sandwell. This was of course the seat held by Martyn Smith for the best part of 30 years until his death a few months ago.
I have in my hand a Labour leaflet currently being delivered in the ward. On the reverse there is a feedback survey with a box for voting intentions. The parties are listed in the following order: Labour, BNP, Conservative, Lib Dem, Other.
For the last five years there has not been a BNP candidate in any Newton ward Council election. Now of course, I’d expect us to be listed last on a Labour leaflet. But to place the BNP second not only raises awareness of a candidate (on the assumption that there will be!), it also gives them credibility.
This is a real kick in the teeth for all Dave Hosell’s Labour colleagues from across Sandwell who worked so hard to defeat the BNP in Princes End earlier this month. Now, it’s widely known how desperate Mr Hosell is to win Newton, but for Labour to resort to short-term tactics like this (against the long-term anti-fascist fight) is totally out of order.
I should also point out this leaflet was seemingly authoured by the West Midlands Labour Party. So is this party campaigns policy? Try explaining that to Labour party members in the rest of Sandwell.
Idiots.
UPDATE:
I’ve photographed and uploaded the leaflet, on request:
December 27, 2007 at 5:46 pm
Any chance of publishing a scan or a digital photo of this leaflet ?
December 27, 2007 at 6:14 pm
I’ll try and get one done. D
December 27, 2007 at 6:25 pm
Done.
December 28, 2007 at 9:13 am
You seem to be clutching at straws here David. “Promoting” the BNP? You must have a strange definition of the word ‘promote’.
Do you really think the voters of Newton Ward are so stupid they don’t know the BNP exist unless they see it written down in a Labour leaflet?
Presumably the Lib Dems ‘promote’ the Conservative Party and the Labour Party in all of their leaflets when they show their fake bar charts, do they? If I can turn up a Liberal Democrat leaflet which mentions the BNP - in an election where the BNP are not standing - will you roundly condemn the Party?
Get real, this is about using a by-election to gather important voter id, and that will be used for both local and general elections.
You are simply doing what the Liberal Democrats always do during by-elections and that is smearing the other candidates. Try doing something positive for a change.
December 28, 2007 at 9:34 am
I stand by the word promote - that’s exactly what this is Bob. By including the BNP on your leaflet in second position, you are sending a message that they are the primary threat in the area. I could understand if it were a Labour-BNP marginal, but it’s not, the BNP have not stood a candidate in Newton in recent history. All this will do is talk up their chances.
It’s not just Lib Dems that have been angered by this.
And as for smearing other candidates, try looking closer to home first. Some of your lot’s antics in Bearwood this year have been nothing short of disgraceful.
December 28, 2007 at 10:30 am
Give me chapter and verse on ‘our antics in Bearwood’ please.
We got the biggest majority of any Party in any ward in Sandwell… and never once mentioned our opponents, which, to my knowledge, we have not done in election literature for more than 20 years. So, come on then, share ‘these disgraceful antics with us.
December 28, 2007 at 1:05 pm
David,
Are you not making a mountain out of a molehill here? I’m sure if you start looking you’ll find a few skeletons in your own party’s cupboard:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/6574105.stm
alongside a tendency to exaggerate in leaflets.
As for your Bearwood comment, I genuinly have no idea what you mean, and agree with Bob’s request that you elaborate.
December 28, 2007 at 8:23 pm
The sound of silence is deafening.
December 28, 2007 at 11:44 pm
You don’t think the order could be Labour first (as it is their leaflet), then the rest alphabetically?
December 29, 2007 at 9:37 am
Chill out Bob, I don’t live to blog so have been away from my Mac overnight. I will elaborate in a seperate post later on if you so wish, as I dont want to detract from the point of this post.
Despite what you say about voter ID, I think it’s totally out of order to promote the BNP as a viable option in this way, when they have no history in the ward.
It would be interesting to see how your view would change were a BNP candidate to stand in Abbey, and an opposition leaflet listed them as a second viable choice.
December 29, 2007 at 10:06 am
Let us not forget the candidate here. David has over the last four years reduced the Lib Dem majority year on year despite the adverse national conditions against Labour. He is now a formidable candidate against an unknown Lib Dem. He is well known in the area for his community work and well respected by the community. I wish him luck.
December 29, 2007 at 10:56 pm
Sorry but the actual support given by Lib Dems to the BNP has been a bit more serious http://darlingtoncouncillor.blogspot.com/2007/04/libdem-leaders-bnp-links.html
And that’s from a friend I know from his days in LDYS
December 30, 2007 at 9:21 am
I will await your post on Labour’s ‘antics in Bearwood’ with interest, David, and don’t think I will let this go. You cannot throw out a slur like this in public and expect to get away with it. I will be back to remind you regularly and if you do not stand this up or withdraw that remark I will be blogging about your typical lib dem smear tactics on my own blog.
As for the BNP thing, which was a real non-story from the outset, you are now being made to look ridiculous as your own party’s collaboration with the fascists are coming out. If the BNP stood in Abbey we would beat them as convincingly as we did the lib dems and tories by standing on our record and working hard all year round.
December 30, 2007 at 7:11 pm
[...] Labour promote BNP in Sandwell by-election on David Nickel’s Golden Side of the Moon blog. David picks a fight with his Labour [...]
December 30, 2007 at 8:06 pm
I read the Focus type rubbish re my leaflet.
I now have a request?
Would it be possible to have a real debate about local issues that concern
local peaple,who knows it might give the libs some ideas of there own to
work on.
Do they actually work in newton ward?
December 30, 2007 at 8:53 pm
This is all getting rather silly, I seem to have touched a nerve somewhere in the Sandwell Labour machine (again) - I have an irritating habit of doing that.
Plenty of people disagree with me about the Newton leaflet, fair enough, we’re all entitled to our opinions. I stick by mine.
Bob, amongst other things I am referring to the content of a taxpayer-funded website from one of my local Councillors, and a former elected representative shouting abuse at me whilst I was discussing local issues with a resident. Both of which you’ll be aware of. Much of a muchness you may think, but to suggest it is just the Lib Dems who “smear” opposition candidates is out of order.
Let’s put this little “bicker” behind us shall we? It’s been an interesting year, who knows what 2008 will hold.
December 30, 2007 at 9:21 pm
David, I have no idea what you are talking about when you say… ‘a taxpayer-funded website from one of my local Councillors’. No elected members have any access whatsoever to their council websites during the election period. They are closed down by the Council. Please tell me who that councillor is and I will personally check with the council to ensure that was done correctly last year. Certainly my site was closed down two days before the official date and I would imagine they did the same for all councillors.
Nor am I aware of the incident you refer to, but even if that did happen I do not think that qualifies as ‘a disgraceful antic’ but more the sort of banter most election people engage in during a campaign. We certainly have very similar banter with the local conservative candidate, and he does with us. Perhaps been a stranger to the area you fail to understand the comradely way we conduct elections in Abbey.
I don’t consider this ‘a little bicker’ as you describe it. You implied we were guilty of some sort of impropriety and I won’t pull my punches because if that is what you are saying you are a liar, and yes, it has touched a nerve with me because I don’t appreciate liars. It is not ‘irritating’ it is typical liberal democrat smear tactics.
December 30, 2007 at 9:42 pm
I wasn’t talking about election time Bob, it was later on during the year, and in fact, before the election period too.
Again, the definition of “disgraceful antics” is a matter of opinion. You do like to make the point that I am not a life-long resident of Bearwood, but you know as well as I do that there are hundreds of new people moving into the ward every year, not all of whom may agree with your “this is the way it’s always been” description.
December 30, 2007 at 11:28 pm
If you mean by my “this is the way it’s always been” description that we conduct elections properly and fairly, then if they don’t like that - tough, they can always vote for those who have nothing but a negative approach. We will just carry on doing things the way we have done it, listening to the people of Bearwood, and enjoying the grimaces on the faces of those who think they have got a brand new approach when the votes are counted.
December 31, 2007 at 10:01 am
I like Dave Hosell’s idea of a debate over here in Newton how about you getting together with your Lib Dem mates over here and organising it? I’ll volunteer to act has moderator and I’ll give you a list of long outstanding local issues to start with.
I also agree it does seem to be getting a bit silly so please give Bob Piper a straight answer and when you refer to Bob can you please indicate which Bob.
December 31, 2007 at 1:58 pm
David,
Can’t really see your point about councillor websites, last time I checked they were reporting local news, and standing up for Bearwood and it’s residents. I like the phrase about the Sandwell Labour machine though, if I count as part of that, I might put it on the website…
May 15, 2008 at 1:44 pm
I am a new resident to sandwell. i am considering starting a business that will help improve the princes end area. I dont know much about politics really just the basics, but i am aware that the area is full of unemployment and single parents. i beleive that a lot can be changed if i can offer the people of princes end opportunities to better themselves and earn a higher income. I am at research stage at the moment, so i wonder if you guys can give me any feed back or insight as to what is provided for these people at the moment? Thanks and kind regards Ms Edmead