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What are the chances of the BNP winning a NW seat in the European elections?
Elections for the European Parliament are to be held on 10 June this year. The BNP think that their leader will win one of the NW seats. This would give them the respectability they crave. What are their chances?
With the system of proportional representation used, he would only need 9% of the vote. In this system, each party puts up a list of nine candidates for the whole of the NW. You vote for the party list of your choice.
At the last Europe an election in 1999, the last MEP for the NW got in with 72,000 votes. The electorate is just over 5 million. Turnout was 19.5%. In last May's local elections the BNP got 19,000 votes in Burnley and Oldham without contesting every ward. You can see why they think they have a chance.
It will all depend on the turnout and getting out the anti racist vote. Turnout is likely to be higher partly because local elections are being held on the same day in many areas (not in Ribble Valley).
Certainly the BNP will put on a very active campaign. Whether they win will depend on the rest of us encouraging people to turn out to vote for parties which oppose fascism. |
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