Sutton-in-Ashfield, Wah-Wah and Betfair

It's a pleasure to be able to start yet another Friday morning posting with the words . . . and the quiet revolution continues!

Yesterday, despite all the anti-BNP bile in the media, despite thousands of anti-BNP leaflets - paid for by Trade Union bosses misappropriating their members' dues - being delivered to every home in the ward, and despite yet another opinion pollster claiming there was no support for the BNP in the country, 321 people in Sutton-in-Ashfield voted for the British National Party.

That's over 13% and more votes than the high-flying Tories could muster. Just think about this. All week the Tories have had a huge profile in the media and on the very issue that is meant to be behind any support for the BNP. Our Party hasn't had a mention, unless it was something derogatory. Conservative Party spokesmen haven't been off our TV screens banging on about immigration, while there hasn't been a BNP representative on the box for months. Yet despite all of this, 321 people bucked all the political trends and made the effort to get down to a polling station and register their vote for the very political party that they are constantly being told not to vote for.

That's something that has to give us all hope.

The full details from yesterday's poll were:
Ashfield District Council
Sutton-in-Ashfield West Ward
Thursday 1st November 2007
Fiona Asbury (Lib-Dems) 873
Kier Barsby (Lab) 560
Michael Clarke (BNP) 321
John Ross (Ind) 275
Michael Halls (Con) 257
Mark Harrison (Green) 72
BNP Percentage 13.6%

Of course, there have been a spate of emails this week from people worried that the Tories are playing the immigration card and will steal some of our thunder.

My response to them has been "Wah-Wah".

"Wah-Wah" was a film I saw on Tuesday night. It was directed by Richard E Grant and was the story of his early years in Swaziland just before the country's independence. His father's second wife was an American who could never understand the ex-pat colloquialisms of the colonial community there. When others were talking in such a manner, she expressed her frustration at being unable to comprehend what she called "meaningless nonsense" by walking around shouting "Wah-Wah".

"Meaningless nonsense" sums up what the Tories have been talking about all week. Desperately trying to take on the mantle of a Party that will tackle immigration, yet at the same time trying to avoid upsetting immigrant voters. What the Tories have been saying on immigration is 'Wah-Wah' - meaningless nonsense. I certainly don't believe anyone is going to be taken in by it. People know that immigration is the nettle that the other Party's can't grasp because it is a much too controversial subject, so if people like race equality boss Trevor Phillips, are able to praise David Cameron for having the courage to take on the this issue, everyone will know that what the Conservative leader is saying is just 'Wah-Wah'.

There was a little bit of excitement in Maryport last night but you will have to read about it on Clive Jefferson's blog at cumbrianpatriotbnp.blogspot.com as further developments are expected this morning. Suffice to say over 1,000 Maryport Patriot leaflets were delivered last and they certainly had an impact in some quarters!

As I'm just back in front on Betfair I shall be having an interest in this afternoon's meeting at Uttoxeter.
In the first race I'm laying Bathwick Breeze. The sire Sugarfoot has yet to have a winner over jumps and the dam's progeny have a low rating. In the second race I want Coe out of the first three. Trainer Sue Smith, has yet to have a novice hurdle winner this season and Coe's rating is only fifth best in the race. In the 2.30 I have laid Gaelic Gift because trainer Brendan Powell, has a poor strike-rate in handicap hurdles. In the 2.40 I've laid both The Package and Shore Thing. The latter's sire Docksider, has only a 2% strike-rate over jumps and the former has a 20 point inferior rating to the favourite Ouzbeck.