The Cockermouth result was OK . . . considering

Here is the result from last night's Allerdale Borough Council by-election:
Allerdale Borough Council
All Saints Ward
Thursday 5th June 2008
Alan Tyson (Con) 586
Christine Smith (Lab) 537
Paul Stafford (BNP) 99
Helen Graham (Green) 54
Eddie Woodthorpe (Ind) 24
BNP Percentage: 7.6%

This result is much better than it might seem at first. Quite apart from the squeeze from the ward being a Labour/Tory marginal and the Labour vote holding up amazingly well, there was another important factor.

Our original candidate had to pull out at the last minute because of work commitments. He was a local chap and would have had a local following. Rather than not stand a candidate at all, our Allerdale organiser Paul Stafford, bravely stepped into the breach.

But, of course, there was one major drawback with this and that was the fact that Paul lives in Wigton which is 10 miles away from Cockermouth and in this part of the world if you don't actually live within a town's boundaries, then you might as well live on another planet.

So all in all it wasn't a bad result considering the far from ideal circumstances.

Freedom is in its final stages and I must press on with it now as next week is disrupted with meetings and if that slot at the printers is missed it will mean a further delay.

Three important London by-elections coming up, as well as the Henley contest. Check out the London BNP website for all the details here.