Agonisingly close yet again.

"YE GODS", as my dear departed colleague and legendary nationalist scribe Ted Budden would have said.

It was exactly my reaction to last night's narrow defeat in Melton. Nick Porter was just 78 votes short of taking the formerly safe Labour seat. Agonisingly close but just not quite enough for victory.

My information is that our canvass returns showed us well ahead of the Labour vote of 315 so it appears that a number of our supporters didn't make it to the polls. They might have been put off by the last minute smear leaflet put out by Labour which just reprinted the report in this week's Daily Mirror concerning the Young BNP.

It was harmful propaganda and could worry some people. I have made my views very clear on this in an early posting and just to reiterate the point I would like to see the YBNP concentrating on canoeing, rock climbing, and orienteering and forgeting about those other outdoor activities that our opponents have made such a meal about.

Melton Borough Council

Egerton Ward

Thursday 4th September 2008

Steve Dungworth (Lab) 314

Nick Porter (BNP) 236
Jeanne Douglas (Con) 177

BNP Percentage: 32.5%

May 2007: Lab 431, Lab 386, BNP 251, Con 216, Con 194.

There was a very pleasant surprise from South Cumbria last night with Mike Ashburner pulling a cracking result out of the bag in the Tory stronghold of Newbarns. I was led to believe that the local unit thought that anything over 5% would be regarded as a worthwhile result and Mike went and polled more than double that securing 104 votes which was 11.8%. I can tell you now that this result will upset the local newspaper which doesn't attempt to hide it's dislike for the BNP.

Barrow Borough Council

Newbarns Ward

Thursday 4th September 2008

Bob Maltman (Con) 478

Lorraine Biggins (Lab) 177

Sarah Martinez (Ind) 155
Mike Ashburner (BNP) 104

BNP Percentage: 11.8%

May 2008: Con 609, Con 516, Con 486, Ind 511, Lab 299, Lab243, Lab216.

Well, that's it for today, apart from congratulating both Nick and Mike on their efforts last night. Tina and I are just off for a trip to Scotland to check out a hotel for a leadership weekend just before Christmas.