Could it be 40 for Cumbria?

A DIFFICULT day for us yesterday compounded by the news, delivered by a smirking Copeland organiser, that they now have 11 candidates, just one short of a full slate.

Allerdale BNP had been hoping to pip them 9-8 in the seats being fought stakes but now the final score looks like being 7-11, a crushing defeat for Workington, Maryport and Wigton by Whitehaven.

So added together it looks as though it's going to be an impressive showing by the British National Party in the Cumbria County Council Elections on June 4th. These are unconfirmed figures but at the moment, as I understand it, we have Carlisle (17), Copeland (11), Allerdale (7), Barrow (3), Eden (1), South Lakes (1). That's 40 seats, just two short of the 50% of seats available on the council.

Our difficult day came from people being out, not having the correct paperwork, both our key activists having to work and being side-tracked by having to move some heavy printing equipment - and I mean heavy - which took an hour and a half out of our busy day.

We did submit three nomination papers, which were accepted provisionally but because we lacked the BNP's certificate of authorisation were returned to us. When I last contested elections back in 200,7 I'm certain I just wrote on the nomination paper 'British National Party' and that was it. Anyway by four o'clock the papers were re-submitted and accepted so it's three down, four to go.

This morning we are splitting forces so we can actually start some campaigning. Paul and Carl will be putting out the Euro warm-up leaflet in the small remaining part of Maryport West that still has to be leafleted and I shall submit another two sets of nomination papers that were completed late yesterday, and try to complete a third.

Last night, when I got home, I finished our postal vote leaflet which will go out with a complementary issue of Freedom and a letter from Nick Griffin. Very simple leaflet just introducing the candidate with their photo and warning about the smear leaflets - telling voters "It's just the Labour Party" so don't be conned by the array of grandiose titles that appear on the anti-BNP leaflets.

I've also got two more candidates photos to get which must be taken today. As you can see there will be no 'paper' candidates in Allerdale, not like some places where you might find a jar of Hartleys on the supper table at five o'clock!!

No news from Sheffield, so who knows. Andrew Brons our lead candidate in Yorkshire and Humberside needs 10% of the vote to make it to Strasbourg, so with a bit of a buffer zone something around 12-13% would be a great result for us.

No other news as everyone is busy getting their nomination papers signed.

First stop this morning is Morrisons for some A4 paper for the leaflets - apparently is the cheapest port of call.