The New Statesman understands

Off-button at 7.13 this morning. I just couldn't stand any more.

It was the South African General Election this time, which isn't even until next week. John Humphrys has been sent all the way out there, at licence fee payers expense, just to report on the ANC recording a landslide victory.

John explained why the BBC is making such a fuss about it in his opening gambit: "The ANC is the party of Nelson Mandela."

Make no mistake Mandela is quite incredible. A former Black terrorist fawned over by so many White people. I expect he wakes up most mornings and thinks: "Nelson, how did you do it?".

It doesn't seem like Friday this morning with no elections to report on. Next week it is back to normal with contests for us in Redbridge, Erewash and Aberdeenshire. I'll try and get some info on how our campaigns are going over the next few days.

I expect most of you have read the article in yesterday's New Statesman. It's here if you haven't.

It is a very good understanding of what has taken place over the past five years and it acknowledges the changes that have taken place within the British National Party since 1999.

One of the key passages is:

"But even one seat in the European Parliament would provide resources and publicity that could act as a potent catalyst for a party accustomed to operating on a shoestring outside of the media spotlight."

It is key because it is correct in identifying our aspiration and the benefit of meeting it. It is also right in acknowledging how we have operated on shoestring budget, although claiming that we have been outside the media spotlight is naive. We have been hounded and persecuted in the media for the past ten years and all what we have achieved has been done inspite of this.

At the last European Elections we came close to winning three seats, and that was despite Max Clifford pulling Kilroy-Silk out of the hat for UKIP and a very poor campaign on our behalf. Our main leaflet was almost unreadable. Even our most enthusiastic supporters said it was awful and as it was our only way of reaching voters due to a virtual media black-out because of its love affair with UKIP, it was amazing that we polled so well.

This time around our campaign in 500% better, so hopefully 500% more effective, and that should be enough to secure a seat in the North West at the very least.

We had a very nice Easter Sunday, I meant to mention this before. All the family were there and as we enjoyed our aperitifs and chatted, we listened to our Colin Auty CD. My in-laws are great fans of his, and for me when listening to many of his songs, the hairs on the back of my neck still stand up.

Back in the early 1990s I wrote a series of books about the history of my football team, Workington Reds AFC. In 1977 they dropped out of the Football League and the title of the books was So Sad, So Very Sad . . which summed up the feelings of most of the supporters of this brave little club. Reds had such a proud history, two League Cup Quarter-Finals (including beating Blackburn 5-1 at Ewood Park), promotion to the old Third Division, and cup games against Liverpool (0-1), Manchester United (1-3) and Cheslea (2-2) (0-2), so it was a tragedy that they had fallen by the wayside.

When I listen to Colin's music and think of the events that led to him dropping out of politics, the title of those Workington books comes to mind.