Does this look like WH Smiths?

ON Friday, on the main BNP website, I suggested that Andrew Brons, the British National Party's lead candidate in Yorkshire, should get himself down to WH Smiths in Harrogate on Saturday to get himself a map of Strasbourg to familiarise himself with that city. I was offering the advice as Andrew looks on course to winning a seat in the European Parliament after the BNP's excellent vote in the East Ecclesfield by-election in Sheffield.

But he didn't, and he was right not to. I'm grateful to Steve from Suffolk for briefing me that: "If Andrew Brons is elected as a MEP he will be pretty lonely in Strasbourg as the European Parliament does almost all its sittings in Brussels not Strasbourg. It sits in the French city for only 12 sessions of the year".

I'm also grateful to Yorkshire Regional Organiser Adrian Marsden, who told me that Andrew was too busy to go shopping because he was out campaigning. Adrian reported:

"Following on from the highly successful 'Days of Action' in North Yorkshire, today saw the team in the North Lincolnshire town of Scunthorpe.This is a town with a proud history of steelmaking, an industry ravaged in recent times by globalism.

"6,000 leaflets were distributed during the day in a number of districts with a team also heading down to Glanford Park, the home of Scunthorpe United.

"At the stadium we were overwhelmed with the response from the 'Iron' supporters. We were mobbed by people of all ages who were eager to take the Anti-EU and 'Racism cuts both ways' leaflets we were distributing.

"Andrew Brons was impressed with the local activists who accompanied him during the 7 hours the team were in the town. The commitment of people who had finished work and came straight out to help spread the word and others who helped for 5 hours and then went off to work afterwards, was exceptional."

The photo shows Adrian, Andrew and Dave relaxing with a pint of Yorkshire bitter after the day's activity.

Here in Cumbria, the shock 'retirement' announcement of Carlisle's Labour MP Eric Martlew, is the talking point. It's a shock because we have seen a lot of Eric out electioneering in recent months and a GMB insider told us just before Christmas that he was pulling out all the stops to keep his seat in the city at the General Election. Now suddenly, he's going. The word on the street is that he is jumping before he is pushed and that in July, when MP's expenses are made public, Martlew's red face will become even redder.

I'm always delighted to hear from Wayne McDermott our East Midlands election officer. Like me he's an elections anorak, and when there are elections in the air, he motors on all cylinders.

Wayne is standing for both the district and county council seats in Measham which is in Leicestershire and on the border with Staffordshire and Derbyshire. He thinks he is in with a bit of a squeak there after a day's canvassing yesterday but acknowledges that, with over 100 seats being contested in the East Mids, his responsibilities as the region's elections officer might limit the effective of his campaigning.

In the North West, our key by-election in the coming weeks is in Salford where our candidate Gary Tumulty, is contesting the Irwell Riverside by-election on May 21st. If anyone in the region can get along to help Gary then please contact him at bnpsalford@live.co.uk

Here's a photo of Salford BNP's new Truth Trailor which was paid for by contributions given by the readers of this blog. Thank you to all concerned.

Some interesting stories in today's newspapers. My colleague Simon Darby, is under fire in the Sunday Mercury - you can read the report here. And in The Observer there's quite a meaty piece and an editorial on our chances in the European Elections. You can read them here and here.

BBC Radio Cumbria came up with a classic piece of political bias in its religious programme this morning. A near-10 minute slot with a vicar attacking the BNP, yet no BNP spokesman given a look-in. But as I said yesterday: "We don't care". The BNP is now acquiring an anti-hero status, so the more we are attacked the greater our popularity.

As one of the posters on the influential elections' website Vote-2007, said yesterday.

"Griffin's dour and sour message is more in mood with the country. It's how voters are feeling at the moment.

"The more other politicians, the church, the unions and well-off Coronation Street stars attack the BNP, the more attractive it becomes as the first choice for a disengaged electorate."

And finally if you are waiting for a response from me to an enquiry, please be patient. I have over 200 emails to answer, and my in-box has pinged half a dozen times with new messages while writing this blog entry.

Today, I'm drawing up the postal vote list for the final three wards we are contesting in the county council elections here in Allerdale, and then I shall start on my correspondence . . . with the help of a glass of wine or two.