UAF being investigated over College Green demonstration

THERE'S an interesting local council by-election in Blackpool today. Here are the details:

Blackpool Borough Council
Stanley Ward
Thursday 20th August 2009
Michael Hodkinson (Lib-Dem)
John Jones (Lab)
Les Joy (BNP)
Jean Kendrick (Con)
Colin Porter (UKIP)

I'm hoping for a vote of over 10% and to run UKIP very close for 4th place. I understand that the local team, ably led by candidate Les Joy, has worked very hard and made an impact with a series of topical leaflets. Unfortunately Les has been struck down with swine flu in recent days, but thankfully the campaigning was mostly completed before he was sidelined.

Probably the biggest compliment for our campaign has come from the anti-BNP brigade. They have deemed it necessary to put out two leaflets this week ordering voters not to vote for the British National Party.

On the subject over local council elections, I must report a very promising result from Norfolk last Thursday. Here it is:

King's Lynn and West Norfolk
Gaywood Chase Ward
John DOBSON (Conservative) 202
John COLLOP (Labour) 194
Ian SWINTON (Liberal Democrat) 167
David FLEMING (British National Party) 90
Viv MANNING (Green) 52
BNP Percentage: 12.8%

What's especially pleasing about this one is that's it's Norfolk and a considerable improvement on the 2.5% we received in the Norwich North parliamentary by-election which was our last outing in the county.

I received an interesting update yesterday from Michael Barnbrook, the Party's Law and Order spokesman. He wrote:

"On 12th June, 2009 you emailed me with regard to the law prohibiting demonstrations in Parliament Square without authorisation.
"As a result of your information, I made a Freedom of Information request to the Metropolitan Police asking them whether UAF had obtained authorisation from the Metropolitan Police Commissioner to hold a demonstration. They hadn't and are now being investigated for holding an illegal demonstration."

UAF supporters are facing prosecution over their attack on Nick Griffin and Andrew Brons outside the Houses of Parliament.

I've just seen the nearly completed September issue of the Voice of Freedom and it looks very good. Mark Collett has asked me for a final few filler stories this morning, so that's what I'm off to do now.

And finally a quote from a Denby resident in the Derby Times this morning which sums up the commonsense approach.

"It's been very disruptive, we couldn't go shopping this morning. I think if the protesters just left the BNP alone it would be ok. The amount of money which has been spent on this is ridiculous."

You can read the full report here.