Kirkby Times can report that the British National Party is to stand a candidate in the local
Council Elections on May 2nd. The Ward contested will be the Cherryfield Ward in Southdene and
Kirkby Times has offered a platform to both candidates to put their case. The BNP candidate is
Gary Aaronson and he will be contesting Eddie Grannel, an old school Labourite, who has already
ignored 4 or more emails off Kirkby Times. The Cherryfield Ward, going on 2002 figures, has a
potential voting total of some 8500 people. In the year 2000 elections Eddie Grannel got only
501 votes. Apathy reigns supreme here, and Kirkby Times has pointed this out on a number of
occasions. This apathy and a lack of interest in politics here in general, has allowed our
local Councillors an easy run. All they had to do was stick on a Labour Rosette, and they
were guaranteed success. Things are changing though, and the anti labour feeling is
growing in Kirkby.
The Left Wing in Kirkby has created a situation whereby the BNP can target the
area. Corruption here is well known in local politics, and the Left here has been busy
simply carving out their own careers, sucking up Millions in SRB and European grants
and suffering from self denial when it comes to acknowledging the rise of the far
right both in the UK and across Europe. Kirkby's attempt at building an alternative
to New Labour was the Kirkby Labour Alliance. We can also report that the Labour
Alliance here is no more, the two Councillors and others involved have jumped ship
to the Lib Dems. Tommy Rossiter and Brian Williams will both contest their own
respective seats as Lib Dems.
Below, the 9 councillors who voted to sell off St Kevin's Filed, E Grannel
is among them.
The BNP are becoming the radical alternative to the mainstream political
parties and have certainly come a long way since the 80's and 90's when the
Far Right were defeated physically on the streets. The BNP withdrew from marches
and punch ups in the late 90's, and Nick Griffin, the current leader, plus his
associates decided to transform the Party's image, which they have done so to great
effect. The BNP is more polished now, more plausible, and whilst there activities
here are a 'toe-dipping' exercise, it is serious toe dipping and the BNP have every
intention of standing candidates here again if they get any reasonable amount of
votes. Given the recent collapse of the Kirkby Labour Alliance, and the dishonesty
of most of the 'left' and 'socialists' here, it is entirely possible some of the
electorate here will vote for the BNP just to stick two fingers up to the Labour
Candidate. The Ward contested is a straight two sided fight, other parties standing
in Kirkby include the Greens, who also have the opportunity on Kirkby Times to
expand on there own particular reasons for standing.
Kirkby Times, as stated, has offered a space for both the BNP
candidate and the New Labour candidate to articulate why they are standing.
Kirkby times has also offered Jim Keight, our esteemed Council leader, a chance
to give us his opinion on the matter, but it's very doubtful Keight will use Kirkby
Times to say anything. He won't get any more opportunities. Even people who criticise
this website will have to concede that it is indeed a platform for free speech. More
than we can say for Knowsley Councils website.
For now, we await the replies from the BNP or New Labour before responding to the situation.
The BNP and Labour candidates for Cherryfield have been given an opportunity
to put there respective cases.
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