BNP Euro victory could be followed by more seats warning

Jun 9 2009 By Barry Gibson

Clr Khan added he was pleased that Labour had performed better in Kirklees than in Yorkshire as a whole. But he said: "I take no pride from having a decent result in Kirklees because that victory turned sour immediately when we realised the BNP had won a seat."

The Lib Dems held on to their seat in Yorkshire, winning 13.2% across the county and 11.2% in Kirklees.

Lib Dem leader in Kirklees Clr Kath Pinnock said: "I’m very pleased that we’ve returned Diana Wallis to promote the cause of Yorkshire in Europe. Clearly voters were angry about MPs’ expenses and that effected any party with MPs in Westminster."

The Cleckheaton councillor added: "Sadly the BNP have targeted parts of Kirklees and we have to understand why people have chosen to support a party which is overtly racist."

Clr Andrew Cooper, who leads the Greens on Kirklees, said his party had come close to winning the last Yorkshire seat. The Newsome councillor said: "We weren’t that far behind the BNP for the sixth seat. We got a good result in Huddersfield but didn’t do so well in Dewsbury and Batley."

Clr Cooper added: "The BNP is a negative party that achieves nothing."

The United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) held its seat, finishing third in both Kirklees and Yorkshire as a whole.

The party’s Yorkshire Euro-MP Godfrey Bloom said: "The only disappointment is that we lost out on a second seat by a few thousand votes."

Mr Bloom added: "I’m appalled that the BNP won a seat. The average Brit is a pretty laid-back sort of guy with a sense of fair play.

"However, the BNP winning a seat is a result of public service broadcasters talking up their chances."

The BNP also won a Euro seat in the North West.