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Search forBNP identifies some 'potential' within the county's electorate
Tuesday, August 26, 2008, 23:00
The party's deputy leader, Simon Darby, said he hoped the party would win a seat in the South West.
It comes after the Echo revealed a secret BNP rally was held in Broadclyst, near Exeter, attended by around 100 members as well as party leader Nick Griffin.
The story sparked a huge public debate and the Echo was inundated with calls and messages from people on the subject.
Policies of the right- wing BNP include calling a halt to all immigration; deporting all those who commit crimes and whose original nationality is not British; withdrawing from the European Union; restoring corporal punishment; and abolishing anti- discrimination laws.
Mr Darby said: "The European elections are coming up in June. The Westcountry isn't our strongest region but we're hopeful that we can do well. A poor performance from Labour could help us considerably.
"Multiculturalism is affecting people who never thought it would and people are struggling with money at the moment.
"We've got a Government giving away money to the Third World and it's not a sustainable option.
"This time round there should be 73 UK seats in the European Parliament and in the South West there should be about five or six.
"Everybody in Devon and Cornwall will receive a BNP leaflet in June and have the opportunity to vote for us and we're looking forward to that. We're going to get a lot of new recruits and a considerable amount of interest.
"Nick Griffin had a very successful tour and there's an increasing market from our viewpoint.
"There's definitely potential in Devon, we've got some really good people there.
"We're looking forward to this election and we hope to pick up the last seat."
But the announcement that the BNP is targeting Devon has infuriated those who opposed the meeting held by the party in Broadclyst.
Peter Bowden, East Devon district councillor for Broadclyst, said he "distrusted BNP politics".
Derek Button, Lib Dem county councillor for Broadclyst, was reluctant to comment as he did not want to give the party publicity but said he found it an "abhorrent organisation".
A Broadclyst villager, who wished to remain anonymous, said he was dubious the BNP was targeting Devon and believes the party is concentrating its activities in the village.
He said: "I wasn't aware of the BNP actively campaigning elsewhere in the county. I would have thought it was mainly targeting Broadclyst as it has connections here.
"It is deeply worrying that it is targeting anywhere in the region.
"Whenever there is economic downturn, the BNP pops up, using the ethnic minorities as a scapegoat.
"It is deeply alarming and having it in my village is appalling."
But Michael Turner, the BNP's Exeter organiser, said there were about 350 party members in the city and surrounding areas.
He said: "We've got members all over the place. We talk to people and go leafleting everywhere — we have people who specifically do that — and we've got our own magazine.
"I think we've got a very good chance of getting a seat because we're going to really work hard at it. People are joining the BNP who never would have thought about it before."
How the Echo reported news of the BNP rally in Broadclyst
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