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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Hain voices fear over BNP victory | Hain voices fear over BNP victory |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| A former minister has warned that the UK's main parties are "complacent" about the British National Party, after the BNP won a local election. | |
| Labour MP Peter Hain told the BBC that Labour's own supporters were being targeted by the far-right. | Labour MP Peter Hain told the BBC that Labour's own supporters were being targeted by the far-right. |
| He said the government needed to make sure local, rather than foreign, workers were prioritised for jobs. | He said the government needed to make sure local, rather than foreign, workers were prioritised for jobs. |
| A BNP leader said the recession had helped the party win because potential supporters were being hit hardest. | A BNP leader said the recession had helped the party win because potential supporters were being hit hardest. |
| Mr Hain was speaking after the BNP won a seat at a by-election for Sevenoaks Council in Kent. The credit crunch... is no longer a spectator sport and it is starting to hurt our people very hard NP deputy leader Simon Darby | Mr Hain was speaking after the BNP won a seat at a by-election for Sevenoaks Council in Kent. The credit crunch... is no longer a spectator sport and it is starting to hurt our people very hard NP deputy leader Simon Darby |
| The seat, in the Swanley St Mary's ward, was previously held by a Labour councillor. | The seat, in the Swanley St Mary's ward, was previously held by a Labour councillor. |
| BNP candidate Paul Golding received 408 votes, beating Labour's Mike Hogg by 86 votes. | BNP candidate Paul Golding received 408 votes, beating Labour's Mike Hogg by 86 votes. |
| Mr Golding said local young people has voted BNP because they found it "almost impossible" to get a council house. He blamed a policy that allocated council houses to "foreigners and asylum seekers". | Mr Golding said local young people has voted BNP because they found it "almost impossible" to get a council house. He blamed a policy that allocated council houses to "foreigners and asylum seekers". |
| Mr Hain said: "All political parties, but especially the Labour party, have got to prioritise the fight against the BNP. | Mr Hain said: "All political parties, but especially the Labour party, have got to prioritise the fight against the BNP. |
| He said there was a "real danger" of complacency in the Labour party. | He said there was a "real danger" of complacency in the Labour party. |
| "It is areas when Labour has traditionally been strong - like Swanley - where the BNP has been making a great deal of headway and exploiting fears and spreading their racist and fascist beliefs." | "It is areas when Labour has traditionally been strong - like Swanley - where the BNP has been making a great deal of headway and exploiting fears and spreading their racist and fascist beliefs." |
| "We need to take them on at the grass roots level and as a government we need to be making sure that we address the fears the BNP are exploiting." | "We need to take them on at the grass roots level and as a government we need to be making sure that we address the fears the BNP are exploiting." |
| BNP deputy leader Simon Darby said the recession and people's fears about the economy were the main factor in its victory - which the party has hailed as a "significant breakthrough" in south east England. | BNP deputy leader Simon Darby said the recession and people's fears about the economy were the main factor in its victory - which the party has hailed as a "significant breakthrough" in south east England. |
| Foreign workers | Foreign workers |
| He said: "The credit crunch - or the depression as it now is, is no longer a spectator sport and it is starting to hurt our people very hard." | He said: "The credit crunch - or the depression as it now is, is no longer a spectator sport and it is starting to hurt our people very hard." |
| Mr Darby said the party - which says it has about 100 council seats in Britain - was looking forward to the European parliament elections in June. | Mr Darby said the party - which says it has about 100 council seats in Britain - was looking forward to the European parliament elections in June. |
| "We will do very nicely indeed," he predicted. | "We will do very nicely indeed," he predicted. |
| Mr Hain denied that Gordon Brown's speech in which he promised "British jobs for British workers" had helped the BNP to win. | Mr Hain denied that Gordon Brown's speech in which he promised "British jobs for British workers" had helped the BNP to win. |
| Instead he blamed the controversy over foreign companies who brought their own workers into Britain, rather than employing local people. | Instead he blamed the controversy over foreign companies who brought their own workers into Britain, rather than employing local people. |
| He said he "did not believe" assurances that the companies were not undercutting local wages and ignoring nationally-agreed pay and conditions agreements. | He said he "did not believe" assurances that the companies were not undercutting local wages and ignoring nationally-agreed pay and conditions agreements. |
| Giving local people the first chance to apply for new jobs should be a "priority" Mr Hain added. | Giving local people the first chance to apply for new jobs should be a "priority" Mr Hain added. |
| The Conservative MP for Sevenoaks, Michael Fallon, described the BNP's victory as "worrying". | The Conservative MP for Sevenoaks, Michael Fallon, described the BNP's victory as "worrying". |