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A by-election has been called in the Camp Hill ward of Nuneaton by the resignation of our very own Councillor Darren Haywood. This decision was as unknown to the other parties as was the reason for it contrary to their press releases.
The British National Party won two seats on Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council in May 2008. The lucky winners were Cllr Haywood and myself. At the time of our election Cllr Haywood was in employment and attended his meetings as British National Party councillors are expected to do. Despite claims on third party websites that Councillors of this party are useless the truth is that we are quite thoroughly vetted at a local level prior to selection. Our availability and enthusiasm for the job are only two of the criteria.
During his time as a borough councillor Darren was made redundant. This is a situation that many of my readers will know from past personal experience and will understand that it is not one which leaves a stain upon the character of the victims of the changes in market forces which bring about such decisions.
Upon finding himself without employment Cllr Haywood had to face the same problems as everyone else. Namely more bills than income. With a mortgage to pay Darren made seeking employment an immediate priority. The communication skills that are an essential part of the make up of a candidate for election to a council seat are useful in other areas of life as well. Quite quickly Darren found himself offered employment with a new employer but the shift pattern that he would have to work effectively made attending his council meetings an impossibility.
Sometimes it is easier to find work when you already have a job and with this in mind Cllr Haywood took the job. The economic situation is deteriorating and the number of people applying for each job is increasing by the week. We have all read newspaper articles about hundreds of people applying for each position. As time passed Cllr Haywood found himself in the position of not being able to find alternative employment and therefore found himself unable to attend council meetings.
Cllr Haywood kept myself and the local party updated on his position and with regret we mutually agreed that the time had come for him to stand down. This is not a decision that we came to in haste but with the gravity of the situation it is one that we are proud of. The British National Party group on Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council was as small as a group can be with two councillors. It would have been simple enough for Cllr Haywood to attend the one meeting per six months that is required to keep his seat and avoid this by-election all together.
The only honourable decision for a councillor to take once they are aware that they cannot fulfil their duties is to stand down to enable someone in a better position to represent the people. This by-election has not been called because a councillor is useless, says nothing or cannot be bothered because that is not the case. Neither has this by-election been called because a councillor has been or is about to be ‘kicked off’ the council. This by-election has in fact been called because a highly principled representative of the people has found himself in a position, through no fault of his own, whereby he is no longer able to fulfil his sworn duty to represent the people of Camp hill. The decision to stand down in this instance is an honourable one which was taken with the gravity and due consideration that such decisions demand. This decision is honourable because the councillor and political party in question placed the duty to represent the people higher than the protection of the interests of the political party. I do not believe that other parties would do this.
Myself and the local activists in the area know that residents of Camp Hill will not appreciate being asked to vote twice for one council seat but under these circumstances we are asking them for understanding. Over forthcoming weeks their doors may bow with the weight of the political leaflets which will surely be pushed through them. As we are the British National Party we are expecting to face the full force of national campaigns from both of the main opposition parties and also the interference of third party smear leaflets, the fictions of which I am sure will bemuse me as much as they do residents.
Both the Labour and Conservative party press releases have claimed that Darren was an invisible councillor and that the BNP has done nothing for Camp Hill since our election. They also claim to be unsurprised by the news. They were surprised enough that they have no material to distribute in the inevitable by-election whereas our campaign is underway and as yet the Labour party are having to rush their candidate selection process. This is possibly because having noted councillor Haywood's absence they assumed that he would attend the minimum number of meetings required as explained above. Despite this I am certain that within the local press in the coming week the Labour party in particular will be given free reign, and columns of space, to claim anything that they wish. Any reply which may be offered by myself or our candidate will be limited to the usual single sentence. I would love to be proven wrong and see the British National Party candidate enjoy equal column inches but I am not going to hold my breath.
The fact remains that there is a by-election in Camp Hill ward and that the British National Party is as usual in front of the opposition.
