Far Right Disaster in Stoke By Election

Michael Coleman

Last night saw a by election in the Springfields & Trent Vale Ward on Stoke on Trent City Council following the resignation of a sitting councillor.

It was a total disaster for the far right in what was once a stronghold for the BNP.

Stoke BNP stood their organiser and ex councillor Michael Coleman as their candidate. This is the same Michael Coleman who is due to appear at Stoke Crown Court charged with racially aggravated harassment.

Also standing on the far right ticket was another ex BNP councillor Mark Leat who was standing for the miniscule Democratic Nationalists.

Coleman believed this could be his springboard back onto the council. He couldn’t have been more wrong.

On the night the BNP slumped to 7th place with just 27 votes, just 2.54% of the votes cast.

Leat however did even worse, with possibly the smallest vote I have ever seen cast. Finishing in last place (9th) Leat collected a massive 2 votes which equates to a tiny 0.19% of the vote.

Quite how you can have 10 nominations to stand as a candidate yet only manage 2 votes is beyond me.

Red faces for the far right in Stoke this morning I think.

Mark Leat