Despite most politically-active people having their own election campaigns to worry about and heavy rain and hail, the Wealden UAF were out in force today talking to voters and handing out leaflets at shopping parades in Ifield, Bewbush and West Green and delivering leaflets through doors in Gossops Green and Ifield West.

The message is getting across.  Several new faces were seen, as those who are not normally involved in politics and do not support any specific party turned up to help increase the anti-BNP vote. Our aim is to be able to have a presence in all 10 wards where the BNP are standing in this area simultaneously, and that is looking increasingly feasible.

In the Crawley area, where we were today, there is a chronic problem with low turnouts at election time - a situation that the BNP always thrive on.  They seek out places with a low turnout where their small hardcore vote, plus the few extra votes they get at first as novelty candidates can look like a high proportion.  As we have seen elsewhere in the country, they can succeed where voter apathy lets them and we are asking for nothing more than that the overwhelming majority who reject the BNP actually vote to register that rejection.

Such tactics have worked in the past.  Consistent campaigning has seen the BNP vote fall in Southgate. So much so that this year the BNP are not bothering to contest the election in Southgate despite two of their candidates living there!  They are now relying on attracting votes in areas where they will be seen as a novelty like Pound Hill South and Bewbush or in Tilgate where they stood for the first time last year.  A good effort to increase the turnout in those areas will let them see they are not wanted there either.

There are many thousands of people who are absolutely opposed to the BNP but do not have the voting habit, and our aim is to persuade them to use their vote.

See the links above for how to get involved in one of the fastest-growing campaigns in the area.