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9:43am Friday 20th February 2009 in News
THE British National Party (BNP) is celebrating a surprise win at a district council by-election.
Paul Golding won the Swanley St Mary’s ward in Sevenoaks district by 76 votes on Thursday.
It is the first time the BNP has stood in the Sevenoaks District, managing to swipe a safe Labour seat in the Tory-controlled district.
Councillor Golding, aged 27, described it as an historic day for the BNP.
He said: “We organised a very professional and pro-active campaign knocking on every door in Swanley.
“Earlier on in the campaign we didn’t know what to expect but we found that we had huge support in the ward.
“It has been a Labour stronghold for 40 years but I think people were becoming fed-up and were looking for a change.”
Cllr Golding won with 408 votes, with Labour candidate Michael Hogg receiving 332 votes and Conservative candidate Tony Searles 247 votes.
Turnout for the election was 31.3 per cent.
The election came about following the resignation of Labour councillor Lesley Dyball last November.
Cllr Golding, who joined the party in 1999 at the age of 17, as director of publicity, said: “Native British people are sick of being treated like second-class citizens in their own country.
“They are bottom of the list for council houses after asylum seekers and foreigners.
“I will do my best to sort out the problems.”
Councillor Ian Rashbrook, Swanley Town Council leader and agent for the Labour candidate in the by-election, said: “It is a very disappointing result.
“Now we will be working hard to ensure that the BNP do not make any further gains in Swanley or the Sevenoaks district.
“There are lots of reasons why people turned to the BNP, people are very frustrated at the moment and any by-election will be difficult for the Labour Party to win.”
Sevenoaks District Council leader Councillor Peter Fleming said: “It had been Labour’s safest seat in Kent for many years, so this is a terrible blow for Labour.
“I think voters are turning to the BNP because they are scared at the moment, it is an indication of how people feel on a national scale about the Labour Party.”
Comments(108)
MJB
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10:20am Fri 20 Feb 09
Trish & Eddie
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10:22am Fri 20 Feb 09
Terry Williamson
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10:31am Fri 20 Feb 09
Linja
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11:00am Fri 20 Feb 09
Brian Sewer
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11:04am Fri 20 Feb 09
Micia
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11:35am Fri 20 Feb 09
Virtual-Monster
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11:37am Fri 20 Feb 09
MB
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12:22pm Fri 20 Feb 09
It's Me again !
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12:33pm Fri 20 Feb 09
Virtual-Monster wrote:I agree with You.
The USA, despite being a child of our own democratic process, is able to elect Barack Obama, yet over here we are still electing people with racist, hate-filled, ignorant agendas. Congratulations to the people of Swanley, you must be very proud! Everyone else with a brain cell and an IQ larger than their shoe size weeps for you.
Nick the Lid
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12:51pm Fri 20 Feb 09
Dr. T. Jennison
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1:01pm Fri 20 Feb 09
DavidW
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1:08pm Fri 20 Feb 09
It's Me again !
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1:46pm Fri 20 Feb 09
Nick the Lid wrote:Actually that's right.
Virtual-Monster, please note that Swanley is split into 3 wards, so not all of us had a vote. Please do not tar the entire population of Swanley with the same brush.
Mabel
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1:48pm Fri 20 Feb 09
Local lady
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2:09pm Fri 20 Feb 09
Anne Siles
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2:20pm Fri 20 Feb 09
Mabel wrote:Well done BNP !!!
"What exactly is undemocratic about this election result then?" The fact that the BNP do not represent all citizens equally? the fact that you have to be white to join them, even if you were born in Britain?
Joar
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3:15pm Fri 20 Feb 09
MJB wrote:Just for the record, the last time St Marys Ward was contested in 2007, the turnout was 25.56%. Yesterday the turnout was 31.3%.
Brilliant. This is what happens when you get voter apathy - the bloody BNP.
Let's Agree To Differ
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5:38pm Fri 20 Feb 09
Wobbo
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5:56pm Fri 20 Feb 09
Let's Agree To Differ
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6:46pm Fri 20 Feb 09
Pete Beat
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8:01pm Fri 20 Feb 09
Katie Webster
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8:41pm Fri 20 Feb 09
It's Me again !
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8:46pm Fri 20 Feb 09
Local lady wrote:Silly silly lady !
I am a home owner and work in a highly skilled profession, who lives in Swanley. To some this seems to be a contrasdiction but believe me withing the ward that voted there are many of us. I have been a life long tory voter (apart from once in Ted Heath's time). I looked to this election with interest and found early on that there were only three candidates. I like to think that if someone wants my vote they will write to me, I may even meet them. The Conservative candidate failed miserably on this score - possibly thinking it was a sure win, so they lost my vote and my husband's vote.The chap in question seems to pop up every time there is an election (I believe was even an independant once) and my feeling was he was after a job and a position not to represnet our ward. Next I researched the local labour party and what put me off was their constant bickering a back biting in their newsletter 'The Sentinal' - everything wrong in the area was someone elses fault - never theirs! So, my vote went to the person who sent logical, interesting leaflets (and didn't throw them in my garden like some parties did), kept me updated with the campaign and seemed to have a grip on what is wrong with Swanley and indeed our country today. The BNP has moved on from the bully boys days and are a party to start taking seriously. The Labour party and the Conservative party shouild start looking to what they can offer residents or be prepared for more disappointment.
Let's Agree To Differ
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8:57pm Fri 20 Feb 09
JPG
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9:11pm Fri 20 Feb 09
Local lady
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9:47pm Fri 20 Feb 09
chrome
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9:58pm Fri 20 Feb 09
Virtual-Monster
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10:42pm Fri 20 Feb 09
chrome wrote:I am indeed one of the people the BNP wish to get rid of. I am a white man, English, born of English parents, and English grand parents, I am educated to a standard where I can think for myself, I work full time, I pay tax, I do not participate in violence or bullying and I stand up for those people who are excluded from mainstream society. Of course the BNP want rid of me!
virtual monster? You must be the people the BNP wish to get rid off & I appreciate that you don't like it but this country belongs to the British & they have had a lot to put up with over the past 100 years. perhaps it's time you demonstrated a bit of respect for these generous & noble hearted people before you get carried away with your socialist mentors. To be fair though the ethnic minorities in the UK are as much victims of the New World Order communists as the indigenous people's whose democracy you were invited in to dilute & render meaningless. Divide & Rule is the reason an old & tired british colonial trick, still works obviously. My advise is buy a piece of land in your homeland as the UK is no longer going to be a soft target.
Let's Agree To Differ
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11:04pm Fri 20 Feb 09
JPG
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2:00am Sat 21 Feb 09
Ronnie gravel
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9:29am Sat 21 Feb 09
Liam i9
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11:27am Sat 21 Feb 09
Mabel
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12:58pm Sat 21 Feb 09
Swanley local
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2:58pm Sat 21 Feb 09
Mabel
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5:56pm Sat 21 Feb 09
marcoscu
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6:20pm Sat 21 Feb 09
Kevin-L
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6:29pm Sat 21 Feb 09
joanne-f
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7:36pm Sat 21 Feb 09
MrsW2b
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8:07pm Sat 21 Feb 09
joanne-f wrote:Are you not discriminating against people for their political beliefs? I thought equal opportunities meant equality for all not only those that share the same political views as yourself? I am sure most equal opportunities policies are worded to include race, religion, disability, political views, sexuality and gender to name but a few!
I'm now ashamed to say I live in swanley! Fortunately though I don't live in the st Mary's ward, so I can hold my head up high, at least I played no part in voting in the disgusting BNP candidate. For those of you that did, I say "Shame on you!" As someone else has already also said on this subjct..."please don't judge all swanley people Alike" The brainless, bigoted,sheep that voted for this discriminating,racis t party are not speaking for us all.
Happy Bunny
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8:12pm Sat 21 Feb 09
joanne-f wrote:The majority of people in St.Mary's ward voted for what they wanted
I'm now ashamed to say I live in swanley! Fortunately though I don't live in the st Mary's ward, so I can hold my head up high, at least I played no part in voting in the disgusting BNP candidate. For those of you that did, I say "Shame on you!" As someone else has already also said on this subjct..."please don't judge all swanley people Alike" The brainless, bigoted,sheep that voted for this discriminating,racis t party are not speaking for us all.
joanne-f
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11:09pm Sat 21 Feb 09
Peacelover
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12:12am Sun 22 Feb 09
joanne-f
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2:11am Sun 22 Feb 09
kaz 9i
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12:46pm Sun 22 Feb 09
Peacelover
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1:40pm Sun 22 Feb 09
joanne-f
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2:01pm Sun 22 Feb 09
kaz 9i wrote:Tolerance and the BNP are not words that sit together comfortably I afraid.
I have no problem with the bnp. The results proved that is what the majority wanted. Just except the bnp are here to stay and that they are becoming more and more accepted in british society. Im not a big fan of sinn fein but even yesterday bbc news24 broadcaste their political annual conference meeting live from dublin,which kind of proves that killers and bombers of men women and children who now wear suits are accepted by the british tv companies and the british govt. I guess we just have to be more tolerant of other political parties ~ nothing more to say is there really,they were elected in a fair and proper election ~ end of! This
Gazza 4n
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2:31pm Sun 22 Feb 09
sidnee
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3:00pm Sun 22 Feb 09
TruePatriot
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7:17pm Sun 22 Feb 09
pt-j890
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7:37pm Sun 22 Feb 09
joanne-f wrote:Total bullsh*t!!!
kaz 9i wrote: I have no problem with the bnp. The results proved that is what the majority wanted. Just except the bnp are here to stay and that they are becoming more and more accepted in british society. Im not a big fan of sinn fein but even yesterday bbc news24 broadcaste their political annual conference meeting live from dublin,which kind of proves that killers and bombers of men women and children who now wear suits are accepted by the british tv companies and the british govt. I guess we just have to be more tolerant of other political parties ~ nothing more to say is there really,they were elected in a fair and proper election ~ end of! ThisTolerance and the BNP are not words that sit together comfortably I afraid. Some people have said about 'free speech' the right to own opinions and free debate...Absolutly, I agree, which is why we are able to enter into this dialogue here and now, but if the BNP were ever to gain real power and control... heaven help us! I doubt we would be allowed these prized privileges for long. Those of you who have been convinced, or are trying to convince yourselves, that the BNP are now some kind of benevolent, benefactor's of salvation, may be fooled, but fortunately the TOLERANT, FREE SPEECH, advocates in British society are NOT. We respect our fellow man, be they black, white, yellow , pink or green. The sprouting propaganda, about all the free hand outs foreigners are supposedly getting, is a huge exaggeration, there are just as many lazy, fettles freeloading British people. Similarly there are plenty of very hard working British and so called foreigners, who are ALL contributing to this countries wealth. And don't forget, yes, we still are a very wealthy country. There will be no "end of" In a free Britain, the true believers of democracy, will not be silenced so easily!
JPG
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7:50pm Sun 22 Feb 09
Mabel
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8:02pm Sun 22 Feb 09
Mabel
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8:04pm Sun 22 Feb 09
JPG
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8:27pm Sun 22 Feb 09
JPG
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8:37pm Sun 22 Feb 09
Mabel wrote:And here we go again.
"a party that is for the british people" As long as you are white and in agreement with their plans eh?
Mabel
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8:41pm Sun 22 Feb 09
JPG wrote:Not at all JPG, I don't employ any immigrants and if I did it would be on a fair salary. Neither am I ashamed of my British heritage. Nor do I think the immigration system as it stands is perfect - it isn't, hence the need for some reform.
Whats wrong Mabel? Will you have to clean your own house without immagrants. And your husbands outgoings will go up without the labour. As for the seats all over the place wait and see, the people are waking up from a 100 year nightmare. Time is coming to be proud of being British and not to be seen as a door mat for the rest of the world. And that is just pure sence
Mabel
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8:44pm Sun 22 Feb 09
Mabel
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8:46pm Sun 22 Feb 09
JPG
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8:53pm Sun 22 Feb 09
joanne-f
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6:40am Mon 23 Feb 09
AMB
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10:09am Mon 23 Feb 09
woodyhill
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11:32am Mon 23 Feb 09
viv & rob
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11:38am Mon 23 Feb 09
Micky 6i
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12:05pm Mon 23 Feb 09
MJB
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12:16pm Mon 23 Feb 09
Harry the Hat
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1:18pm Mon 23 Feb 09
MJB wrote:How's you mean bruv?
I don't think anyone is suggesting that they didn't win 'fair and square'. You're right - they stood for election, campaigned, etc, and won so fair play to them for that. However, I think their councillor's victory speaks volumes about the 408 people who voted for him.
mum2kids
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4:48pm Mon 23 Feb 09
Mabel
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5:09pm Mon 23 Feb 09
mum2kids
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5:44pm Mon 23 Feb 09
Roman
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6:12pm Mon 23 Feb 09
Mabel
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6:16pm Mon 23 Feb 09
mum2kids wrote:But those same black and Indian people would not be deemed welcome by the bnp, who are not so much concerned with the subset of immigrants who struggle with English as all the non-white immigrants, regardless of language skills.
Quite right, however, in many parts of the country they do not. They also have no intention of learning English or integrating in the English way of life. That is why in places like Tower Hamlets in London and Bradford in west Yorkshire white, indigenous people are becoming a minority. I know many people black and Indian included that are sick of the influx of immigrants that do not contribute to society in any form.
JPG
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6:35pm Mon 23 Feb 09
JPG
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6:58pm Mon 23 Feb 09
JPG
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7:00pm Mon 23 Feb 09
JPG
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7:03pm Mon 23 Feb 09
JPG
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7:08pm Mon 23 Feb 09
JPG
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7:18pm Mon 23 Feb 09
W R Hearst
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10:44pm Mon 23 Feb 09
Roman
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4:33am Tue 24 Feb 09
hell
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12:40pm Tue 24 Feb 09
JPG
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12:51pm Tue 24 Feb 09
W R Hearst wrote:No real answer then?
Vile scum,you will get yours.
JPG
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12:59pm Tue 24 Feb 09
hell wrote:And the prize for the biggest idiot goes too.
I don't think this new councillor will be running immigrants out of town. Swanley has a very small immigrant community (mainly doctors/restaurant owners). They certainly have more sense than to aspire to living in a council house on the St Marys Estate. His time will be taking up dealing with complaints about Traveller families, burnt out cars, feral children and moans about the council being unable to provide a lovely new council house for their 16 year old daughter who already has 2 kids by different boys in her class. Good luck Councillor. You may find it easier to go back to your previous occupation - an unemployed lorry driver. You should fit in well with the residents of this estate
JPG
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1:43pm Tue 24 Feb 09
kevin cloister
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1:46pm Tue 24 Feb 09
MB
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1:53pm Tue 24 Feb 09
JPG wrote:I disagree. I don't know or care where St Mary's is, but Hell hit the nail on the spot. Yes, there are many foreigners in this country who don't contribute to the economy, but they are a drop in the ocean compared to our very own home grown underclass. More than a party that wants to get rid of foreigners, we need the 3 main parties to realise that this is the biggest problem this country has: a third of taxes are spent on welfare payments to 5.4 million (mostly white British working age) people, most crime is committed by uneducated whites etc. etc.
hell wrote: I don't think this new councillor will be running immigrants out of town. Swanley has a very small immigrant community (mainly doctors/restaurant owners). They certainly have more sense than to aspire to living in a council house on the St Marys Estate. His time will be taking up dealing with complaints about Traveller families, burnt out cars, feral children and moans about the council being unable to provide a lovely new council house for their 16 year old daughter who already has 2 kids by different boys in her class. Good luck Councillor. You may find it easier to go back to your previous occupation - an unemployed lorry driver. You should fit in well with the residents of this estateAnd the prize for the biggest idiot goes too. Hell who doesnt even know where St Marys instate is.
chelsea11
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1:57pm Tue 24 Feb 09
hell
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2:15pm Tue 24 Feb 09
MB wrote:JPG - unfortunately I do and the lovely Hart Dyke Road. I love your typ 'instate' is probably a more apt name for it. I feel sorry for the elderly residents that have to live in this place.
JPG wrote:I disagree. I don't know or care where St Mary's is, but Hell hit the nail on the spot. Yes, there are many foreigners in this country who don't contribute to the economy, but they are a drop in the ocean compared to our very own home grown underclass. More than a party that wants to get rid of foreigners, we need the 3 main parties to realise that this is the biggest problem this country has: a third of taxes are spent on welfare payments to 5.4 million (mostly white British working age) people, most crime is committed by uneducated whites etc. etc. It's obvious that BNP has strong support from this kind of people who probably feel that foreigners are competing for the same benefits with them. And therein lies the real danger of BNP.hell wrote: I don't think this new councillor will be running immigrants out of town. Swanley has a very small immigrant community (mainly doctors/restaurant owners). They certainly have more sense than to aspire to living in a council house on the St Marys Estate. His time will be taking up dealing with complaints about Traveller families, burnt out cars, feral children and moans about the council being unable to provide a lovely new council house for their 16 year old daughter who already has 2 kids by different boys in her class. Good luck Councillor. You may find it easier to go back to your previous occupation - an unemployed lorry driver. You should fit in well with the residents of this estateAnd the prize for the biggest idiot goes too. Hell who doesnt even know where St Marys instate is.
JPG
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7:31pm Tue 24 Feb 09
JPG
says...
8:24pm Tue 24 Feb 09
Pete Beat
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8:35pm Tue 24 Feb 09
JPG
says...
9:05pm Tue 24 Feb 09
JPG
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9:18pm Tue 24 Feb 09
Aka ajs301215
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2:08am Wed 25 Feb 09
AMB
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10:35am Wed 25 Feb 09
hell
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1:30pm Wed 25 Feb 09
JPG wrote:Small minded - this is from someone who thinks the answer to all of Swanley's problems is to elect a racist councillor.
There you go SMALL Minded Hart Dyke Road??? THIS IS ONE ROAD!! NOT a whole ward. Not all of swanley. Every town in every city has a road like that. Most places have loads of them,so how small minded can you be using one road to judge a whole town. But you went to school with them? Are you better than these people then? And you say the BNP are racist when you come out with such dribble as that. Traveller families are some of the best people you could know. They have something you will never have,RESPECT for their community. They look after their old and look out for each other and other members in their community. They would not run down people they went to school with thats for sure. And when was the last time you walked to a elderly neighbours house with a hot meal for them. The BNP are for the community and for the british people that are in it. Would you even know who lives in your street?
JPG
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2:02pm Wed 25 Feb 09
sam ii8
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7:02am Thu 26 Feb 09
JPG
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9:15am Thu 26 Feb 09
Mabel
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10:00am Thu 26 Feb 09
JPG wrote:I wouldn't call copying and pasting chunks from the bnp website 'thinking for yourself'.
And its not going to be just Swanley,so get ready to run down a lot more of our country for thinking for themselves.
NiceMrTom
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10:27am Thu 26 Feb 09
JPG
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10:23pm Thu 26 Feb 09
JPG
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10:44pm Thu 26 Feb 09
swanleyperson
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8:16am Fri 27 Feb 09
Mabel
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8:58am Fri 27 Feb 09
swanleyperson
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9:54am Fri 27 Feb 09
JPG
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1:22pm Fri 27 Feb 09
nhs doctor
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10:46pm Sun 1 Mar 09
nhs patient
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8:19am Mon 2 Mar 09
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