Press Release: Election Special: A good day for Black politics

The BNP put up more than 850 candidates in wards across the UK. Despite talk of major BNP successes a well organised campaign by anti racists and political campaigners saw them well and truly beaten at the ballot box definitively in Wales and Scotland, and in a majority of seats in England.

A series of voter registration drives, public meetings and election awareness campaigns Unite Against Fascism and OBV in the run up to elections in the UK have fought off the BNP and the far Right. Furthermore, Scotland and Wales have made the historic step of electing their first black representatives.

Simon Woolley, Director of OBV said: "Black and white communities came out in force to defeat the racist BNP who once again were masquerading as democrats. BNP have been shown to be the pariah party in modern day politics."

Ashok Viswanathan Assistant Director of OBV said: "It is great to see that the Welsh Assembly and Scottish Parliament elected their first Asian Members in Mohammad Asghar AM and Bashir Ahmad MSP. This is long overdue. They will be seen as ambassadors who will champion the rights and concerns of Black and white communities in Wales and Scotland.