Brian Parker (politician)

Brian Parker (born 1951 or 1952)[1] is an English politician who served as councillor on Pendle Borough Council for the Marsden ward of Nelson, Lancashire, between 2006 and his retirement in 2018. He is perhaps best known for being the longest-serving far-right local councillor in British history, and for being the last elected representative of the far-right British National Party (BNP). He is currently a member of the British Democratic Party,[2] and has publicly stated that "I am opposed to all black and brown immigration".[1]

Career

In May 2006, Parker won the seat by 417 votes to 337, from the Labour incumbent Dorothy Ormrod. He was the only one of seven BNP candidates to be elected to the council. He refused to speak to the press after his victory, but BNP leader Nick Griffin expressed his optimism while local councillors from other parties condemned the BNP.[3]

Parker retained his seat in both the 2010 and 2014 borough elections.[4] In the latter election, he defeated the Conservative Neil McGowan by 339 votes to 333.[5]

Parker became the BNP's last councillor at district level or higher from 2015, when Cathy Duffy of Charnwood Borough Council in Leicestershire was defeated.[6] In November 2016, Parker resigned from the party and sat as an independent for one day before returning.[7]

Parker made headlines in March 2017 when local Conservatives alleged that Labour and the Liberal Democrats had struck a deal with him now that the Council was under no overall control; the district's Conservative Member of Parliament Andrew Stephenson accused the two parties of condoning racism. Both other parties denied there was a formal deal with Parker, who stated that he was voting with Labour and Liberal Democrats because he personally preferred their proposals over those of the Conservatives.[8][9]

Parker contested Pendle's parliamentary seat in the 2017 general election. He earned 718 votes (1.6%) and came fourth of five candidates as Stephenson retained his seat.[10]

In April 2018, Parker announced he would not contest the following month's election because he was caring for his 90-year-old mother Jean. Local politicians from other parties were pleased that the BNP would no longer be present in Pendle.[1] He endorsed Labour candidate Laura Blackburn over McGowan, leading to further allegations of a pact between the two parties; this was denied by local Labour representatives including leader Mohammed Iqbal.[11] Parker's retirement was celebrated by the anti-fascist group Hope not Hate, who released commemorative mugs and teatowels for the occasion.[12] Parker's party called him the "most successful BNP councillor ever".[6]

In 2022, Parker was among many prominent ex-BNP members who joined the British Democratic Party.

References
  1. Jacobs, Bill (10 April 2018). "Final BNP councillor in UK quits in Pendle". Lancashire Telegraph. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
  2. "Brian Parker has joined the British Democrats!". Twitter. 25 May 2022.
  3. Gibbon, Gavin (5 May 2006). "Naseem's historic day clouded by BNP win". Lancashire Telegraph. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
  4. "Pendle Borough Council election results". Burnley Express. 10 May 2010. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
  5. "Photos: Tories remain largest party on Pendle Council". Pendle Today. 23 May 2014. Archived from the original on 6 August 2018. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
  6. Sommers, Jack (7 April 2018). "Far Right British National Party Loses Its Last District Councillor". HuffPost. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
  7. "BNP's sole district councillor Brian Parker withdraws party resignation". BBC News. 24 November 2016. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
  8. Stevens, Mike (9 March 2017). "Pendle Labour and Lib Dems 'made deal with BNP'". BBC News. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
  9. Collis, Dominic (10 March 2017). "BNP power-sharing row rumbles on in Pendle". Pendle Today.
  10. Collis, Dominic (9 June 2017). "Conservatives hold onto Pendle seat". Pendle Today. Archived from the original on 6 August 2018. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
  11. Jacobs, Bill (25 April 2018). "Retiring BNP councillor backs Labour candidate in Pendle election". Lancashire Telegraph. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
  12. Pidd, Helen (2 May 2018). "As the BNP vanishes, do the forces that built it remain?". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
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