White voters are turning to the British National Party because they are fed up with the Labour Party

David Wooding:

Margaret Hodge warns the far-Right are appealing to thousands of ordinary folk, who feel ignored by the Government.

The Employment Minister said EIGHT out of TEN white families in her working-class East London constituency are “tempted” to vote BNP.

And she fears the reviled party could win seats in next month’s town hall elections. Mrs Hodge in an astonishing interview, said traditional Labour voters are upset at asylum-seekers apparently jumping housing queues.

She said: “They can’t get a home for their children, they see black and ethnic minority communities moving in — and they are angry.

“When I knock on doors I ask, ‘Are you tempted to vote BNP?’ Many, many, many — eight out of ten of the white families — say, ‘Yes’. That’s something we have never seen. Even when people voted BNP, they used to be ashamed to do so. Now they are not.”

Mrs Hodge insisted the new thinking was not down to racism but “gobsmacking” changes in her Barking constituency from what 12 years ago was “a predominantly white, working-class area”. She said this was what the BNP exploited.

Mrs Hodge complained of a “lack of leadership” on race and said the “political class” was frightened of the issue.

She added: “It isn’t that we have done nothing. But where we haven’t done enough is affordable housing and the quality of life for families.”

The BNP came third in the General Election in Barking with 17 per cent of the vote.

Its spokesman Philip Edwards claimed the party was breaking through because Labour and Tory refuse to discuss immigration.

He said: “What Hodge says is fundamentally correct.”

25% of voters 'considering BNP'

Paying the price for immigration lies

More 'considering voting for BNP'

BNP 'needs 5% swing to win 70 council seats'

White voters are deserting us for BNP, says Blair ally

The rise of Britain's far-right