On Saturday, 18th July, the newly formed Wakefield branch gathered for its first official meeting. It was an incredibly positive event, as demonstrated by first-time attendees choosing to join the party as members right then and there.
The meeting was chaired by local organiser Keith Sharp, a British Army veteran with 18 years of service. Keith, who also stood as our local election candidate for Wakefield in May, opened the meeting by highlighting the extensive activity taking place in and around the area, while reaffirming what the party stands for regarding core policies.
Our first guest speaker was Party Chairman Dr Jim Lewthwaite (pictured at the top of this page), who delivered a sobering report on the history of grooming gangs, highlighting the staggering scale of the issue over recent decades.
Following Dr Lewthwaite’s impactful presentation, attendees enjoyed a short break featuring a buffet, tea, coffee, and refreshments from the bar, concluded by the drawing of the raffle.
Each speech was followed by a short question-and-answer session.
The next speaker was Party Secretary Michael Jones. Mr Jones outlined the short-term objectives of the British Democrats and critiqued Reform UK’s ‘Net Zero Migration’ policy. He then shared the party’s campaign plans for the ongoing Clacton parliamentary by-election, praising the dedication of our campaign teams who are out active across the country on a daily basis.
The final speaker was Councillor Chris Bateman from Basildon, Essex. Chris shared his journey of getting involved with the party, standing for election almost immediately after joining, and winning a Parish Council by-election just a few months later. He also discussed Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) and the British Democrats’ plans to contest seats in parts of Essex for the very first time.
Before closing the meeting, Keith thanked everyone for their attendance and support, announcing that a fantastic sum of money had been raised for party funds.
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