TRY as he might, BNP Yorkshire and North-East Lincolnshire MEP Andrew Brons (HAS, May 11) cannot hide the fact that his racist party was absolutely trounced in last week’s elections.

The BNP confidently expected to win the parliamentary seat of Barking and to take control of the local council. In fact, it was humiliated. Labour’s Margaret Hodge (not the most popular Labour MP around) was re-elected and saw her majority double, with the BNP’s leader, Nick Griffin, some 18,000 votes behind. Moreover, the BNP lost all 12 seats it had on Barking council.

In addition to the BNP’s humiliation in Barking, it was also put to the sword in its so-called “strongholds” of Sandwell, Stoke and Burnley.

According to the BNP, white, black and brown-skinned people cannot live together. If this is true, then why was the BNP vote so derisory in the most multicultural towns and cities of the UK, such as Leicester, London and Bradford?

The reality is that in these cities people of differing ethnicities get along with one another, make friends, become work colleagues and often form close relationships.

The derisory votes for the BNP in the election were a firm rejection of the divisive policies of racism and fascism.

John Gilmore, Bishop Auckland.

BNP MEP Andrew Brons (HAS, May 11) has conveniently ignored some key features of his party’s performance both in the General Election and in the council elections.

First came the shattering defeat of Nick Griffin in the Barking constituency in east London. In the BNP’s number one target seat, Mr Griffin came third with 6,620 votes (14.6 per cent of the vote). Labour’s Margaret Hodge won with 24,628 votes (54.3per cent).

Then came the glorious news that the BNP had lost every single seat it held on Barking council.

This massive setback for the BNP was repeated around the country. It lost the large majority of the 31 council seats it was defending at these elections.

It retained a seat in Pendle, but lost the other eight seats in that area.

In Stoke, where Mr Griffin bragged the BNP would take control of the council, it lost every seat contested, including those of three councillors up for re-election. It now has just four seats on Stoke council.

In Burnley, the BNP lost all ten seats contested, including the one seat up for re-election. In Barnsley, it failed to win any seats and in Sandwell lost two sitting councillors.

J Hall, Sunderland.

CONGRATULATIONS to Liberal Democrat Ian Swales and his team for their stunning victory in Redcar with a massive 21.8 per cent swing from Labour – reward for years of dedicated work. I have known him for many years: he will be a hard-working and effective MP.

We in Middlesbrough didn’t do quite so well, but we consolidated second place, reduced the Labour majority by nearly 4,000 and achieved the third highest swing from Labour to Lib Dem in the North-East.

My thanks go to everyone who voted for me, and especially to my agent, Councillor Maelor Williams, and the small band of helpers who worked tirelessly to take our message to the people.

Nationally, we increased our vote to nearly seven million, but (thanks to the unfair first-past-the-post voting system) we lost seats. Now we are in a coalition government there will be a change in the voting system (subject to referendum) and Lib Dem policies, such as tax relief for the lowest paid, will be implemented.

Chris Foote-Wood, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate, Middlesbrough, May 2010.

I WOULD like to say to everyone who voted for the Lib/Lab/Conmen that the next time all of the country’s MPs are found to have used vast swathes of your tax money to fuel their own greed, don’t go complaining about how unjust it is. After all, you put them there – again.

Stephen Palmer, BNP Activist, St Johns Chapel, Co Durham.