Peter Cranie, the Green Party's leading candidate in the recent North West England Euro-election, was just 0.3% short of denying a parliamentary seat to racist BNP leader Nick Griffin when the votes were counted last Sunday night.
Peter, a Scotsman who lives in Merseyside with his partner and young baby, said he was "gutted" that he hadn't managed to stop Nick Griffin. He said: "We were less than five thousand votes behind, out of a North West electorate of five million."
Greens already planning campaign against neo-Nazis
He added: "But we have an even greater motivation now than we did before the election. We need to make sure we take that seat off Nick Griffin in 2014 - and we've started planning our campaign already, because it will be a long haul."
"During the next five years we need to make sure the fascists don't make progress in North West England. We need to take them on at every opportunity. We need to fight hard."
"We will not let the BNP undo all the progress Britain has made towards being a more enlightened society. We need to eradicate racism once and for all."
Green Party needs more members and candidates from ethnic minorities
And he called for more people of all racial backgrounds to join the Green Party. Peter said:
"The Green Party is a party that genuinely celebrates cultural diversity. We believe Britain is stronger and better for it. But we don't have as high a proportion of members from ethnic minorities as we would like."
"So we appeal to every member of Britain's ethnic minorities to please think about joining the Green Party. We stand for social justice, a fair economic system, and environmental sustainability. If you believe in those things too, then join us, become part of us, and let's make this country a better place in every sense."
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Notes for Editors:
Peter Cranie and other leading Greens are available for interview (Green Party press office - 020 7561 0282)
A hi-res photograph of Peter Cranie can be downloaded from: www.greenparty.org.uk/people/peter-cranie