yes, not all the BNP policies are racist - they have a pretty strong showing in anti-gay and anti-disabled people policies too. And their carefully constructed user-friendly manifestos are the tip of a rather unpleasant iceberg - http://www.searchlightmagazine.com/ has more about what they say when they think the mainstream media aren't taking notice.
I'm not convinced this is really a new thing - the National Front (of which many current BNP members were involved in) got a similar sort of percentage vote in some elections in the mid 70s, and (had there been euro elections on the same basis) would probably have got a few seats then, and the British Union of Fascists picked up a few council seats in the 30s.
I really can't make my mind up whether the publicity being given to the BNP is helpful - from some of the coverage, you would think they had won an election rather than got two MEPs and a few councillors who will do not much more than make a nuisance of themselves. Part of me thinks that publicity might encourage people to come together and make a stand against the fascists (as happened in the 30s and the 70s.) Part of me thinks that the excessive publicity they are getting may give them a spurious air of legitimacy, but on the other paw, I don't think that trying to suppress them will help either - it will add to their claimed martyr status.
I'm not quite sure - overall - what these elections prove. New Labour has had the kick up the tail that it deserves, but it's hardly the great victory for the tories that their friends in the press are trying to claim - more or less the same share of the vote as 5 years ago - on an even lower turnout?
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2009-06-08 05:22 pm (UTC)yes, not all the BNP policies are racist - they have a pretty strong showing in anti-gay and anti-disabled people policies too. And their carefully constructed user-friendly manifestos are the tip of a rather unpleasant iceberg - http://www.searchlightmagazine.com/ has more about what they say when they think the mainstream media aren't taking notice.
I'm not convinced this is really a new thing - the National Front (of which many current BNP members were involved in) got a similar sort of percentage vote in some elections in the mid 70s, and (had there been euro elections on the same basis) would probably have got a few seats then, and the British Union of Fascists picked up a few council seats in the 30s.
I really can't make my mind up whether the publicity being given to the BNP is helpful - from some of the coverage, you would think they had won an election rather than got two MEPs and a few councillors who will do not much more than make a nuisance of themselves. Part of me thinks that publicity might encourage people to come together and make a stand against the fascists (as happened in the 30s and the 70s.) Part of me thinks that the excessive publicity they are getting may give them a spurious air of legitimacy, but on the other paw, I don't think that trying to suppress them will help either - it will add to their claimed martyr status.
I'm not quite sure - overall - what these elections prove. New Labour has had the kick up the tail that it deserves, but it's hardly the great victory for the tories that their friends in the press are trying to claim - more or less the same share of the vote as 5 years ago - on an even lower turnout?
Meh.
=( '.' )=