Behind a BNP vote

To its credit, the Independent today carries an insightful review of the BNP's recent highly localised success in Yorkshire that falls short of the Pavlovian.

Since they quote the local Labour MP (Denis MacShane) in depth - whom I fought during the last election - I'll allow myself a counter turn.

While quite fairly noting factors such as immigration, the rejection of taboo, and a perception of 'unfair play', they might also do well to consider the basics of local politics.

If you have streets where the Labour vote is weighed rather than counted, but where noone has seen a Labour politician bothering to campaign in twenty years...

If you have the self same MP expending his past effort chastising the Conservatives for 'allowing' the BNP to get a hold, despite the vote coming from his own historic supporters...

If local Labour councillors turn to blanking the lead BNP candidates rather than exposing the false veil of human decency behind their party bosses...

...Then why are we surprised that in a handful of areas some individuals on first name terms with the voter should be elected to look after the bins?

Comments

[Bexie]

My Father was a Vicar in the East End. He pointed out that the "BNP" in Dagenham, one of the largest social housing projects in Europe, consisted largely of the same groups of people who in the 60's rebelled against the Labour contempt for their "core" voters, and set up residents groups to get councillors elected.

Bearing this in mind, I suspect the BNP has managed to merely tap into an existing rage against the rather contemptuous and pompous attitude that most socialists have.

[Tim Montgomerie]

Great article. Pavement politics is the best way of defeating BNP. Show that we really care for voters and we'll defeat the extremists masquerading as on the people's side.

[Yogi]

I have been canvassing in Fulham over the past 21 years. Our strategy has always been that there are no 'no go areas' and we always campaigend and leaf-letted every social housing block. It is very rewarding because the Conservative supporters in these flats have always remained loyal to us - even during our darkest days between 1994 and 2004.
We also make it a point to get the nomination papers signed by the residents. Greg Hands the MP and the local councillors all visited the social housing units frequently during the Mayoral/GLA campaign and the upshot is that the word gets around and we probably picked up a number of traditional Labour supporters during the Mayoral elections. As everyone knows tehre is little support for BNP in H&F.

[Miranda]

Exactly. And addressing/debating the genuine concerns people have rather than looking as if we are dismissing them as 'evil' and unspeakable.

[Arthur]

It has been said many times before but it is worth repeating once again: the BNP is a symptom of the neglect, arrogance and conceit of mainstream politicians over many years. Unless we continue to remind ourselves of this fact then the BNP will simply continue to rise. Although not the same beasts, who would have thought the SNP would have done so well in recent years. There comes a time when all people want is what it says on the tin.

[englandism.com]

Taboo. It is said that Powell’s foaming river all but removed the R word from political debate but the R word is, sadly, alive and literally kicking.

We can continue to ignore it and watch the BNP milk the silence or we could face up to reality, listen to the politically dispossessed and try to find constructive and positive initiatives to cure the cancer that is racism by addressing the causes, not just the symptoms.

Can we continue to ignore the problem? Did anyone else notice the BBC/Mori survey that was quietly buried in April 2008?
‘ Almost two-thirds of people in Britain fear race relations are so poor tensions are likely to spill over into violence, a BBC poll has suggested.’
‘Of the 1,000 people asked, 60% said the UK had too many immigrants and half wanted foreigners encouraged to leave.’
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7352125.stm
Thursday, 17 April 2008
http://www.ipsos-mori.com/content/polls-08/rivers-of-blood-survey.ashx

This is absolutely astonishing –over half of the respondents wanted all immigrants to be actively encouraged to leave the UK and three quarters anticipate racially motivated violence as inevitable. This was not a BNP sponsored poll or a poll of BNP ballet dancers (or whoever they are recruiting now). This was a mainstream survey of the mainstream British public.

Can we just ignore expressed public opinion, however grotesque, for fear of Enoch’s no man’s land of political oblivion or is it time to act?

I believe that we have an absolute moral duty to act.

[Dontmakemelaugh]

Great article. Pavement politics is the best way of defeating BNP. Show that we really care for voters and we'll defeat the extremists masquerading as on the people's side.

Posted by: Tim Montgomerie | May 13, 2008 at 12:34

Unsustainable immigration, is said by some in the media to be the number one concern of the public - they do not claim to be members of the BNP or fascists.
The immigration issue is often revealed and just as equally ignored by politicians.
It seems to me that there are two over- riding issues confronting England which are of greater importance than any others:
Membership of the EU which allows that body with the connivance of our mainstream politicians to really govern England and its borders; Immigration into England is really under the control of Brussels. No doubt soon Turkey and the Balkan states will be admitted into the EU, thus adding to the amount of immigration and multiculturalism into Britain.

In the meantime we are treated to Cameron eating cornflakes and washing up - splendid stuff Dave!
Tim: how are the Tories going to show "that we really care for voters" In regard to immigration how is the BNP "masquerading on the peoples side" I am only here referring to the BNP policy on immigration and not to any other of its policies. Even recent immigrants say immigration is out of control.
We await the Tories "showing that they really care for voters" (and unless they do some of us will not vote for them) regarding the EU and immigration. "More cornflakes, Dave? Its turned out nice again, ent it"?

[Dontmakemelaugh]

Regarding my comment above: of course the outcome of wars we engaged in are even more important and I am assuming they will be settled by the West winning.

[Gege]

Its not just about listening to people's concerns, its about taking action.

We cannot call ourselves a united country when a father kills his daughter because she decides to marry a fellow briton.

We cannot call ourselves united when people enter into relationships on the basis of caste.

We cannot call ourselves united when 'community leaders' turn race issues into their sources of income.

These are the things that fuel resentment and these are the issues which a tory government must address.

[David Parker]

There is a school of thought at CCHQ which believes that emphasising immigration and the EU were largely responsible for the failure of previous Conservative electoral campaigns. Consequently Cameron prefers, whenever [possible, to avoid these topics, or to make only the most anodyne responses.

But, both immigration and the EU and, of course, the connection between them, are matters of increasing concern to voters.
In previous electoral campaigns these issues were clumsily presented, both by Howard and Hague, consequently they are now thought of by some as potential vote losers.

In fact, the current situation is now so different that a failure to address these issues is more likely to be a vote loser. If Cameron loses votes to the BNP for want of a credible, well developed and publicised policy upon both immigration and the EU, he will have only himself to blame.

[Bexie]

I am not convinced that the BNP gains so many votes from the conservatives. If you look at the demographic of where they have support it is largely in Labour strongholds, where the socialists have most taken them for granted, and where a large proportion of the unemployable immigrants end up.

However that is not to say that this debate is opened up.

IMHO if someone arrive at the border here without papers they have committed an offense, especially in that unless they are a god like swimmer, papers must have been presented to board a ship/ plane to get here. That in itself gives reasonable cause for us to be suspicious.

Therefore it is entirely reasonable for us further to lock them up until we can identify why they are here and who they are, also and especially establish whether they are a threat to our society.

If someone wants to come here to work, there is a due process to follow, which should not be jumped by people who have the corrupt contacts to smuggle them in, a cause to be suspicious of them in the first place.

Again IMHO, if somone is a genuine refugee, in this day and age, it should be possible to establish the threat quite quickly. If they are simply trying to get in for economic gain, breaking several laws and immigration rules in the process, then they should be sent home.

[David Parker]

An interesting point about the demographics of BMP support Bexie. The swing from Labour to Conservative at the recent local elections was probably due to anger and disillusionment against Labour, rather than positive approval of team Cameron.
But the lack of a credible Conservative EU policy, coupled with the failure of UKIP, is certainly driving some eurosceptic naturally Conservative supporters as well as some of the floating voters towards the BNP in sheer desperation.

[Simon Newman]

It was an insightful article, especially by Independent standards. One thing it brought out was the emerging gulf between many new BNP local activists/councillors, who often seem fairly normal decent people, and the leadership, who seem to be still mostly the same crypto-Nazis they were 10 years ago, just with better PR. I think the mainstream media & political classes must bear responsibility for the BNP's recent success amongst ordinary non-Nazi types. Their legitimate concerns have been denigrated and attacked for far too long.

[John]

People in Britain are sick of immigrants and the vast problems caused by immigration and so it is no surprise that a BBC poll indicated that nearly two-thirds of people in Britain believe that race relations are likely to spill over into violence or that they would like to see foreigners encouraged to leave.

Londoners have moved out of London as large numbers of immigrants arrive, from 1995 to 2004 there was a inflow of some 880,000 international migrants to London during the same time period 726,000 people left London to live in other parts of the UK

Our NHS is already facing a reported bill of £1 billion a year to treat migrants and asylum seekers. Half of the 2.7 million new jobs created since Labour came to power have gone to immigrants

Our homeless are being elbowed out by tramps from former communist states also Poles assault our homeless forcing then to move out of their sleeping places and into the freezing weather. The same bully immigrants force out our homeless waiting for food from the food van leaving British homeless only a crust of bread. Perhaps our homeless also feel the same way about immigrants.

Home Office minister Joan Ryan warned that an estimated 45,000 potential criminals from Romania and Bulgaria would travel to Britain. 30 million citizens of Romania and Bulgaria are entitled to come to the UK

Our annual police bill for translators alone soared from £14 million to well over £24 million in the two years after eight former Soviet bloc states joined the EU in 2004. Children with English as their first language are in the minority in more than 1,300 schools. Immigration is responsible for at least 70 per cent of the UK’s projected population increase. All of this is but the tip of the problem of immigration.

British Muslims openly chant "Muslims in the UK support Taliban" and "Islam the future for Britain", we must ask ourselves why so very many fathers, sons and uncles gave their life defending us against invasion and upholding our own cultural identity only to then surrender that identity and beckon on millions from a foreign country. Its sheer madness and something we will all have cause to deeply regret.

[Alex Swanson]

Alex Hilton on Labourhome the other day asked an interesting question to which he clearly didn't know the answer: to whom (grammar) did all the BNP second preferences go in the London mayoral election?

[Al Gunn]

Rather makes the case for Conservative activism in Labour dominated areas of Yorkshire.

In Middleton Park, the BNP were within 50 votes of unseating a Labour councillor this year.

If anyone wants to help me out in rejuvenating the party in Leeds West and Leeds Central, email me!

[Al Gunn]

Rather makes the case for Conservative activism in Labour dominated areas of Yorkshire.

In Middleton Park, the BNP were within 50 votes of unseating a Labour councillor this year.

If anyone wants to help me out in rejuvenating the party in Leeds West and Leeds Central, email me!

[dirty european socialist]

BNP are evil. Their leader denied the holocaust. Yorkshire people need to grow up there are plenty of otherp arties to vote for that do not support the holocaust.

[Margaret on the Guillotine]

DES: Yeah, that's the way to win the Yorkshire folk over, tell them to grow up.

Alex Swanson: the BNP core support in London is in the borough of Barking & Dagenham, which had always been a core Labour vote. I imagine a lot of "protest" votes there will have gone to the BNP, but to Livingstone as the red-rosetted candidate (tribal vote for the party supported for 60 years before in the end) on second prefs.

However I imagine the best analysis of the BNP second pref split is "roughly 50-50", and I wouldn't like to guess beyond that very on-the-fence guess.

[dirty european socialist]

Margaret on the Guillotine I can tell them that. I am the an ordinary individual. I can tell people to grow up if i want. The BNP are pure evil there is no excuse to vote for them.
There is a lot of racial tension in yorkshire that does not happen in other parts of the UK.
Yorkshire people white and asian need to grow up. Ans stop being such racist's. I am niot saying all Yorkshire people are racist. but it does seem higher than normal. Racism is evil from whites or asians. They should told that not humoured.

[Man of the Woods]

The British National Party exist because of the failure of the mainstream parties to address legitimate concerns of the British People. You will not defeat the BNP unless you address these concerns openly and honestly.

Being an evil extremist racist Nazi fascist bigot myself and until recently a Tory “voter” - I wish to offer the Conservatives a little advice.

One of your “commenters” said

“ Pavement politics is the best way of defeating BNP. Show that we really care for voters and we'll defeat the extremists masquerading as on the people's side. ”

Referring to the British People as “voters” does not and will not help the Tories. The British People are “people”. Being a “voter” is a behaviour expected of a “person” by other “people” in society.

Just thought I'd clear that one up for you.

Showing that you “really care” for “voters” will only make you continue to appear identical to Liebour, the Liberal Demoncrats and their ilk. Pandering to the demands of any “voter”, regardless of who they are, in order to gain “votes” is despicable.

If you stop listening to the people with the loudest voices and start listening to the people that are not so loud, then you may very well learn something that is actually useful.

I'll give you a few examples:

1) My wife, another evil extremist racist Nazi fascist bigot, was chatting and laughing with a local shopkeeper and his brother the other day. She was openly displaying her British National Party badge and conversation drifted into politics. The shopkeeper said, “We should join together to fight the Muslims”.

The shopkeeper and his brother are Asian Sikhs.

2) On May 1st, I asked my step-daughter if she had voted. She said that she didn't bother because there were no BNP candidates standing in our area.

My step-daughter is mixed-race, specifically half-British (European) / half Northern-Indian.

3) We went to a friends house the other day. He had some other friends over, a couple; she was white, he was half black, half Thai, was a very handsome chap and I told him he was “a good mix”. I learnt a few days later that he already knew we were BNP members and really liked us. His girlfriend, an Anarchist, didn't like us and they apparently had quite a heated argument about this after we had left.

These non-white people do not fear the British National Party, they have a far greater understanding of why the party exists than a lot of people commenting on this blog and they respect the fact that the members of this party stand up, sometimes against impossible odds, to secure the rights are our people.

When you understand why that is, change your views and your actions accordingly then you will defeat the BNP, not before.

If the British National Party consisted of members from a single non-white ethnic group they would be immediately accepted and courted by the mainstream parties.

It is because the party stand up for the rights of the ethnic majority, that we are treated the way we are.

Peace. xx

[Nick Parsons]

Well said 'Man Of The Woods' This forum needed some intelligence and common sense injecting into the debate.
People that ridicule and smear the BNP clearly do not understand or want to understand what the BNP actually stands for and the policies it has.If only they took the time to find out instead of mimicking the other brainless sheep. No insult to sheep intended.
Nick
BNP