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The BNP: Votes, councillors and influence

An interesting article appeared in the Guardian on Wednesday that, for once, didn’t resort to the usual insult and name-calling that is all too frequently a trademark of that newspaper when “reporting” on the BNP. Apart from making a reference to the BNP’s perceived role in helping Boris Johnson defeat “Red Ken” Livingstone, it also touched on how the growth of the BNP is also helping to gradually push the once taboo subject of immigration into the mainstream, as an issue the Establishment parties are increasingly aware they ignore at their peril!

Quite why the Guardian must refer to the BNP as “far right” – when it is neither “right” nor “left” – but NATIONALIST, is beyond our comprehension! However, here is a quote from the article in question:

Boris Johnson, the populist and Eurosceptic conservative candidate, succeeded in unseating Ken Livingstone, while the far right British National Party won its first seat on the London Assembly. It is worth recalling that in the run-up to the elections the BNP had instructed its supporters to give Johnson their second preference votes.

The Conservative list for the London Assembly got 34.05%, while between them the British National Party (5.33%), Christian Voice (2.86%), and Ukip (1.90%) won 10% of the votes. And given that Johnson had a mere 5.5% lead over Livingstone it may be reasonable to conclude that the far right has played a decisive role in his victory.

But the far right’s greatest gains have not been made in direct electoral contests. Its most significant achievements have been silent and invisible, won on the battleground of discourse, with its slogans and demands gradually infiltrating mainstream political discourse. From immigration and asylum, to national identity, and national pride, the far right’s populist rhetoric has moved to the centre stage of politics.
The complete article may be read here .

Discussion

23 comments for “The BNP: Votes, councillors and influence”

  1. Frankly as a BNP supporter it dont bother me personally to be branded as far right, but The Guardian needs to look at the Party’s policies a bit closer.
    What they say about the Party’s slogans and demands infiltrating mainstream politics is very interesting. Theres no doubt that immigration in particular is being talked about by everyone and a lot of people, BNP supporters or not, have had it up to here. The BNP has got its finger on the pulse and ordinary blokes like me appreciate it that your out there talking straight.

    -

    Talking straight is the way of those unafraid of reality - Ed

    Posted by n3_biker | May 9, 2008, 9:22 am
  2. I’m puzzled why the BNP is usually referred to as “The far right.”
    The explanation must be that the left has moved so far to the sinister side that it has toppled over the edge into complete insanity.
    The policies of the BNP reflect an outlook which is not so very different to that which was generally held to be entirely wholesome and sensible back in the 1950s and 1960s; indeed, in some ways, its views are more liberal.

    Posted by Stanley Aetion | May 9, 2008, 9:24 am
  3. Richard the Lionheart!
    This is what my wife and friends call him. BNP for My family. God bless them

    Posted by Warriorbrave | May 9, 2008, 9:45 am
  4. Perhaps in future they should refer to us as farther right. There, they would not be far wrong.

    Posted by RUSSELL | May 9, 2008, 10:07 am
  5. I’ve allways believed that the BNP was far right, as opposed to far wrong. It is true that Liblabcon are trying to steal our clothes by now talking the talk. But they can never walk the walk. This would mean their whole life’s work repudiated and destroyed.
    So we will carry on being far right, and they will carry on being far wrong.

    -

    Spot on, Baz - Ed

    Posted by baz | May 9, 2008, 10:10 am
  6. If having the welfare of the indigenous population at heart, loving our own God given homeland, and preferring the truth over lies and deceit is being “far right”, then yes, I am definitely far right. As for the “far left”, the word loony seems to have become a permanent prefix to it. What the population of this country are rapidly becoming aware of is the fact that the BNP have been exposing the danger that faces all of us from the “madhouse” politics of the mainstream parties and totally suicidal excessive immigration.

    This country is like a lifeboat that is trying to pick up so many people that it is in danger of sinking and taking everyone with it.I prefer the sanity and realistic policies of the BNP and they can call me what they like.

    Posted by gyukcas | May 9, 2008, 10:12 am
  7. Don’t ever trust this slimy rag. Look how they have to repeat ‘far-right’ again and again. 4 times in 3 paragraphs. They are schooled in the art of brainwashing.

    Posted by Corinthian | May 9, 2008, 10:21 am
  8. Boris said on Question time the week before polling that he didn’t want BNP voters second preference vote. Also stating that he would rather lose than succeed with BNP votes.
    So Boris what yer gonna do. Resign, have a new election, first passed the post. Somehow I think not!!! Like all Liblabcon merchants. Once you get your grubby little hands on some power, hell would have to freeze over before your type would give it up.
    If Boris was only 10% a man. He should thank Richard Barnbrook and the BNP voters personally from the bottom of his heart. I don’t think that he is 10% of a man though.

    Posted by baz | May 9, 2008, 10:23 am
  9. The Lib/Lab/Con can spout all they like about how they will control immigration, promote national pride, British jobs for British workers etc. etc..

    The fact is that they can do nothing about any of these things because their hands are tied by the EU and as none of them wish to withdraw from it so their words are just lies in a further attempt to pull the wool over the eyes of the electorate.

    I have news for them. The British have woken up and seen through them. It will only take one or two high profile headlines to happen to completely turn the tide.

    1/ A high ranking Tory to cross to the BNP.
    2/ An independent newspaper to openly endorse the ideas of the BNP.

    I believe that one or the other could happen.

    -

    The focus should now be on Cameron - the Bliar clone, arch-liar and EU/CP puppet.
    Your scenarios 1/ and 2/ are very likely. - Ed

    Posted by esselliott | May 9, 2008, 10:29 am
  10. The BNP is not right-wing, just right! To be concerned as to the direction your country is heading, to be mindful of the rights of the indigenous population over those who’ve just landed on its shores, to want to reduce crime, to shift the focus on the needs of our aged and those who serve our country both here and overseas away from those who pretend to ‘lead’ society. Terrible aims, aren’t they? Well I say, more power to your elbow, BNP - Britain’s only hope.

    Posted by Ex-pat loyalist | May 9, 2008, 10:37 am
  11. Anyone that doesn’t agree with the agenda of the LabLibCon-media, has and will always be castigated as`right wing`…The press want to look at their own thoughts and aspirations, as do the traitors at `Troughminster`…Only then,will they realize how out of touch they are with the majority of decent indigenous British people…

    Personally, they can brand me what they will, I really don’t care, as I KNOW that the BNP way- IS THE ONLY WAY !

    Posted by White Lion | May 9, 2008, 10:54 am
  12. The Guardian acceptance of how the BNP has “won on the battleground of discourse, with its slogans and demands gradually infiltrating mainstream political discourse” is a major tactical breakthrough.

    Full marks to our webmaster (does he ever have a day off?) for highlighting this, plus also picking up on the praise given in the Stoke Sentinel for the BNP’s “good local candidates”.

    Both of these reports need to be repeated time and time again in our literature and by our speakers.

    Posted by John Bean | May 9, 2008, 10:57 am
  13. The BNP cannot be far right. Left is communism and right is capitalism. The BNP is neither.
    Capitalism is wealth and power in the hands of private capitalists, big business. While communism is state capitalism with the wealth and the power in the hands of the state and the ruling party.
    The BNP economical vision is the third way, Distributism, with wealth and power in the hands of the people, by having most industries owned by workers cooperatives and most people belonging to guilds and crafts, learning their trades in the traditional way as apprentices.

    Posted by Bigglez | May 9, 2008, 11:42 am
  14. Far right, far left, who gives a s***!
    We know who we are and what we are about. What’s worrying them is that a lot more of the country know what we are about now …….. and are liking it!

    Posted by Athelstan | May 9, 2008, 1:00 pm
  15. I agree with the comments that it doesn’t really matter how the BNP is referred to, Athelstan is right - we know what we’re about. In this new age of ‘customer feedback’ and news websites asking for comments though, I’m thinking it would be useful to start inundating news outlets with comments and corrections every time they use their brain washing language. The sooner people have unedited news the sooner their minds will be free and we can all start putting things right.

    Posted by jules | May 9, 2008, 1:18 pm
  16. The BNP’s time will come the fact that we are the fastest growing party out there speaks for itself. It is great the press we get whether negative or positive it means we get under their skin, we should only start worrying when they no longer talk about us.

    Posted by supersquats | May 9, 2008, 2:06 pm
  17. The BNP is a moderately right-wing party which supports capitalism because capitalism, in a national context, is proven to work: it delivers the goods. Corporatism, which the leftist, anti-nation globalisers support, is what must be halted and then expunged from mindset of the UK’s business sector.

    Posted by Allan@Aberdeen | May 9, 2008, 4:21 pm
  18. Bigglez.

    Excellent observation. ‘Distributism’ gained considerable support at around the turn of the last century and was espoused by great men like G K Chesterton and the RC Church. It was, and still is, a fine concept and should be given more credence.
    If you think that the BNP’s economical ideal is Distributism at heart, then that would be a most worthy feather in their cap.

    Posted by bernard | May 9, 2008, 5:00 pm
  19. I read the Guardian article, quite interesting to see their angle from time to time. Soumaya Ghannoushi, who wrote the article, correctly perceives that the BNP did hold the balance of power, and gave Johnson seven ninths of the votes he got over Livingstone to become Mayor. She failed to mention however that the little 2nd vote trick was not just a one-way transaction and that a full one eighth or 12.5% of Tories voted BNP as their second vote, and now those in the Tory leadership are going to have to modify the anti-British anti-democratic rhetoric however much they won’t like it if they are not going to see a full eighth or more of their faithful walk.

    She was full of expressions like “shatter the electoral base of the racist National Front leader Jean Marie le Pen by adopting much of his repertoire … ” when she refers to Sarkozy’s victory over France’s hard man, Le Pen, and that Le Pen complained that Sarkozy stole his clothes. She failed to mention that they don’t fit and that France is not really enjoying its taste of the alternative to Le Pen. In fact Sarkozy is a buffoon (a bit like Boris but worse) and the French are embarassed and live in fear of what the idiot is going to say next. In fact it runs parallel almost to Thatcher stealing the old National Front’s clothes all those years ago and then failed to act on the promises she made.

    Europe is moving towards Freedon and Liberty through Nationalism and just has to go through the fig leaf of going via the old guard right wing. Soumaya Ghannoushi has a forlorn hope that maybe “mobilisation and broad coalition” (boy, do the Left love those words) of the Left in its different variants might just halt the inevitable. Oh what a dreamer. The left seems to think that “the extreme right” will want to blame asylum seekers and immigrants for the ensuing recession. The Left have never got the point, it is THEY who are blamed and hated and loathed and reviled and it is THEY that Nationalists have sworn will pay the price.

    Nationalists see immigration and “asylum seekers” as a tool used by the Left to break a nation and to destroy the glue of national cohesion and unity.

    Posted by Brian Cosworth | May 9, 2008, 8:37 pm
  20. The Guardian refers to Le penn saying about Sarkozy “he’s stolen my clothes” as Sarkozy’s tactic for winning the French election. He stole Le Penn’s lines and fed them to the French as his own. He will never deliver to the French, who also want to stop any more immigration.

    Be careful this doesn’t happen to us, I’ve already seen the signs. Maybe using this Le Penn-Sarkozy example on leaflets during an election will help stop the (fake ID trick) being pulled on the public.

    Posted by MC SE9 | May 10, 2008, 12:29 am
  21. Editor - When you say that the focus should now be on Cameron, I agree.

    For a while I thought that perhaps the Spectator was starting to focus on him when they ran, the other day, an item in their Coffee House section, headed “Cameron answers your questions.”

    But when questions were put to him about a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty and about immigration all readers got was meaningless obfuscation. Some people seemed to think that this was brilliant.

    We must keep hammering away at these two topics. Cameron gives me the impression that (just like New Labour) he attaches no importance at all to Britain’s steady transformation into a new version of the Balkans, complete with an even bigger and more aggressive Islamic component than the Serbs and Croats are faced with.

    -

    There is a shift in opinion in the Tory camp too now, Herbert.
    Many Tories are beginning to question whether Cameron is really up to dealing with the crucial issues of immigration, the EU and crime, particularly the root causes of crime. - Ed

    Posted by Herbert Thornton | May 10, 2008, 3:45 am
  22. Thats funny, I was actually thinking earlier that I didnt think the BNP were far-right or indeed right or left wing at all.

    They are a nationalist party so I suppose that covers everyone.

    Posted by Jake | May 10, 2008, 11:41 am
  23. My view is that anybody who believes in the nation state as the embodiment of a people is right-wing, at least within that context. That is why certain members of Old Labour (Roy Mason, Frank Chapple) could reasonably be described as right-wing. Nobody in today’s Labour Party is right-wing, and I’m sure that they are treacherous enough to be proud of that fact. Now that I think about it, I’m not sure if anybody in the ex-Cons can be described as right-wing. I am right-wing, and so is the BNP: be proud of it.

    Posted by Allan@Aberdeen | May 10, 2008, 12:14 pm

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