This evenings Newsnight has an interesting piece by the left wing journalist Michael Crick. The general thesis of the piece is that in the June elections Labour might not just see its vote collapse, but that it might also see the BNP get their first European MP, shock, horror, hell in a handcart, the Nazis are coming etc etc.
The thing is, is it really an unusual or bizarre thing the EP to have crazy extremists sitting in it? There are fascists there, communists, environMentalists from across Europe. The fact Britain hasn't sent one there yet makes us against the norm surely? This may sound like a horrible academic style argument, but isn't the fact that we might elect some white-power socialists into the EP exactly what democracy is all about?
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I support the BNP, they're policies are far too left wing and racist for my liking, but the whole point of having elestions is about the people expressing their views and support via the ballot box where the majority view tends toward more power than the minority. Clearly there are things that the BNP are saying to people that resonate for them and the job is extracting those things from within the rotten part of their arguments and addressing them.
What you shouldn't do is panic and think that because a collectivist loon has been elected it means the end of moderate and sane civilisation. If the BNP do win a seat in the EP then big deal. I don't see much complaining about many of the other lunatic fringe MEPs they will be joining after all.
In a perverted way if Britain did send a BNP candidate to the EP it would bring us in line with the other nations of the EU that have been sending loonies there for sometime.
We'd really be good europeans then, no?
17 comments:
We too have been sending loonies there for some time.
Glennys, not to mention her hubby in a more exalted position ?
In Neil's case, surely it was rejoicing in the sinner who repenteth to make him a commissioner. He was rabidly anti before he saw the light ... glinting off all the gold being shoved his way.
Alan Douglas
Agree that a looney MEP would put us more inline with other EU countries (excluding the UKIP presence there already) but don't ignore the fact that the reason most European nations have a lot of nut jobs in the EU is because they also have a lot of nut jobs in their home parliaments. Yeah, it won't make a difference, but it also won't be beneficial.
marcantonysjournal.blogspot.com
The concern about the BNP isn't that they would be remotely powerful in the European Parliament.
The concern is both symbolic, but also that by having an MEP, that they would have access tohuge new levels of party funding.
A party with a large number of footsoldiers, the BNP has only one real weakness organisationally, and that is lack of funds (I'm talking hundreds of thousands of pounds at their disposal). An MEP's 'expenses and allowances' are often plugged back into the party to ensure that that candidate stays top of the party list. The money from one MEP (and the institutional support) would be a major boon for the party, giving them a much better chance of securing a breakthrough at Westminster.
That's my understanding of the panic anyway.
The money from one MEP (and the institutional support) would be a major boon for the party, giving them a much better chance of securing a breakthrough at Westminster.
Yes, because UKIP has been so successful.
Good point, Dizzy. And when liberals say that a BNP MEP would bring great shame on Britain they are also implying that France and Italy have something to be deeply ashamed about, as they both have far-right MEPs. Of course liberals would never actually dare say that though.
Its going to happen anyway, so grow up I say. Well said though Dizzy. The BNP not only recruit people from Planet Earth, their recruits are volunteers from Britain. This is the central issue that needs addressing.
rather vindicates the Tories' decision to pull out of the EP
It's all part of the anti right wing agenda.
It is a two pronged process of denouncing the BNP in what is often little more than an Orwellian daily "hate", and of pretending that they, the Nazis, the Fascists et c. are right wing.
The hope is that other parties who actually are right wing will thus be damaged by false association.
Why are you being so rude about the environmental movement ??
Would you like it if I called you a stupid spastic ??
I wouldn't care if you called me that but its given me an idea for a post.
Very true Dizzy - the BNP express a view and if people respond to it that's their choice
I've always hated how Labour openly oppose a party and would happily make outlaw them, when what they should be doing is engaging them to defeat them
It's also sad how if you want to defend the right to existence of the BNP you have to state you aren't a supporter yourself
I look forward to the BNP winning seats despite Labour and the anti-BNP groups that exist on public money staffed by the actual facists that we should be worried about.
It's another year of Brown & co, that's fooking scary.
Te French have 7 National Front MEPs, including Le Pen and his daughter.
Not nice, but as you say very European.
"far too racist for my liking"
How much would they need to tone it down to suit your liking?
Well... ideally not having the white power element would be kind of nice.
My worry is not the effect that a BNP MEP will have in Europe but rather that their arguments are "resonating" with people of this country at all, and furthermore what exactly these people are voting for? I would doubt very much that the kind of people voting BNP will have the mental apptitude to judge decent policies and would be rather more interested in the "rotten part of their arguments" whereas the article suggests that there is some nugget of goodness buried in there that the voters have intelligently found and decided to vote upon...
I was interested by your comments-
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I support the BNP, they're policies are far too left wing and racist for my liking, but the whole point of having elestions is about the people expressing their views and support via the ballot box where the majority view tends toward more power than the minority. Clearly there are things that the BNP are saying to people that resonate for them and the job is extracting those things from within the rotten part of their arguments and addressing them.
This would infer that you don’t know what you are talking about, or are a Dyslexic
As they constantly get confused with respect to LEFT & RIGHT.
LOOK AT THE MESSAGE NOT THE MESSENGER Quote Margaret Thatcher.
TO SEE WHO REALY BRITISH LOOK AT WHOM IS THEY SUPPORT IN A TEST MATCH Quote Norman Tebbit.
You are a TYPICAL NON THINKING SOCIALIST /LIBERAL TWIT – LOOK AND YOU WILL SEE THAT THE REAL FASCISTS ARE THE LEFT WING MARXISTS WHO ARE USING ISLAMO FASCISM AS A TOOL TO DESTROY WESTERN DEMOCRACY – IF A LIE IS PERPETUATED IT EVENTUALLY BECOMES THE TRUTH Quote Goerbbels.
The so called ANTI FASCIST ORGANIZATIONS are COMMUNIST BASED and funded by the LABOUR PARTY to name one U.A F.
STALIN WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE EXTERMINATION OF MORE PEOPLE THAN HITLER, OVER 17,000,000. IT MATTERS NOT WHO YOU VOTE FOR BUT WHO COUNTS THE VOTES Quote Stalin. THE BNP DENOUNCES BOTH.
THE BNP ARE THE MESSENGER – YOU CAN TAKE A HORSE TO WATER BUT YOU CAN’T MAKE IT DRINK!!!!!!!!!!!
With regard to other comments i.e. Luke etalia.
You will probly be surprised to know that many well qualified people support the BNP and possess the mental agility to make the right decisions, which you lot obviously don’t, I am reminded of a Further Quote: Einstein was a giant. His head was in the clouds, but his feet were on the ground. Those of us who are not so tall have to choose!
WE HAVE TO CHOOSE – We do not want DEMOGRAPHIC DESTRUCTION OF OUR COUNTRY PLAIN AND SIMPLE & NOT RACIST.
THERE IS PLENTY OF ROOM AT THE BOTTOM Quote Richard Feynman
Which is ware we will end up if we don’t stop all foreigners entering this country? Q.E.D
Regards………………………W.A.S.P
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