A bit unnerving this..

No, not yet, fortunatly I can't see them raising their ugly heads above the parapet here in Brighton, there are far to many pressure groups for the so called " minority groups" here and I would hope that any body from the "BNP" or any other racist/ homophobic group that was stupid enough to do so would get their heads metaphoricaly speaking torn off.[ all in the cause of free speech and freedom for the individual you understand ]

oldie.

Something with BNP on it arrived here two weeks ago. Hell was going to bin it but in the end decided that she'd get more satisfaction from shredding it. And she did.

Cheers

Harry

Yes

The BNP is campaigning against having a new university built on a green site just outside of Swindon. They are arguing it should be built on brown sites in the town centre.

The worrying trend is that their spokesman was on the local radio this morning, and despite attempts by the interviewer to rile him, he came across as sensible, sane and rational. He was obviously skilled in presenting himself and possibley the BNP is trying to lose its old brain dead thug image and replace it with a more articulate one.

I could see this guy gaining votes for an issue not really related to race and that is a worrying sign.

He brough racial issues into the discussion but in a relatively trivial way.

His main objection to building on the green site was environmental but he did slip in that if we had less immigrants in Swindon, it would be easier to build in the town center. His argument being that the immigrants are occupying buildings that are taking up space.

He quite calmly quoted facts and fiqures to support his case and it left me feeling worried because this approach may win votes.

I just wish these people would go away but they intend to stay around.

Regards

Mick

It certainly seems they are becoming more campaign-savvy. The leaflet I saw featured a picture of a hard-up rate-paying OAP and it seemed obvious to me that it was designed to elicit sympathy. I was too revolted by the thought that it was from the BNP to read it through, though!

Jon

For those non-British folk out there the BNP (British National Party) is a valid part of Democratic life in the UK, and without them, or with their banning (as with here in Germany) would make all of our previous posts and threads on this hallowed 'Fowum' pertaining to Polly's-ticks meaningless and highly hypocrytical³, innit.


Fritz Von Ban The Administrators they're all totally looney !

There's nothing invalid about the BNP in UK democracy (whatever that is). And it's no less valid to describe them as a collection of monsters. Which pretty much applies to the Tories in my book too - but for different (if sometimes overlaping) reasons. However offensive the BNP are, banning them would be the thin end of a dangerous wedge. In the UK.

Cheers

Harry

A not entirely unpredictable response from you, Graham. Of course they are a political party (in this guise anyway) and under our democracy have a right to campaign, and as Harry says banning something or someone just because one doesn't like them is the thin edge of the wedge. However what unsettles me about this is their surreptitious campaign 'technique' which IMO is attempting to legitimise racial discrimination by the back door. So I for one would rather not have seen any such literature from them at all. If that makes me a hypocrite then so be it.

Jon

What's more worrying Jon is the posibility that they're tapping in to an unvoiced but firmly help viewpoint which IMO lurks not far under the surface of out twee and pleaeant land. The slicker and more savvy they get, the more likely it becomes that foolish people will be sucked in (which is, I believe what Mick was saying about Swindon) and/or those who believe they have a valid point will be more comfortable in voting for them. But that's just me being paranoid.

Cheers

Harry

One thing in the BNP's defence from the standpoint of MY minority (the disabled); at least they make no bones about hating the thought of having to pay out benefits etc.

Labour and Conservative don't want us either, but won't admit it. Whenever benefits are due to be cut, it's not the single mothers who had a choice that lose out, but the disabled who are a far more easier target. Look at the way Labour are axing "special" schools for instance; get rich quick gone mad (I for one would NOT be in the job I'm in now, paying the taxes I do if I'd not gone to a blind school; I'd have been a bum blagging off the state).

I'm NOT going anywhere NEAR the imigration argument in this thread...

I'd not vote for the BNP, and despise most of their policies, but I know an AWFUL lot of people who loathe the asylum system (including grandparents, not just yoof) so I can see that if the BNP's marketing shifts the NF Lout image, they may well yet make headway at the polls...

I too will be shredding any crap the BNP put through my letterbox mind you...

To the best of my knowledge I have only once seen any NF/BNP literature - I stepped on some (really) on a pavement in Manchester in the mid eighties.

When I was young, two NF weasels came round at General Election time but left in rather a hurry when my father invited them in for a chat - it was the way he said it! I must admit I wish I'd grown up to be the sort of person who could put the fear of God into a pair of neo-nazis just by being (sort of) polite to them...

In 1997, I think, both our neighbours reported telling neo-nazi campaigners that their kind wasn't welcome in this neighbourhood but we didn't get a visit from them. Perhaps they checked in advance and avoided people with Asian surnames.

backing up what Mick said, if you really want to be scared you should actually read what the BNP are putting out. I read all the propaganda that came around during the London election and the BNP was far and away the best presented and the only lot that made some sense. Had I not known their real agenda, which naturally wasn't mentioned in the distributed material, they probably would have got my vote - although I refuse to vote on ethical grounds, not being a pom and all.

I can just imagine afternoon tea with Condaleeza Rice & Foreign Secretary Griffin ?


Fritz Von The British Have voted for worse in the past