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BNP support is linked to social exclusion, not immigration

A new report finds that there is actually less support for the far-right in areas with higher immigr

Support for the BNP does not correlate with higher immigration levels, according to a report by the Institute of Public Policy Research (IPPR).

The study found that, of the 10 areas with the most BNP supporters, nine actually have a lower than average proportion of recent migrants.

As many commentators have long suggested, it appears that BNP votes link instead to social exclusion, with factors such as a lack of qualifications, poor social cohesion, and low voter turnout in an area indicating support for the far right.

Interestingly, the study says that higher immigration actually lessens BNP support:

The findings suggest that areas which have higher levels of recent immigration are not more likely to vote for the BNP. In fact the more immigration an area has experienced, the lower its support for the far right. It seems that direct contact with migrants dissuades people from supporting the BNP. For example, of the 10 local authorities where the BNP gained most support in the 2009 European elections, nine had lower than average immigration.

Across the board, commentators have been calling for an open debate on immigration, which has been lauded as a central point of this election campaign. However, the dividing lines of this discussion are strikingly narrow. Last week's televised leaders' debate opened with a question about immigration, which simply paved the way for the three leaders to compete over who could sound the toughest. Noticeably, no-one made the positive case for it, with Nick Clegg's division of "good" and "bad" immigration coming the closest. This demonstrates the way in which the BNP's stance on immigration has pervaded the mainstream political debate -- a point made by my colleage Daniel Trilling, who has an article in this week's New Statesman about the BNP's campaign in Barking and Dagenham.

So, what is the solution? The study suggests building stronger communities and education systems to prevent people from becoming disenfranchised and disconnected. It's no small order, but ultimately more effective than arbitrary posturing over immigration caps and tougher border controls. If mainstream parties continue to allow extremists to set the perameters of the debate, it will do nothing but validate their views and allow them to be accepted as fact, a process which has sadly already begun.

 

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40 comments

Michael Read's picture

The primary reason there is less support for the BNP is because voters are worried about being attacked for having certain views, There is nothing to protect them from such attacks, including the LAW ENFORCERS. The BNP will make sure this is not going to be the case anymore and people will be more relaxed about there true feelings on the matter, nobody really likes to live in the England of today, it stinks and we hate it,to try and brainwash the public into liking this sorry state of Economic social hell is like asking people to like ahving a hot poker stuffed in there ass. Vote BNP.

martin's picture

John Amery

you only have to press the (post comment button) once you turkey.

Peter Holmsbrook's picture

if I had the required low levels of intellect. I am surrounded by black, Asian & Arab people in an estate in Paddington.

well I have a PHD in science, and I sir am suporting the British National Party.

walshbouchard@aol.com's picture

Samira bless her little cotton socks is an asian immigrant herself so of course she is going to promote these view.
All white people are closet racists , right Sam

walshbouchard@aol.com's picture

"I am so English that I could even qualify for BNP membership if I had the required low levels of intellect. I am surrounded by black, Asian & Arab people in an estate in Paddington. I have absolutely no problem with it. I do have a strong sense of my national origins, history and culture & grew up with the belief that part of that- indeed what defined us as a nation - was our opposition to fascism. The very existence of the BNP is an insult to our national identity - the dark side of it. At present continued tolerance of them is the price we pay for those very values of tolerance they betray. If they gain in power that tolerance will grow thin."

reponse to above comment:

When are these people going to learn that it is not about race , it is about islam and its constant extreme attacks on secular values, building mosques and demanding that the country change to their culture, their values , these people not only hate white english culture they even gang up on blacks and hindus , in fact anyone who doesnt agree with them if Mr Francis you are happy with that I would suggest that you are a racist against black christians and other indian faiths because I am an Hindu and I am not happy with them.

walshbouchard@aol.com's picture

Being the only white person on a train on the District Line, you complete your journey go up the escalator and go to your destination. Your choice of butcher is restricted ? Go to Tesco there'll be one in your back yard soon. It that it??? For this you fall into the arms of National Socialism. You could could just move where I live and be surrounded by delightful white hoodies spitting and smashing bus shelters. Come on in the water's lovely. (when I say white hoodies I don't mean.. you know your mates, I wouldn't want you to be disappointed)

Hate to see what your muslim friends would do if they lost their local lets slit a live sheep in the street halal butchers or they are refused planning permission for thier local mosque building project No 1501, somehow think it would be a lot worst than low life white genetic mistakes smashing bus shelters

John Amery's picture

I really didn't say they were genetic mistakes. God you hate white people too. Are you aliens or something ???

btw
What do you Bernard Matthews does to his turkey's bore them to death reading your manifesto... indigininus...imiggrashun....efnic klenzing..... winge...

John Amery's picture

Just remembered what the phrase "genetic mistakes" reminds me off. Are you going to be stoking up the ovens for a Hoodievernichtung ? I thought you were trying to recruit them ? Is there going to be anyone left except a few lower middle class weirdo blokes, the blokes that wear those grey slip on shoes ?

Flora's picture

I wonder if those of you who think the massive and overwhelming rise in immigration in some parts of London is nothing to be concerned about are aware of the very real problems that have been experienced by what is very often the most vulnerable people?

Mass immigration into places like East London has been accompanied by nonstop building of new flats and the population has risen while services such as public transport have often been cut.

It is too easy to stifle debate by throwing the “racist” word around; there are many people who would never dream of voting BNP but no one is listening to them or their experiences and problems.

John Amery's picture

And this is caused by equally vunerable people or London being turned into a financial Las Vegas ??? Everything is race with you people. The world isn't like that, its money.That would be too complicated so you just blame innocent people. You have no concern for ordinary people outside of duping them into your paranoid racist fantasies.The only advantage which you have is the Murdoch and Rothermere press are giving you the bullets to fire. You can't handle people of different races that's what you're all about. A personality disorder masquerading as a political programme.Tiresome but vicious and going nowhere. From someone who is actually white, working class is proud of my own and doesn't regard them as "genetic mistakes"

mark francis's picture

I am so English that I could even qualify for BNP membership if I had the required low levels of intellect. I am surrounded by black, Asian & Arab people in an estate in Paddington. I have absolutely no problem with it. I do have a strong sense of my national origins, history and culture & grew up with the belief that part of that- indeed what defined us as a nation - was our opposition to fascism. The very existence of the BNP is an insult to our national identity - the dark side of it. At present continued tolerance of them is the price we pay for those very values of tolerance they betray. If they gain in power that tolerance will grow thin.

Mickey Dodds's picture

Kayrobin,
The fact is, proportionately, far more people from ethnic monoriteies are unemployed than native Britons.Most Somalis do not work, neither do most Bengalis.Afro-carribeans are little better as are Pakistanis.
Fact.

Karyobin's picture

There's a surprise: a significant proportion of the people who vote for the BNP are inherently lazy. Too lazy to study when they were at school, too lazy to achieve gainful employment now they no longer are and too lazy to get off their arses, look in the mirror and gaze at the *real* person responsible for all their problems.

To easy to blame strangers, eh lads?

Joe's picture

“They found that the more immigration an area has experienced, the lower its support for the far right”, says the report.
Of course, once the area has been ethnically cleansed of its indigenous population there is no one left to protest by voting for the BNP. That is what has happened in Tower Hamlets and to a lesser extent Newham and Waltham Forest. Barking, and the new constituency Dagenham and Rainham still retain enough of the indigenous population, some of whom were born in Tower Hamlets, Newham or Waltham Forest, to make a stand.
Many of us have our backs to the sea (literally in Southend and Essex) and we can't keep running.
Support for the BNP is not based on ignorance, but on knowledge and familiarity of what living with huge scale immigration is like.
Of what being the only white person on a crowded District line train is like.
Of having to pick where you shop carefully because there are no English butchers left, only halal meat suppliers.
The mainstream parties wouldn't listen when we protested - 'racists' was their answer. Well give a dog a bad name, if we are now voting for a racist party.
This experiment in diversity stops now, and it stops in Barking.

Karyobin's picture

Ooops, typo there:

*'Too'

bill h's picture

Re posting from "Joe".

Joe, Why don't you try reading what the IPPR study says? It finds an inverse correlation between BNP support and levels of "recent immigration", not BNP support and the proportion of ethnic minorities within the local population. That you seem to be unable to make this distinction does provide anecdotal evidence for a correlation between low educational attainment and BNP support.

linoflew's picture

Who is surprised that a Labour think tank has come to this conclusion? National polls show that immigration is second only to the economy on the list of people's concerns. It beggars belief that we are now being told that people are happy to have their wages cut and lose their jobs, they don't object to a culture replacement, or the fact that they are having to compete for education, housing and healthcare. Not to mention of course the rise in crime that is now blighting our society.

Joe's picture

Linoflew, I quite agree.
When pedantic nit pickers like bill h (did your teachers never mention correct use of the capital letter to you Bill?) have to result to insult then they know that their argument is lost.

Joe's picture

That was a typo, I mean resort to insult.

simon's picture

Well of course there will be less suport for the BNP in areas of high imigration, if you have more than one, you have less of the offer, simple maths.

Is this report real or is it just the same old, we canot find any think to attack the BNP with, so we will make it up and state the ovious and make the population belive what you say, because you know if you say it enough people tend to belive it.

But I do know you wont beat the BNP or come to think of it any other pary, if you dont debate with them you will end up forcing people to become extremist and take matters in to there own hands.

There concerns are many people concerns, it is not rasist to want to stop mass immigration, and they are the only ones who are fighting this cause.

Most of the attacks on the BNP are politicaly motivated or by people who have had little association with this country and who have not got blood spilt by ancesters. Just look at muslims and see how strong they feel about palistine and most of them have not lived never even been there, I belive thats how many people are feeling about this coutry, you canot flood a coutry with mass imigration from totaly alien cultures and expect every body to get along, it just is not going to happen.

I myself come from a family who have married in to differant cultures, from around the world so before you bring on ther racist card dont bother.

jason's picture

Bill H says
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
That you seem to be unable to make this distinction does provide anecdotal evidence for a correlation between low educational attainment and BNP support.
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

this report is not evidence based it is low hiracy on the research scale.
and most educated people think the same, but dont want to speak out because they are employed by PC organisations, or they dont live on a council estate so have not experienced the so called bennifits of imigration

Jason's picture

owe I forgot to metion, any reserch or reports conducted by a self serving organsation is bios and in the acedemic world would be dismissed,

Its a bit like BMW writing a report on how fantastic there new z4 is and every body thinks so except the working class, and thats because they canot aford it.

Rory's picture

Those on the left can keep telling themselves the rise of the BNP is nothing to do with immigration. Its apparent that they are becoming increasingly isolated from the real world and the experiances of real people. People like karyobin who dehumanise BNP supporters with insults while never offering anything to the debate. Its just easier for them to think working class people are thick and lazy rather than the backbone of society. Well ignore the masses at your peril. In my experience the only white people left in these 'enriched' areas tend to be elderly, too poor to get out or too wealthy to care. The rest of us live in fear that its going to happen to our communities. Should'nt the issue be why does this government throw huge amounts of taxpayers money at organisations to smear political opponents?

Chris cooper's picture

Any "Study" of this nature, by a few Labour supporters in the Labour alligned "IPPR" is enough to tell you this is nothing more than pre election propaganda.

John Amery's picture

Being the only white person on a train on the District Line, you complete your journey go up the escalator and go to your destination. Your choice of butcher is restricted ? Go to Tesco there'll be one in your back yard soon. It that it??? For this you fall into the arms of National Socialism. You could could just move where I live and be surrounded by delightful white hoodies spitting and smashing bus shelters. Come on in the water's lovely. (when I say white hoodies I don't mean.. you know your mates, I wouldn't want you to be disappointed)

Kenny's picture

@Karyobin
'BNP are inherently lazy. Too lazy to study when they were at school, too lazy to achieve gainful employment'

What utter crap. Do you even know any BNP members or supporters to make that opinion.

John Amery's picture

Well I'm guessing the gormless Jimmy Krankie look alike in the Primark leggings who told me to f... off when I refused a leaflet wasn't a Rhodes Scholar. Unless it was Joan Bakewell having a bad hair day.

david jones's picture

Lets face it this report was done by a labour think tank.
what are the reasons why the Labour should not be in power - to name a few.

1)For the past 10 years incompetent at controlling immigration.
2)No weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. (plus killed a sovereign leader via controlling party)
3)Killed thousands of innocent
people in iraq
4)PM when chancellor said "no more boom and bust"
5)Economy in a total mess
6)Many banks nationlised and companies gone bust.
7)Massive government debt.
8)Loads of people out of work.
9)Government bonds (cant sell them)
10)Political correctness (out of control)
11)Health and safety (out of control)
12)More CCTV cameras(more of a stasi/police state than russia ever was.
13) More people on benefits now than ever before.
14) compensation culture (out of control)
15) Drug culture (out of control)
16) crime (out of control)
17) euro (no referendum)
18) more powers/laws to euro.
19) BBC controlled by labour party.
where does the budget come from.
20) More people killed in afghanistan than falklands war
21) Engineering gone/Manufacturing gone/ and now service secter gone abroad.

There are a few more but am sick of typing

so please vote
BNP
UKIP or
english democrats

stuart's picture

John Amery says
Everything is race with you people/////

nothing to do with race except the ethnic cleansing of the English . all you can ever use is the race card, please change the boring record.

you lefties are playing a dangerous game, the results of this experiment have yet to be concluded but I can garantee the conclution will be somthing you will have never ever witnessed, you have no idear the anger people feel.

Rory's picture

@John Amery
Maybe BNP supporters are also not happy with these white hoodies you talk about? They are the product of labour/tory social policy though. Falling education standards, deindustrialisation, a weak justice system and complete social marginalisation. Do you think BNP supporters agree with them because they are 'white'? Maybe they are also part of the reason people choose to vote BNP? But again it probably wouldnt fit your mental imagery of a BNP supporter. After all they are all thick, unemployed, wear primark and love hitler??

david jones's picture

As undecided who am going to vote for. I find alot of people who slam the BNP,UKIP and English democrats are blinkered or have tunnel vision as there is good and bad in all cultures and political party's The BNP, UKIP and English democrats have some good policy's but also have some stupid one's too just like the labour/conservatives/lib democrats.

If I were in power I would take the best policy's from each political party and remove the worst one's. but hey I know both will never happen. Am afraid the only thick/stupid people will be the one's who vote in labour for another 5 years as my previously email points out why they shouldn't!

Vote
BNP
UKIP or English Democrats

John Amery's picture

Monoriteies ? Is this a new thing they're not telling us about,the wily foreigners. Meanwhile all those minorities are beavering away in the NHS,carehomes,teaching,business,building sites,television.... All the while they have the monoriteies to distract us. Thank god the BNP are on guard !!!

John Amery's picture

Deindustrialisation. Caused not by immigrants,muslims,blacks or any other demons of your overwrought national socialist paranoia.But but thirty years of neoliberalism.You are Murdoch's mugs.The city boys are picking our pockets and all you do is blame Johnny Foreigner.

BliarBlair's picture

Has anyone else noticed how nervous the liblabcon merchants are about growing support for the BNP?
Black propaganda from Brown's boys me thinks. IPPR innit?

Rory's picture

@John Amery
"You are murdochs mugs". Maybe people also have many reasons why they support the BNP. I for one detest the likes of murdoch. Money men and globalisation have destroyed this country. Those on the left complain yet cant understand why people would support a nationalist model economy that benefits the lower echelons of society. eg.. The break down of supermarket monopolies in favor of small business etc. The immigrant has been allowed into Britain to be exploited pure and simple. But im afraid at the indigenous peoples expense. Solution to the problems of the developing world is not to destroy our society (which nobody can deny it is) but for those anti BNP to get off their backsides and actually go to africa/india and help these poor people, instead of sitting in their nice leafy suburbs complaining how racist the plebs are.

Steve Ransop's picture

I agree with Ed Wests assessment in the Telegraph, the IPPR's solution to the BNP is more immigration :)
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/edwest/100035376/the-answer-to-the-bnp...

Those interested in how the IPPR arrived at this staggering conclusion need to take a look at their methodology, which seems to be even more seriously flawed.

John Amery's picture

Sorry my friend sitting in my white working class council estate knowing. that the Sun and the Mail do your work for with their constant barrage of racist garbage and you are trying to pick up the pieces. If you achieved your white out it wouldn't make one bit of diffence to peoples lives. Luckily there are too many decent working class people whose grandparents fought against you in the war to buy this crap. The only thing you'll ever achieve is a few beaten up black and asian people that's all your ever achieve. No Fourth Reich for you sonny.

John Amery's picture

Sorry my friend sitting in my white working class council estate knowing. that the Sun and the Mail do your work for with their constant barrage of racist garbage and you are trying to pick up the pieces. If you achieved your white out it wouldn't make one bit of diffence to peoples lives. Luckily there are too many decent working class people whose grandparents fought against you in the war to buy this crap. The only thing you'll ever achieve is a few beaten up black and asian people that's all your ever achieve. No Fourth Reich for you sonny.

John Amery's picture

Sorry my friend sitting in my white working class council estate knowing. that the Sun and the Mail do your work for with their constant barrage of racist garbage and you are trying to pick up the pieces. If you achieved your white out it wouldn't make one bit of diffence to peoples lives. Luckily there are too many decent working class people whose grandparents fought against you in the war to buy this crap. The only thing you'll ever achieve is a few beaten up black and asian people that's all your ever achieve. No Fourth Reich for you sonny.

John Amery's picture

Sorry my friend sitting in my white working class council estate knowing. that the Sun and the Mail do your work for with their constant barrage of racist garbage and you are trying to pick up the pieces. If you achieved your white out it wouldn't make one bit of diffence to peoples lives. Luckily there are too many decent working class people whose grandparents fought against you in the war to buy this crap. The only thing you'll ever achieve is a few beaten up black and asian people that's all your ever achieve. No Fourth Reich for you sonny.

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