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38 comments from readers

Enlightened Patriot
16 April 2009 at 12:09

Thank you for printing a well-balanced, non-biased factual article on the BNP.

`We found that the BNP is gaining new support principally from older, less educated, white working-class men'

-is the only part I object to. I believe this to be completely false, as the recently illegally released BNP membership list showed and anyone reading the quality, wisdom, common sense and knowledge of many of those posting comments on the BNP website will realise this.

The party has been proved right on so many issues, will continue to do, so and is the only hope for the future of this once great country.

Martin Wingfield
16 April 2009 at 12:30

Spot on.

At last, an understanding of what has taken place over

the past five years.

Greg
16 April 2009 at 14:42

I think Enlightened Patriot should show some caution. The membership list may well represent those behind the party machine but Godwin and Ford are referring to the people who are actually (or thinking of) voting for the BNP in elections. These are two separate things.

David70
16 April 2009 at 16:43

I am actually voting for the BNP for the first time in the forthcoming elections and I'm an IT Manager so hardly un-educated. The 3 mainstream parties cannot be trusted with this countries future anymore, the will sell out their own grandmothers for monetary gain. They have got this country a total shambles.

British Statist
16 April 2009 at 16:51

Dr David Selbourne predicted the ascendancy of a nationalist British Right in December 1999. He outlined the role economic populism would play and he critiqued the continual denigration and public ridicule of poor, marginalised, White people, by the forces that represent ' Modern Britain' in terms of the diversity and inclusion agendas. In established diversity and modernism in their Gramscian forms, the New Labour project and its principal agents forgot to 'include' an electoral bloc of several million of the forgotton, the poor and the marginalised. This could be because they despise them or their attitudes are an embarassment to New Labour. However, the arguments are now immaterial. What will define the BNP's fortunes in June 2004 is turnout and nothing else. As long as 90% of the voters reject the BNP and vote for someone else, the BNP will go to Brussels in a number of Euro-regions. There is an awful irony in the way that New Labour played such a deep-rooted and unthinking role in handing this statistical proposition over to the BNP. By its own admission, the BNP knows that it lacks the means (currently) to control or create positive headlines about itself. Therefore, when Margaret Hodge, John Cruddas, Harriet Harman and Trevor Phillips continually keep it in the news near an election, it happily collects the 1+ in 20 votes this creates for it. The BNP only needs to scrape together enough votes to pass the threshold for a PR win in June. That is all it wants. After that, it will be made financially and construct the political public space it requires to reach out to a wider bloc of voters. If this happens, it will establish a national core vote akin to the Front Nationale. The critiques of the BNP are too crude to continue. The political classes have taken comfort in the John Tyndall years and how they kept the BNP far away from the council chamber.

Mikal
16 April 2009 at 17:01

I agree with enlightened Patriot. Every week I man a BNP table throughout South Wales. Many people who are attracted to our policies are retired professional people in their 50's and upwards. First time voters are also eager to find out about us asking searching questions which is most welcome. People all over the UK have listened to the constant negative publicity and most are even minded enough to ignore it. The lesser educated white collar worker that you refer to kept Britain in business for decades until the new class of get rich kids that Thatcher started and Labour has nurtured ruined this country.

Nick Griffin
16 April 2009 at 18:21

A remarkably fair piece. It is a little simplistic - I had the interesting experience during the Tameside by-election a couple of months ago of campaigning for the BNP with Don't Forget to Vote leaflets delivered to 'Yeses' from the canvass returns very early on polling day.

In the 'rough' estates we were delivering to about one in every ten houses. In the smart, nearly new, owner-occupied sections, to one in three or one in four.

When we started, at 6.30 a.m., every house with a works van (self-employed or skilled tradesmen) on the drive was on our list to get a leaflet. A little later, as it was snowing lightly, we could see places where someone had driven to work earlier than their neighbours. The vast majority of these early bird tax-payers were also on our list.

Researchers shouldn't be fooled by the vocal expressions of sympathy on poor white estates, most actual BNP votes come from rather higher up the social scale.

As for why the BNP vote is going to rise so markedly in June, look no further than the headlines about the greed and corruption of the political elite, and of the banker-foxes they allowed, unfettered and unrestricted, into our national economic chicken-coop.

jwilliamskent
16 April 2009 at 20:21

Sir,

I am educated to a postgraduate level, have not been and probably will not be affected by the recession, and will be voting for the BNP for the second time this June. The first time I voted for them was in the London election last year.

I do accept that there may be racist, anti-Semitic or discriminatory elements within the BNP, but when considering the antics and extremism of the other parties the BNP is the lesser evils. In other words, the level of evil within all the major parties I believe is roughly the same, perhaps even skewered towards the Labour Party, and thus by policies alone the BNP wins my vote.

What policies do I find appealing? There are many but some include: the encouragement of patriotism and national pride within the community and schools - I am sick of being looked upon suspiciously for being proud of the nations history and national character; reducing welfare of scroungers, increasing welfare for the elderly and disabled - goes without saying; withdrawal from the EU; withdrawal from Iraq and Afghanistan; a guarantee not to involve the nation in the affairs of other nations - this is an important one to me, we should let other nations evolve naturally from the inside without being picked at and prodded by more powerful nations; the humane repatriation of immigrants that refuse to integrate into traditional British society with nothing unique or valuable to offer the nation - if they refuse to integrate they cause anxiety to the community which is completely unfair; tougher penalties, especially for minor crimes and yobbish behaviour that intrudes on other people's lives; abolishment of laws that impinge on our freedom of speech and privacy - goes without saying..

Labour failed me, the Conservatives failed me, and I do not trust the LibDems to be different from these two.

John Williams

Whistle
16 April 2009 at 21:03

A good,well balanced article,however,as an older white working class,I did enjoy a better education than most of the children of today and that was only a Secondary Modern School.The Teachers in those days demanded respect,or else!! That is what is missing today. I also know that the quality of members in our local branch is higher than you may think,all and every one of them, thoroughly brassed off with the three main parties. So, as more and more people realise the truth( you cannot trust most of the press nowadays,sad but true)the party will expand and hopefully form a Government,for the people,by the people,in the not too distant future.

D.H.Boater Ipswich.

Suffolk
16 April 2009 at 21:33

Despite all the acres of print opinion regarding the BNP the age old principle should apply i.e. allow them to put their case and then ALLOW THE PEOPLE TO DECIDE......but l believe the ruling clique are affraid the great unwashed might be persuaded.

A THURROCK PATRIOT
17 April 2009 at 00:02

I must first also echo the balance of this article. I'm a BNP activist, leafleting every week.

On a recent paper sale in brentwood, I was spat at and had tea thrown at me among the verbal abuse, we should be locked up and arrested screamed the few uaf supporters who turned up, were screaming to the cops it should be made illegal to allow me to express my political views on the streets, which i found kinda funny coming from people who preach equality, tolerance and understanding. When the vicar arrived and asked the cops to move us on, I pointed out he and the uafers were being very intolerant and not understanding in treating us very unequal, hence the hot cup of tea coming in my direction,so who were the real fascist??, still joe public understood and gave us great support.

So my view is that we are the party of everyone, ex labour like myself and ex tories as my brother among others, even a person who used to be a member of the socialist workers party and went on marches.

Everyone who i leaflet with was a main party supporter at one time , all normal people who have seen the main parties ripping the electorate off with their expenses and grinding the country into the ground.

But I agree with Greg, we should show some caution as a lot of the electorate at the moment still vote for the main parties who have had Liars, Buggers and Thieves in the ranks, rather than vote for a BNP that wants british jobs for british workers, british houses for british people and british school places for british children, in short british first in britain that's not racist that's reservist.

mckenzie
17 April 2009 at 00:07

Looking forward to BNP expansion in Wales, the place that turned its back on me the day I was born, and I have had to swim against the racism ever since.

The Loud Majority
17 April 2009 at 01:06

People should always remember there is no smoke without fire for years the BNP party leadership has denied the holocaust during WW2 ever happened. Senior figures within such an organisation have stated their admiration for Nazi Germany. As history has shown us in the 1930s hitler claimed to be a Nationalist with no intent of causing trouble, like hitler before them the BNP are just pulling the wool over our eyes. They have forged links to other European right wing parties who condone violence and use it at every opportunity. If we did end immigration and repatriate everyone who the BNP claim to be non indigenous, would that mean we would have to welcome back all ex patriots from foreign shores. If so it would backfire totally on the BNP as the UK would end up with even more people than it did before they would have ended immigration. They say they stand up on the side of the workers "British jobs for British Workers", Where were they 25 years ago during the miners strike supporting the Scab workers and Margaret Thatcher. They even suggested the army should have been brought in to deal with the striking miners. The BNP uses the words "Freedom", "Democracy", "Security" but under a BNP Government how much Freedom, Security and Democracy would we really have. And I have no recollection of there ever being a Liberal Democrat government in the UK so to stae that they have let us down is wrong. People have the right to vote for who they think is best but remember the a Leopard neve changes his or her spots. The BNP always latches on to whatever they feel can score them brownie points mainly on Immigration but recently just to localise tension and hate they used the issue of Protestant's and Catholics in Glasgow just for a change. They claim to have a full range of policies but closer inspection of their website wil enlighten you to the fact that every problem is due to Immigration "Ah what a surprise". Do your home work before the June elections and think before voting BNP

kenny
17 April 2009 at 08:25

Well reported,in the party,there are extremly educated people ,people,Yasmin brown who has made a fortune out of putting the BNP down,her comments will come back to haunt her.

bulldog
17 April 2009 at 09:54

As a rotten corrupt system implodes the BNP is a breath of fresh air for all of us sick of spin and outright lies.

Barbara Suzuki
17 April 2009 at 09:56

Some think the BNP offers simplisitic solutions to complex issues and we are far from complacent. There is some alarm at the thought of this naive party gaining any seats in the European elections.

It is important that the electorate comes out in force to vote for their own party on June 4th to prevent the BNP from gaining power by default.

Harry May
17 April 2009 at 12:22

A well written article it shows how far the BNP has come as the foremost thinking political party when articles like this are now written about us instead of the usual mud slinging we have had to endure over the years.

To anyone with half a brain it is now obvious the BNP is a mainstream political party who will be a major force in British politics.

With the forthcoming european elections just around the corner its intestesting to see which parties are doing what the can to actually win seats on their policies and those who think to win an election they just have to slander and bad mouth their opponents.

At last a party that listens to the people it represents rather than the British voter just being used as a meal ticket for the numerous corrupt Labour and Conservative governments that have decieved this country for so many years.

thisismycountry
17 April 2009 at 12:42

Greg

16 April 2009 at 14:42

"I think Enlightened Patriot should show some caution...Godwin and Ford are referring to the people who are actually (or thinking of) voting for the BNP in elections"

I have 2 degrees, have voted Labour all my life - up to and including '97 - and will be voting for the BNP from now on. I'm a teacher.

dquinn25
17 April 2009 at 15:13

Good balanced article - for once

Yes finally labours continual disregard for the british people has finally pushed them to breaking point and they are quite rightly looking elsewhere for solutions to our problems. They can dress it up all they want but their actions over the last decade or so have pushed people towards the BNP, it is ironic that the liblabcon hate the BNP so much yet they have done a fantastic job winning them support

Roland Baker
17 April 2009 at 18:09

In the EU Parliament, one seat gets you nowhere unless you ally with enough people to form a group as the Tories are about to find out to their cost now they have left the EPP.

Get Jean-Marie Le Pen in proportion. When he contested Chirac for the French Presidency he got thrashed. His opportunity arose because Jean-Pierre Chevènement (nationaliste de la gauche and now MRC) split the left vote and most French people were sickened when they saw the first round result. Le Pen got nowhere in 2007 between Sarkozy and Ségolène Royal.

The French Front National is more dangerous in the EU Parliament than in France. In the last EU elections, France sent 25 FN MEPs and they could do nothing on their own until they formed an alliance with right wingers, mostly from Eastern Europe, to make up the 35-member Independence Tradition and Sovereignty. Then they got EU Parliamentary funding as a group - and lost it again when they fractured among themselves. Think Farage and Kilroy-Silk type temper tantrums.

The BNP's contribution to British Politics will be negligible (except to put the wind up Labour) after 4 June 2009 and their British contribution to the EU Parliament will be nothing unless they form an alliance. Who they chose will then determine their credibility in British Politics because my betting is that they will end up in the same group as the Tories.

wrapper
17 April 2009 at 19:06

Unfortunately, it looks like the BNP cyber-activists have jumped on this informative article for their own purposes.

Rob
17 April 2009 at 21:00

I will not be voting for the BNP in June because they are a party that represents only white people. If they were a party that represented all the people of this country, regardless of colour, who wanted to control immigration and preserve the culture of this once great country then I would vote for them. I feel that those who have come here and integrated into the British way of life, as many have, are welcome and should be regarded as British. The problem we now face is that there are too many people coming into this small country, many of whom have no desire to integrate and some of whom want to change our laws and culture to suit them

MadBadger
17 April 2009 at 21:17

This article is very poor. It briefly mentions some of the nubnp's manifesto; more cash for the NHS, state ownership and an increase in the state pension, but where the hell is the money coming from?

Rather than concentrate on the nubnp's populism and opportunism it should have torn their manifesto to pieces.

And that's before you reach their racism.

Thankfully, I believe that the nubnp will never get any real power in this country. Most people have more sense than to vote for them.

It's quite interesting to see the same old lines about politics trotted out by the nubnp, like 'liblabcon'. I'm convinced that the nubnp indoctrinate their 'supporters' and 'activists' to the extent that they are incapable of thinking for themselves. The nubnp way seems to be just like the nazis.

Freeman
17 April 2009 at 22:32

Of course, the BNP - like their forebears the Nazis - will

have to purge their 'left-wing' elements (a few old

Strasserites from the past?) before they are taken

seriously as a possible protector of the system by the

capitalists.

Reimer
18 April 2009 at 00:59

I'd take issue with the description of the BNP as "extremist" - given the unacknowledged, deliberate transformation of the country over the past 20-odd years, making it an increasingly alien & hostile place to its natives but highly receptive to sullen outsiders, pushy chancers, human resource professionals and readers of the Grauniad's Public Sector Posts section I'd say that what deems itself "mainstream" (ie Westminster and beyond) is indubitably extremist in the extent of its duplicity and treachery.

Eric_The_Fish
18 April 2009 at 15:01

Wow! Has your site been hacked by the BNP or are they now buying NS?

I note how many people like to display their qualifications like some crude game of IQ poker then say they are voting for them.

The party may seek to distance themselves from the knuckle-draggers but scratch below the surface and the racist and bigoted policies remain.

If those so-called 'educated' BNP voters are not willing to do the necessary research then they run the same risk of being seen as naive as the famous vicar on the leaked list.

It is true that mere name calling and use of the N and F words do more harm than good, but there is evidence of the true nature of BNP beliefs. Just read some of their local sites and see the anti-Semitic comments which stand unaddressed.

Look also at the kind of literature these activists recommend (White Power by George Rockwell for instance).

Part of the problem is that certain sections of the media (Mail, star, express) have editorial lines largely in step with Mr Griffin's whilst at the same time dismissing them. It is a symbiotic relationship seen in the large scale links from BNP sites to their stories.

The major parties have also some failings which has led to people no longer being ashamed to vote BNP or express such views.

If Barnbrook's incoherent performance at the GLA is anything to go on, any seat won in the Euros would be a waste and just a donation to funds.

captainjoe
18 April 2009 at 18:46

"The party has been proved right on so many issues, will continue to do, so and is the only hope for the future of this once great country."

Are you being ironic? The party has shown to lie and distort the truth time after time. The racial tension is caused by them, when they will go into an area seed lies and things kick off when race relations were fine before. The BNP gain ground by lying and manipulating. The BNP are a pathetic bunch of idiots so ignorant they front their anti immigration campaign with a polish plane! Seemingly upset that they believe we have lost 'our culture' when they don't know anything about it themselves. Britain has always been a country of mixed cultures.

johnB
18 April 2009 at 20:20

Finally Some thing of intelligence in the Mainstream Media Although I do not agree that this article was totally balanced, It seemed to me that the Authors were pushing the subliminal suggestion that Griffin and Co had put these Party planks up as a public relations ploy rather than deeply felt principles. I know better having followed the BNP for years even way back emailing Nick ( in those days when he had time to answer American Inquiries) All of You need to read Griffins carefully thought out economic treatise "the third way". As It is the best answer that I have seen on how a nation can thread the difficult course between the Scylla of state socialism exemplified in horrible detail by communism, and the Charybdis of unrestrained international cutthroat capitalism, as typified by the Globalist Banksters who have gotten us into this world wide mess. Nick, Simon, Martin, et al are really the type of people they advertise themselves to be, people deeply in love with the Beauty and culture of Great Britain and determined to do all they can to protect it. As an American with a British Mother, I find the beauty of the traditional parts of GB breathtaking and have on the relatively few occasions when I visited, enjoyed the openness and warmth of the working class culture of my mothers England. Maybe it takes some one who is a bit of an outsider to see just how special it is what you all have got and to appreciate the amount of work that it will take to create a political force that will keep it. Keep up the good work, all you in the BNP!

Assegai
18 April 2009 at 22:13

The rise of the BNP is due to this Labour government. The last time the "far right" was strong was back in the mid/late 70s also under a Labour government until Margaret Thatcher came to power and restored order to this country through her supply side policies following the Winter of Discontent.

Since 1997 (when the Tories left office) net migration overall in the UK has increased fivefold which means the population has risen by more than 1.85 million in the last decade, purely because of immigration.

Many of the indigenous population consider this to be a negative development because of the strain on our infrastructure together with impact on jobs, wages and crime.

Other idiotic policies by this government like raising taxes on the middle and working classes, even in the so called good times, fighting pointless wars which has made us a bigger target for terrorists, political correctness, bureacracy, MPs (mainly Labour) greedily claiming parliamentary allowances and the failure of banks has all played into BNP hands.

Nick Griffin, despite his political baggage, is a well educated, articulated performer. I believe that the only way to diminish the rise of the BNP is to elect a Tory govt at the next election so that the people of this country can once again have faith in a government delivering the right policies and harmonious race relations can be restored to those that existed during the 80s and most of the 90s.

johnB
19 April 2009 at 02:06

People are not leopards and the people in the BNP who were so totalitarian left after Griffin defeated Tyndall ten years ago. In other words that are not easily spun nor misunderstood, the moderates purged the hard right nut cases. As a member of a small Party in the USA I can tell you that Small parties are often joined by extremest individuals and we spend quite a lot of our time tossing them out when they reveal their "true feelings" In that respect British laws are better as one can not as in the US declare himself a party member and then use the courts to obstruct oneself against being tossed out for violating rules. Griffin, who Labour has sometimes smeared as the "dictator" of the BNP has used the powers that he has under the BNP constitution to remove Nazis and race haters. Yet the BNP still remains democratic as in Colin Autys challenge to Nick's leadership in 2007. Nick won that one with 93 % of the vote. The judgement of the Party members was subsequently vindicated when shortly after losing the election Auty left the party and then though he could have kept it resigned his counsel seat complaining (as reported by the Guardian) that people he interacted with professsionally were ostracizing him and his wife as BNP members. In my view that proved he didn't have the stuff to stand the heat, unlike others like Sadie Graham who even after being purged from the party at least stuck to their guns, politically speaking. Yes the stalwarts in the BNP have proven they can stand up to unfair slurs and discrimination. Why? because they are motivated to do so for the good of the nation. That is what makes a real patriot as opposed to a fair weather friend. The vast majority of the people now in the BNP are in my view made up of the right stuff to take on the difficult tasks of true leadership in society, rather than just being political hacks, as in the Labour Party and the Conservatives and the Lib Dems.

DontVoteBNP
19 April 2009 at 18:10

The BNP is a far-right whites only party. It wants to "send home" anyone who isn't white to their "homeland". It asserts that whites are biologically superior to other races. The BNP is racist and xenophobic. It has a history of violence. Historically, it has been overtly anti-Semitic, its current target is Islam. Other targets include blacks, homosexuals and Sikhs. The BNP proposes reintroduction of capital punishment and corporal punishment. It proposes guns in homes and national service. It has relations with neo-Nazi, terrorist and paramilitary groups. Fascism, nationalism and populism are its key tenets.

Karen
19 April 2009 at 18:28

Re Roland Baker's comment. The Brussels bunch are unelected and they are going to stop at nothing to get what they want, including abundant media propaganda fuelling the public prejudice against the BNP. The UK is a cigarette paper away from becoming Totalitarian and Europe will be a dictatorship. I will vote BNP, I am degree educated and not an uneducated white male as the New Statemen believes that BNP voters are.

a.m.r.
20 April 2009 at 20:00

Wow, a lot of BNP astroturfers commenting here.

The BNP is the party of choice for neo-Nazi's, white racists and antisemites. I preferred it when they were open about it.

Littlenan
20 April 2009 at 20:55

It is amazing how many people believe they know better than BNP members what the BNP stand for.

The arrogance of some non BNP people is also astonishing. Their depiction of the typical BNP member must be correct because they say it is and they are always right. They cast so many slurs upon the BNP it makes you wonder whether the opposition have a special "Slurs and Smears Department." Sexual smears upon the Tories and racist smears upon the BNP.

The public are not stupid and they are no longer trust of any political party. They now look past smears and slurs and find out for themselves. This is why the Labour and Conservative party are just wasting their time in throwing this mud.

Anyway, to me the fascists are the people who will not allow other people to vote for their own choice of party and even beat BNP people up just because they do not agree with them. That cannot be right.

Roland Baker
20 April 2009 at 22:05

Karen's response to my earlier comment prompted me to renew my education on the structure of the EU:

http://www.europarl.org.uk/section/whats-happening-european-...

Which one of the 785 MEPs is not elected? There are various inter-acting European institutions and some criticise the democratic deficit because the EU Parliament is not "sovereign" as domestic parliaments are. That is why we are electing MEPs who can work with the Council of Ministers and the EU Commission to address it.

Nonetheless the EU Parliament is consulted on many issues. Indeed Daniel Hannan recently found an opportunity to make a speech their rubbishing the Prime Minister of the country Daniel Hannan himself represents in a way that would never have been allowed at Westminster.

It would actually be very difficult for Europe to become a homogenised dictatorship. I find it hard to identify who exactly is the dictator under whom I am oppressed. Vaclav Klaus? José Manuel Barroso?

Whilst a number of recent UK Home Secretaries have prioritised security over individual freedom, the UK is not quite totalitarian. Our defence, should it become so, is likely to be the European Court of Justice and EU Convention on Human Rights.

The EU Rapporteur on E-Justice is Diana Wallis from the UK. We cannot refuse to trade with the rest of Europe so we need common forms of law to support cross border agreements in an electronic age. The UK is leading the way from inside for the whole of Europe forming opinion. Otherwise we have to trade with them on terms over which we have no say.

Where's the beef?

David Lindsay
24 April 2009 at 17:17

This phenomenon simply would not exist if we really were experiencing, as has been suggested in the last couple of days, "a return to Old Labour".

But in fact, have the Government and its associates repented of their formative Communist and Trotskyist activism, admitting that it had been wrong at the time? Have they made it clear once and for all that, contrary to appearances, they have not merely changed tactics from the economic to the social, cultural and constitutional, without having changed their ultimate objectives one iota? Have they explained definitively that when they call themselves social democrats, they mean one of that term's two entirely different definitions (the one that almost all English-speaking people mean) rather than the other (the one relating to the Russian Revolution and to the original German party of that name, and subject to repeated Papal condemnations)?

Have the Government and its associates become instead supporters of the universal and comprehensive Welfare State, and the strong statutory and other (including trade union) protection of workers, consumers, communities and the environment, the former paid for by progressive taxation, the whole underwritten by full employment, and all these good thing delivered by the partnership between a strong Parliament and strong local government? Have they therefore taken to giving a political voice to trade unions, co-operatives, credit unions, mutual guarantee societies, mutual building societies and similar bodies?

And have the Government and its associates now moved into the tradition of the trade unionists and Labour activists who in the early twentieth century peremptorily dismissed an attempt to make the Labour Party anti-monarchist, and resisted schemes to abort, contracept and sterilise the working class out of existence?

The tradition of the Attlee Government’s refusal to join the European Coal and Steel Community because it was “the blueprint for a federal state” which “the Durham miners would never wear”? Of Gaitskell’s rejection of European federalism as “the end of a thousand years of history” and liable to destroy the Commonwealth? Of the unanimous Labour vote against the Single European Act, of the 66 Labour MPs who voted against Maastricht, and of the every Labour MP without exception who voted against the Common Agricultural and Fisheries Policies every year between 1979 and 1997? And of the view of the European project that prevailed overwhelmingly within the Parliamentary Labour Party when it was comprised overwhelmingly of economically populist and social democratic, morally and socially conservative, staunchly Unionist and pro-Commonwealth, often church-based politicians?

The tradition of Bevan’s ridicule of the first parliamentary Welsh Day on the grounds that “Welsh coal is the same as English coal and Welsh sheep are the same as English sheep”? Of those Labour MPs who in the 1970s successfully opposed Scottish and Welsh devolution not least because of its ruinous effects on the North of England? And of those Labour activists in the Scottish Highlands, Islands and Borders, and in North, Mid and West Wales, who accurately predicted that their areas would be balefully neglected under devolution?

The tradition of the Parliamentary Labour Party that voted against the partition of the United Kingdom? Of the Attlee Government’s first ever acceptance of the principle of consent with regard to the constitutional status of Northern Ireland? Of the Wilson Government’s deployment of British troops to protect Northern Ireland’s grateful Catholics precisely as British subjects? And of the Callaghan Government’s administration of Northern Ireland exactly as if it were any other part of the United Kingdom?

The tradition of the Catholic and other Labour MPs, including John Smith, who fought tooth and nail against abortion and easier divorce? Of the Methodist and other Labour MPs, including John Smith, who fought tooth and nail against deregulated drinking and gambling? And of those, including John Smith, who successfully organised through USDAW against Thatcher’s and Major’s attempts to destroy the special character of Sunday and of Christmas Day?

The tradition of Attlee’s successful dissuasion of Truman from dropping an atom bomb on Korea? Of Wilson’s refusal to send British forces to Vietnam, but use of military force to safeguard the right of the people of Anguilla to be British? And of Callaghan’s successful prevention of an Argentine invasion of the Falkland Islands?

And the tradition that helped to provide the backbone of the Police, the Armed Forces and the Prison Service in much better days for all of them, and to call millions onto the streets to celebrate such events as the Coronation in 1953 and the Silver Jubilee in 1977?

Merely to ask these questions answers them.

Indeed, the unrepented Communist and Trotskyist activity included ruthlessly purging the House of Commons of almost everyone even remotely like that, of whom there would be still be hundreds in a representative Parliament, just as there always used to be.

A return to Old Labour?

If only!

davidaslindsay@hotmail.com; http://davidaslindsay.blogspot.com

paul maleski
09 May 2009 at 21:17

Give the platform to the BNP. And listen!

Why is the BNP described as extremist and right wing? I got a good idea! The NUJ is one of them, amongst others. Successive pre-war British governments, were not too keen, to say the least, on non-white immigration. As for the BNP's welfare, economic, family policies etc, I would describe them as rather 50'ish Old Labour. On the question of law and order, the BNP simply want a return to a more robust criminal justice system; tougher policing, prisons etc. hardly, radical. In short, they are taking on top down, sixties' cosmopolitan intellectualism which is rapidly taking, this country down the pan. And despite a virtual media black-out, they are winning the ideological battle. Let the long suffering electorate decide at the ballot box, the future direction of this country. They have been disenfranchised for far too long!

conquest
16 May 2009 at 07:25

I will be voting for BNP and I think that many others would also vote BNP if it were not for the perceived "shame factor". What I mean by that is that the BNP is always shown in the media as a "Bad & Evil Bunch". Many people will probably agree with the BNP's policies but not want to publicly admit it. In the closet so to speak. Eventually all these secret supporters are going to come out once they feel the level of acceptance is high enough for social acceptance. Once that happens it will snow ball. I too felt guilty for agreeing with the BNP policies but now I feel proud to be finally voting for my Country. I will vote BNP!!