So if the BNP have got in in the European elections does that mean..

[TotallyAndUtterlyPaninied]

... We'll be gotten rid of because DP has an Irish grandad? Or I'll get lesser pay for being female?

I'm unsure on how politics work, as it worries me so I try not to hear about it.

But I do want to clear up the rumours for my own peace of mind so can someone please explain to me?

Onager, I appreciate that they are not any better. But at least they are not worse and if you don't have the option of "none of the above" surely any party is better than the BNP? Here, Fianny Fail are in Government and making a mess of it. To express anger at this I voted Fine Gael who are still a moderate party. I am sure they are no better than Fianna Fail tbh but I know that if I don't vote for them or similar, MIL and her ilk would get Libertas in.

Maybe Northernrefugee, that's how the BNP got votes, as in London they were first on the ballot paper and people were too lazy to look further [hopeful that 1million people aren't crazy racists but only lazy emoticon].

morloth
I don't believe all those people who have voted for the BNP are all racists/stupid types"
But what do you think their reasons were for voting for them then?

• the BNP's most public profile is the race issue- everyone knows that; they used to be the National Front- who wore nazi regalia. If people truly believe the policies aren't based on this, then yes, they are stupid imo. Sadly- the fact they were top of the list and not a main party might be a reason that people voted for them.

Or mixed them up with Ukip because they flounce a Union Jack; or something equally thoughtless. The "stupid" part is that some where, people equate their economic hardship , the credit crunch etc, with "immigrants", and their definition of immigrants is usually about race. onagar- I agree- a box with "none of the above" would be essential. But like Morloth I'm still undecided about forcing people to vote. It's like when my dcs complain about going to school, and I tell them about their Aunt's friend, who walked miles in Africa every day to go to a crummy building with no facilities, barely any books or even pencils because she was so desperate to learn and become a doctor. Things sometimes have to get really bad for people to ge up and do something.

Because they are angry northernrefugee, they are angry at the current mess, they are angry because they don't have jobs (or have shit jobs), they are angry that the NHS seems to be a shambles, they are angry at what they perceive to be special treatment of immigrants, they are ANGRY and yes I guess anger can occassionally make people a bit dumb - that is the masses I am afraid.

And the masses decide in a democracy, so I truly believe that if the BNP is to be stopped then the mainstream parties need to have a good long think about why so many people are voting for them. Figure out WHY they are angry and do something about it, or the UK is heading down a path where enough people will be pissed off enough to vote them into real power.

Calling people stupid is not going to stop them voting for the BNP and is only going to push otherwise fence sitters into their arms as a revolt against the left.

If you are not racist why vote for the BNP? The only other reason could be that you are stupid surely?

Its logic not predjudice.

Because the BNP are a racist party. You do not have to dig deep to find out what their real policies are.

So if you are not racist and think that the BNP are not then you must be bloody stupid.

I dont get the argument that people are so desperate about the state of the country they are forced to vote BNP.

Desperate about what? Even during a recession we are a rich country. If you are unfortunate enough to lose your job you will be looked after by the state. We have a wonderful health system that despite dire warnings (for the last 50 years) has NOT crumbled under the weight of all the bogus asylum seekers. We have free schooling up to 18, we have a social service that does a brilliant job, we have decent housing, clean water, plenty of food, a temperate bloody climate - what the hell is so terrible about this county?

All our services have their problems. Even given the latest scandals and cockups they are still amoung the best in the world.

I dont think this country has gone down hill. I think the population has got more demanding.

It seems to me that those who complain the most are generally the ones who have least to complain about. Its those that want to protect what is 'theirs' against the imaginary hoards of Turkish Muslims poised to invade the gated communities and waggon wheeled bungalows.

SO THERE Ner!

OK chegirl none of that changes my point though. Shouldn't the idea be to get people thinking differently instead of feeling offended at being called stupid?

Perception is everything, people perceive they are being wrongly done by and as I said in an earlier post the BNP have done an excellent marketing job playing on that perception.

You cannot ban the BNP, you just can't - if you do you open the door to banning any party people don't agree with.

Democracy can be a double edged sword.

The BNP seem to break the rules of democracy though.

The incite hatred and they tell lies. I dont mean stupid lies about moats and duck islands.

It seems that if a Tory or Labour MP make some stupid gaff about Liverpudlians or offend the WI they are made to grovel or resign.

The BNP can pretty much say what they like. Their propaganda leaflet contained downright fraudulent information and what happened? Bugger all.

I would like to see the BNP banned, not because they offend my liberal sensibilities but because they want to pack up my OH and Dcs and ship them out. They would see me tarred and feathered for disgracing my race and they advocate violence against any one they deem not to be British.

Yay chegirl!
Great post.

Shucks bicci

Yes- a good one chegirl
If bnp voters are "offended" by being called "stupid" then they deserve it quite frankly.
And good, ordinary people are angry about them geting a postition of power they no way deserve, and only got by default ( there wasn't a huge rise in interest in them, just a drop in everyone else remember.
So it's not really a protest vote, it's a non voting prootest by those fed up with the others which has allowed them to slip in by the back door, the skin of their teeth.
And that has made a lot of people angry.

But surely they are within the law chegirl? If they are breaking the law then by all means they should be prosecuted, if they are not however actually breaking the law then they have a right to say whatever they like. It might be vile but if it isn't breaking the law, there isn't anything that can be done. Except possibly trying to change the law, which can be a very slippery slope when it comes to what people can and cannot say and think.

northernrefugee "rise in interest in them, just a drop in everyone else remember." It is the same thing at the end though isn't it? If good people don't get out and vote for other parties and the other parties don't get off their arses and pull some of the BNP voters back, then it seems to me that you will end up with them having more power.

I believe the saying that "we get the government we deserve" is very true. So all those people who either didn't vote at all or who messed up their voting cards are as responsible for the BNP rise as the people who actually voted for them.

You can rant and rave and call them stupid, but it is only going to make things worse, not better.

morloth it seems to my (admitedly v.biased) eyes, that the BNP get away with murder.

The perception of them as loony morons probably goes a long way towards allowing this to happen.

I am not an expert in law (to busy being a knowitall about everything else ) so I dont know if they have broken any technically. But I wouldve thought that making up data and false advertising was breaking some sort of law/bylaw/code.

At the very least surely?

I don't know the law chegirl but even if they are skating close - technically is everything when it comes to laws.

I would actually be pretty surprised if they were flagrantly flouting laws, given how keen everyone seems to be to get rid of them.