Holden Caulfield
10th January 2009, 14:09
For my locality...
It’s a big year for the far right in the long-term plan to copy their continental counterparts and enter the political mainstream. By the far right I mean the British National Party, there are other groups but these have either dwindled into insignificance, like the National Front, or were never significant in the first place, like the British People’s Party.
In June it’s the European elections and the BNP have a chance at winning a seat in the European Parliament in two areas, the North-West and Yorkshire. In 2004, the last Euro elections, it was the low vote in Cumbria that kept them out so in 2009 Cumbria will be on the front-line of BNP activity.
I don’t think I can make a prediction either way but it’s not an unlikely scenario that Nick Griffin will be one of 12 MEP’s for the North-West in June. Anti-fascists round here should be prepared for a large-scale BNP campaign featuring the regular involvement of national figures and bussing in of members from other areas for mass-leafleting and canvassing, as was the case on at least one day in Carlisle for the 2008 local elections.
Even if they don’t secured the desperately coveted postion MEP this year is likely to another one of steady growth for the far right with high votes at council elections and a more public profile despite the various hilarious mishaps that have accompanied this process, like losing the personal and work details of several thousand people.
Internal problems like the December 2007 split or losing the membership details of thousands of party members can unfortunately be glossed over as long as there is a sense that momentum and success in the party. This has ensured that fascists who had dropped out of active politics, like local party stalwart Martin Wingfield, returned like a bad smell. Expect them to vanish once again if it looks like they backed the wrong horse.
If the example of the National Front in the 1980’s anything to go by if the rise of the BNP is halted or stalled then inside the party different factions will turn on each other very quickly, and they know it. The constant air of sleaze and allegations of financial impropriety that have hung around chairman Nick Griffin for years is enough to ensure this.
The political temperature is going to heat up. This year is crucial for the far right and they will do their best not to let the opportunity slip through their fingers again. Political violence was a feature of the recent close council by-election in Whitehaven, a local member of an anti-racist group in the ward had his van smashed up on election night, in probably the first time in living memory in Cumbria.
stolen from here (http://nationofduncan.wordpress.com/)
It’s a big year for the far right in the long-term plan to copy their continental counterparts and enter the political mainstream. By the far right I mean the British National Party, there are other groups but these have either dwindled into insignificance, like the National Front, or were never significant in the first place, like the British People’s Party.
In June it’s the European elections and the BNP have a chance at winning a seat in the European Parliament in two areas, the North-West and Yorkshire. In 2004, the last Euro elections, it was the low vote in Cumbria that kept them out so in 2009 Cumbria will be on the front-line of BNP activity.
I don’t think I can make a prediction either way but it’s not an unlikely scenario that Nick Griffin will be one of 12 MEP’s for the North-West in June. Anti-fascists round here should be prepared for a large-scale BNP campaign featuring the regular involvement of national figures and bussing in of members from other areas for mass-leafleting and canvassing, as was the case on at least one day in Carlisle for the 2008 local elections.
Even if they don’t secured the desperately coveted postion MEP this year is likely to another one of steady growth for the far right with high votes at council elections and a more public profile despite the various hilarious mishaps that have accompanied this process, like losing the personal and work details of several thousand people.
Internal problems like the December 2007 split or losing the membership details of thousands of party members can unfortunately be glossed over as long as there is a sense that momentum and success in the party. This has ensured that fascists who had dropped out of active politics, like local party stalwart Martin Wingfield, returned like a bad smell. Expect them to vanish once again if it looks like they backed the wrong horse.
If the example of the National Front in the 1980’s anything to go by if the rise of the BNP is halted or stalled then inside the party different factions will turn on each other very quickly, and they know it. The constant air of sleaze and allegations of financial impropriety that have hung around chairman Nick Griffin for years is enough to ensure this.
The political temperature is going to heat up. This year is crucial for the far right and they will do their best not to let the opportunity slip through their fingers again. Political violence was a feature of the recent close council by-election in Whitehaven, a local member of an anti-racist group in the ward had his van smashed up on election night, in probably the first time in living memory in Cumbria.
stolen from here (http://nationofduncan.wordpress.com/)