The worrying rise of the BNP

Last night the British National Party won their first two seats in the European parliament.


Many mainstream politicians looked shocked when this happened, but in truth this has been coming for some time. In a country where the first past the post system means that the big parties focus so much of their energy on chasing floating voters, the BNP have filled a void.

One could argue that both the low turn-out and the disgust shown at MPs' expenses could mean that many of the BNP and other smaller parties' votes were merely a show of protest and would not be repeated in a general election.

BNP play on fear

However, the fact that a racist organisation like the BNP is getting any support at all is deeply worrying. In an increasingly multicultural nation, the BNP have successfully played on people's fears over immigration and job losses.

In somwhere like Barnsley for example, BNP support shot up from 8% in 2004 to 17% in 2009. This is a classic example of a place that feels forgotten by mainstream politics. Businesses are closing down, people have lost their jobs and it is little surprise that voters are left feeling frustrated.

For Nick Griffin the BNP's leader, it has been so easy to win followers. By dropping references to his party's racist beliefs, and making dissatisfied white people believe he is the only person standing up for them the BNP have become more successful than many would have ever believed.

Debate

Under Griffin, the BNP have become the most successful British fascist party ever, surpassing Oswald Mosley's British Union of Fascists, and the fearsome National Front (of which Griffin is a former member), and this is no accident.

For too long politicians from all three main parties have chosen to ignore the rise of the BNP, suggesting that openly engaging with them would give them free publicity, but this has been firmly proved to be the wrong decision.

The Church of England should be applauded for intervening and telling people not to vote for the party, but in reality this had little effect. Labour, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats need to wake up to the fact that the BNP are here to stay. It is time to engage with them in debate.

Nick Griffin has been very clever in masking what the BNP are really about, but by engaging in debate with his party, the mainstream parties can retake the initiative.

Devious

Opening up a debate over the BNP's small-minded policies would show them up for what the party really is; racist bigots who happen to wear suits. This needs to happen without delay.

One of the party's new MEPs Andrew Brons, mentioned nothing of his racist beliefs in his acceptance speech last night. This is the deviousness of the far-right, they now know how to look acceptable and must be exposed.

In modern Britain there should be no room for any racist party, and politicians need to wake up to the danger that our democracy faces from hate-filled groups like the BNP; before it is too late.