BNP successes, the effect of playing the 'race card'

Issues Explained

Monday, 08 June 2009

The success of the British National Party (BNP) in winning two European Parliamentary seats has caused much controversy and alarm. Whilst there has been no significant rise in their vote count, their share of the vote seems to have come from a melt down in support for Labour. Nonetheless, there are serious concerns in that their reputation for blind racism and anti-semitism has been masked in recent years by a tactical attempt to focus on the Muslim community. There are several thoughts that come to mind from these results. Firstly, the scaremongering that is used by both political parties to bolster support for themselves will not be proportionate to their chances of gaining more power and influence. Despite the lack of trust in mainstream parties the level of support for the BNP has not risen significantly. Secondly, European elections are under a system of proportional representation. As such all the votes of BNP supporters scattered over a huge region are pooled and consequently they gained 2 seats. Their current percentage of the vote (6.2%) is less than the Green Party (8.6%), yet both gain 2 seats in the European parliament. However, in general elections the chances of a BNP victory in even a single seat are at best remote with the first past the post system . Thirdly, the real impact of this BNP vote will be on the other parties. History shows that Labour and the Conservative both adopt a more anti-Muslim and anti-Immigration stance when the BNP hits the headlines, playing the populist card. Finally, the BNP success arguably exposes one of the most shaming and flawed aspects of the democratic system. Nationalism is an abhorrent political ideology, built upon the idea that one race or nation is inherently superior to another, and seeks to dominate others. It is the ideology that spawned Nazi Germany and Milosovic's Serbia and is again gaining ground in parts of Europe. There is a deeply flawed argument, that somehow if it is left to the ‘people’ to collectively decide what is good or bad that they will always decide something good. It is like the argument that the ‘market’ decides what is good - and you won't find many championing that cause these days. Add this Article to your Bookmark site Set as favorite Bookmark Email this Trackback(0)  TrackBack URI for this entry Comments (11) Subscribe to this comment's feed expressingopinions: ... @Bob Thornton, I don't begrudge your resentments, these are real problems that require solutions, but I feel that that you are looking at this the wrong way round. For example, is the lack of jobs really due to govt policies(such as immigration)and interventions(such as increasing ethnic minority representation in the work place)? Or is the lack of jobs due to an economic system that is unstable (boom and bust) and incapable of looking after the needs of its people because its main aim is the rewards of profit for greedy individuals and companies through measures that drive down costs at the expense of the many, not only of those in the UK but worldwide. What was the motivation for the war on Iraq? Why are many living below the poverty line, including the UK? Why do so many of the world population starve whilst others throw food away? Why are banks bailed out whilst many small companies are left to go bankrupt? Perhaps it is time to put the capitalist system under the spotlight and look for alternatives and not make scapegoats of those who are minority. @Al, I think that is exactly what the west have done in the past and continue to do in the present ie busy the muslims on peripheral issues such as worrying about the BNP etc and encouraging other muslims to keep them out and as a result vote for the ones who really have the blood of hundreds of thousands of muslims on their hands and continue to wage war on the muslims (eg Afghanistan). How ironic. 1 report abuse vote down vote up October 31, 2009 - 01:47:13 Votes: +0 Bob Thornton: ... I've read all the comments posted, some people made good points, some people made very poor points and some if I'm honest I didn't have the intellect to understand, lots of big words and stuff. I guess I'm one of these people who the BNP is targetting (although I never voted for them). The truth of the matter as I see it for what it's worth is this, I don't want people with coloured skin to be thrown out of the country, anymore than I want anybody to be the target of hate or racism, half of them are just as british as me now; thier forefathers coming here many generations ago. And as such they have just as much right to be here as I do. What I do want is firm control of immigration, I want to be considered for jobs based on my skills and abilities and not put at a disadvantage because the career i've chosen is under-represented in the ethnic minorities. I want to be able to celebrate my culture and history (which goes back to the 15th century on this island so far)without being demonised for it, while having to witness the the furor and fuss made about foreign cultures and celebrations such as Diwali for example. My child is currently being taught about the five pillars of islam in school, which is great, except that when it comes to teachings about the christian faith several(although not all I might add)of the islamic children are taken away to a private classroom at thier parents request as they don't want thier children poisoned with false religeons apparently. This country is only a small one in comparison to others, there are already approximatley 60 million people living within it, how many more do you think it can cope with? The BNP will never get in power and if they do god/allah(make your own choice) help us all, but although thier policies are stupid and unworkable they do touch upon a couple of areas where the working classes are feeling very let down. The current parties Labour and Conservative will let us sit here all day long while they assure us that it's under control and that we should trust them but have any of them actually stepped up to the plate and said in no uncertain terms that they will deal with the problems we are concerned about? No. The policies of both parties barley even touch upon the issues that working class people such as me are concerned about. Is thier a direct link between unemployment and immigration do you think? Sorry I'm rambling.... In a nutshell the BNP are gaining more and more votes simply becuase the working classes are not being listened to by the current goverment and I for one personally see it as a good thing because the more power the BNP get the more the current mainstream politicians will have no choice but to face up and deal with the issues that they have ignored and brushed over for so long. And in the long run that can only be a good thing for everyone within this island regardless of race, culture or religion. These are my views as a working class white person and if this opinion means i'm racist then so be it. 2 report abuse vote down vote up October 28, 2009 - 22:14:40 Votes: +0 Al: ... As Hizb ut Tahrir's stance is that voting in a man made system is haram - surely voting only to prevent far right groups getting in is acceptable and cannot be thought of in the same light as a vote legitimising kufr law. Intention surely has to play a part here. What is the opinion from scholars on this issue? 3 report abuse vote down vote up July 01, 2009 - 12:52:11 Votes: +0 m: ... At least the BNP are honest about hating muslims whereas the tories and labour hide their hatred..Also most of the UK hate the BNP as they are hitler loving fascists 4 report abuse vote down vote up June 30, 2009 - 11:24:57 Votes: +0 Manzoor-ul Haq: ... It is difficult to imagine a senario where these racist thugs are to be left alone campaigning for white superamists evil. European or parliamentary elections are open to racists to vote to have their say. Muslims are forbidden to participate in these elections, simple reason, in democracy ruling system laws are made by MPs in parliament whereas in Islam Allah's laws alone are enforced to live life according to Islam. Only solution open to us to re-establish Khilafah, the Islamic State accountable to the laws of Allah SWT. 5 report abuse vote down vote up June 11, 2009 - 03:33:56 Votes: -1 Nick: ... WHats all the fuss about?? BNP's big brother is already in power. His name is labour The only difference between BNP and Lib/Lab/Con is that BNP are HONEST about hating Islam, the others lie, but kill muslims in their million overseas and arrested them at home. BNP is NOT THE ISSUE. Secular manmade politics is 6 report abuse vote down vote up June 10, 2009 - 00:20:08 Votes: +2 Adam Khan: ... OFCOURSE, the BNP will find it difficult achieving a credible and convincing political success. Issues of race aside, the BNP (remains) a band of neo-Nazi thugs with little to offer people of any colour/ethnicity/creed . . . fascists are the great losers of modern history because of the sterile and bankrupt intellectual platform they occupy. A vote for fascism is a prelude to national suicide . . . any German or Italian will tell you nothing good (ever) comes from nationalism and fascism!? Nevertheless, the BNP is a useful ploy for the political establishment is Westminster to engender a healthy dose of fear amongst Muslim communities to play a more prominent role in party politics. Don't be duped. Instead, engage the media, local/national politicians, community groups, influentials, businessmen/women and diplomats on a cultural discourse designed to point out the failures of secular Capitalism and explain how fascism and extremism is a natural by-product of such a system. This is the form of politics sanctioned by Islam and is, ultimately, productive for everyone. 7 report abuse vote down vote up June 09, 2009 - 17:51:11 Votes: +1 Abdul Rahman Vincent: ... No I think it is time for these crazy people to be left to their own problems Islam is the solution to everthing the Quran has warned them for their own misgivins May ALLAH SWT have mercy on them. 8 report abuse vote down vote up June 09, 2009 - 16:38:19 Votes: +0 isa: ... Aslaam alaikum warahmatula hi wa barakatahu, The BNP have a race hate campaign which targets the muslim community, but all the politicla parties undertake this stance with their vision of Extremism within Islam. The foreign policy that is killings muslims in palestine, Iraq and Swat in Pakistan. And Labour like all the political parties have a problem with political Islam. An Islam that does not agree with democracy as the rule of law, man deciding what is good for all mankind. Islam has a unique distinct system which is not Democratic, heridetary like Saudi, monarchicial like Morocco, imperial like the romans. Rather this system has been sent by allah via Muhammad saw and has no flaws. Man may be prone to make mistakes but the system has structures in place ot account all parts of the Government even the khalifah. this system is what we should be working, calling for and we must race in good deeds for this and leave the western system, but we must expose the corruption just a muhammad saw did in Mecca. your brother Muhammad Isa (India) 9 report abuse vote down vote up June 09, 2009 - 11:15:29 Votes: -1 Rashid Majid: ... Im appalled too unbelievable but it maybe a sign of more to come, these guys should be outlawed. But in my opinion when the European governments decide to turn on the Muslims in Europe due to the over growth of population, it will be groups like BNP brought into power to kill us, imprison us or deport us. These guys may have small gains but they have done well considering the media isnt on their side. Just imagine how fast these guys would grow and gain support overnight like obama if they just had the media. All they need is Zionist finances and the zionist media and when the time is right they will remove us. In my opnion the BNP is a backup tool against muslims of the uk and like i said when the time to act comes the zionist will put partys like this into power all over europe. 10 report abuse vote down vote up June 09, 2009 - 02:31:16 Votes: -1 samir sheikh: ... I am angry at the way the BNP gained votes in the european elections. How they took the yorkshire seat away from Labour. People in the democratic system need to wake up and get after these far right groups before problems arise. 11 report abuse vote down vote up June 08, 2009 - 16:17:27 Votes: -1 Write comment  Show/hide comment form Name Email Comment smaller | bigger I have read and agree to the Terms of Usage. Add Comment