Political Betting reports that the odious, authoritarian BNP held a council seat in the London Borough of Havering this week. Indeed it increased its majority in the Gooshays ward where the other two seats are held by the Tories (who came in a poor third on Thursday).
Political Betting's coverage of local election results every Friday is outstanding (although quite why it refers to Conservative Home as Continuity IDS is beyond me).
The BNP also did well in Arun District Council's election in Yapton ward. Both results are deeply worrying. What was fascinating is that the Liberal Democrats didn't stand in either ward - thereby giving those voters dissatisfied with the main two parties little option other than to vote for the BNP. Once voters get a taste of voting for unpleasant, authoritarian, anti-establishment political parties such as the BNP, they may vote for them again in the future.
I wouldn't be cynical enough to assume the LibDems deliberately didn't stand in the knowledge that the BNP would do well.
9 comments:
It should be noted that the turnout in Gooshays Ward was only 22%. Apathy will remain a problem all the while people are not being listened to by the politicians.
The BNP are putting a huge effort into next week's by-election in Wellingborough. As the Lib Dems have put up a candidate to ensure six parties are represented, the outcome will be interesting.
There was a time when people believed that the Conservative party would have the vision and courage to fix the ills of the nation. Their confidence was sadly misplaced. This explains the rise and rise of the BNP.
I agree that a lot of misguided ex-Tory voters might now be voting BNP. But if they are doing so, they are seriously misguided because the BNP, as an authoritarian party, are along with Respect the two sides of the same authoritarian coin.
The increasingly widespread perception that politicians are all crooks who have contempt for the public will certainly benefit fringe parties like the BNP. However, I don't see the BNP ever becoming a major political force in this country because they will never be able to convince enough people that they're not just racist thugs at heart. They can't decontaminate their brand, which means that the number of votes they can get is limited to the minority of the population that supports racism or is willing to turn a blind eye to it.
So if the current alienation between the public and the political class continues to increase the BNP will experience a rapid growth in support up to a certain point, and then struggle to advance any further.
I do think that the angry anti-politician mood of the country presents a big opportunity for anti-establishment populists, but I don't see any party that is capable of exploiting it. Certainly not the BNP, and even more certainly not the far-left/Islamist mash-up that is RESPECT.
One possible outcome is that the big three parties will gradually re-align themselves with public opinion. The other is that the BNP will suddenly find themselves eclipsed by the rise of a charismatic modern populist along the lines of Pim Fortuyn, who would be able to rally the disaffected without alienating the mainstream.
I agree that a Pim Fortuyn is potentially the way the BNP will be eclipsed.
Re: 'What was fascinating is that the Liberal Democrats didn't stand in either ward' This is incorrect; the Lib Dems put up Ian Sanderson in Gooshays; he got 52
votes. See: http://www.libdems4london.org.uk/pages/by-elections.html for details of the Lib Dems' startling run of success in the 16 London borough by-elections in the past 6 months: 8 % more of the popular vote than the Tories and 8 victories.
The Lib Dems are atrocious on the BNP. In Manchester's Whalley Range ward we had a candidate from them who claimed on the doorstep that she didn't mind if the BNP got some seats - so she could debate with them in the chamber. She was elected. But then tipped out at her first defence. In the 2007 election the BNP did not put the work in in their best seat historically. Their vote was halved from 500 plus and in mathematical terms they appeared to migrate to the Lib Dems, up 250 or so. Meanwhile in Higher Blackley a mile or so away the BNP DID work, and the Lib Dems did not do much. Coincidence?
Obviously they, the Lib Dems, have been in trouble for crass racist remarks and for signing BNP nomination papers, and in Manchester they have refused three times to sign up to an all-party concord not to deal with the BNP.
Blarney,
It is indeed a very apt name for you and your ilk, marxist drones and brainwashed dhimmis. I really hope that you enjoy being slaves in the totalitarian Euro-Caliphate, if they let you live that is.
By the way Gooshays Ward was 38%, not that it matters!
Epona: as a BNP member, you have more in common with the authoritarian and illiberal zealots among the muslim community than you might wish to accept.
The idea that I am a marxist is absurd - although it makes a nice change from being called a fascist, I guess. I am a free market conservative, nice and simply. Had you read my blog you might have noticed this - although I guess that assumes that a neanderthal like you can actually read.
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