Every decent thinking reader of this blog will have warmly welcomed the news that the BNP have been reduced to only two councillors as a result of last Thursday’s election. One of the key reasons for this failure to retain their seats has been due to the outstanding work of anti-fascist and anti-racist organisations such as Hope not Hate. They should be congratulated.
The danger now is that those opposed to the far right now become complacent as we all enjoy the spectacle of Nick Griffin and the BNP tearing themselves apart. However, there is still much to be done.
Whilst the BNP and NF are capable of derisory results at the polls there are still far right groups that are achieving some disturbing successes.
The anti-immigration policies of the BNP are widely recognised, but less publicised is the stance of the English Democrats. Their vitriol is no different from Griffin’s crew. Take what they say on their website:
“Immigration is out of control. England is the third most densely populated country in the world and, for its size, the most densely populated country in Europe. We have neither the space nor the resources to permit more large-scale immigration. England is targeted by hundreds of thousands of economic migrants each year, who know they can come here easily, costing English taxpayers £billions a year in benefits. Worse still, immigrants are granted housing that young or needy English people are entitled to. In short, mass immigration has placed severe strains on England's housing accommodation, Education and Health Services, and exacerbated road congestion. It is time to close the door. Mass immigration must be ended. We would deport illegal immigrants and all those immigrants who are extremists, terrorists and criminals. We would regain control of our immigration systems by leaving the European Union.”
And on education ….
“The English Democrats support parental choice. Where there is a demand for it, schools should be able to free them-selves from local education authority control and be run independently in a way that suits local needs.”
Gays, women, minority groups had all better beware too. On the matter of political correctness they argue:
“The English Democrats unreservedly condemn this intolerant creed. We reject the self-righteousness of political correctness and condemn the ideology as an evil. Political correctness is incompatible with a free and democratic society.”
Now, ordinarily we might dismiss the English Democrats as a bunch of eccentrics, but the polls last Thursday showed that in some wards they were polling over 20% of the vote. On top of that, the Mayor of Doncaster, Peter Davies joined the English democrats in 2005 and has stood as their candidate since that time.
It is now time anti-fascist groups turned their attention on these anti-immigration groups and exposed their innate racism. The danger is that we concentrate exclusively on the BNP and NF, thus allowing other far right groups like this to gain a foothold.
So far they have failed to achieve any significant gains, but they are increasing and they are putting themselves over as moderates and decent people. They are neither. They are no different from other far right organisations and they need to be exposed and humiliated at the polls.
Let us not forget what happens when you ignore a threat in your own back yard.
First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out - because I was not a communist;
Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out - because I was not a socialist;
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out - because I was not a trade unionist;
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out - because I was not a Jew;
Then they came for me - and there was no one left to speak out for me.
The danger now is that those opposed to the far right now become complacent as we all enjoy the spectacle of Nick Griffin and the BNP tearing themselves apart. However, there is still much to be done.
Whilst the BNP and NF are capable of derisory results at the polls there are still far right groups that are achieving some disturbing successes.
The anti-immigration policies of the BNP are widely recognised, but less publicised is the stance of the English Democrats. Their vitriol is no different from Griffin’s crew. Take what they say on their website:
“Immigration is out of control. England is the third most densely populated country in the world and, for its size, the most densely populated country in Europe. We have neither the space nor the resources to permit more large-scale immigration. England is targeted by hundreds of thousands of economic migrants each year, who know they can come here easily, costing English taxpayers £billions a year in benefits. Worse still, immigrants are granted housing that young or needy English people are entitled to. In short, mass immigration has placed severe strains on England's housing accommodation, Education and Health Services, and exacerbated road congestion. It is time to close the door. Mass immigration must be ended. We would deport illegal immigrants and all those immigrants who are extremists, terrorists and criminals. We would regain control of our immigration systems by leaving the European Union.”
And on education ….
“The English Democrats support parental choice. Where there is a demand for it, schools should be able to free them-selves from local education authority control and be run independently in a way that suits local needs.”
Gays, women, minority groups had all better beware too. On the matter of political correctness they argue:
“The English Democrats unreservedly condemn this intolerant creed. We reject the self-righteousness of political correctness and condemn the ideology as an evil. Political correctness is incompatible with a free and democratic society.”
Now, ordinarily we might dismiss the English Democrats as a bunch of eccentrics, but the polls last Thursday showed that in some wards they were polling over 20% of the vote. On top of that, the Mayor of Doncaster, Peter Davies joined the English democrats in 2005 and has stood as their candidate since that time.
It is now time anti-fascist groups turned their attention on these anti-immigration groups and exposed their innate racism. The danger is that we concentrate exclusively on the BNP and NF, thus allowing other far right groups like this to gain a foothold.
So far they have failed to achieve any significant gains, but they are increasing and they are putting themselves over as moderates and decent people. They are neither. They are no different from other far right organisations and they need to be exposed and humiliated at the polls.
Let us not forget what happens when you ignore a threat in your own back yard.
First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out - because I was not a communist;
Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out - because I was not a socialist;
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out - because I was not a trade unionist;
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out - because I was not a Jew;
Then they came for me - and there was no one left to speak out for me.
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