No need for ‘eastern’ in that statement - the ambiguity of their ‘native Briton’ category is perfect for hoisting them by their own petard. Discriminate against the French, or even the Irish? That’s what the policy says. (Actually, they’d probably weasel out of the Irish one by temporarily redefining ‘Briton’ to suit the argument.)
Actually, it’s even better than that, this is what their manifesto says:
I can see that going over well in many quarters in Ireland. Especially the bit I’ve underlined. 
Yeah, BNP-ers, throw out the foreign people who want to live in your country all the while proposing an alliance with a nation who live in theirs and who fought a War of Independence to kick you out in the first place.
That makes no end of sense.
I’m not republican, or even particularly nationalistic, but the use of Eire and Ulster in that last sentence just gives me the warm fuzzies aaaaaaaall over.
What a shower of gimps.
I haven’t read their manifesto, nor do I intend to. Largely because I don’t want to waste my time even considering it.
But don’t you think things likethis contribute to their supporters fervour?
I am not scapegoating islam, if that’s what you are implying, and I see your point, but I don’t think the UK is in any danger of becomng like Germany in the 1930s. If you do, please explain why, without again accusing me of burying my head in the sand.
I just think we need to treat all of these groups equally.
I’m not sure if I’ve answered your question or not. But I haven’t really got anything further to add.
Evidently Nick Griffin has a new friend!
http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/celebrity/madonna-adopts-nick-griffin-200906111822/
Well if you don’t like it, why don’t you go back where you came from?
<= in case there was any doubt.
While I vehemently disagree with those who say these knobs shouldn’t be given a platform, and agree with those who say that assaulting them with eggs is counterproductive (though we all loved it when the same was done to Prescott), I love the headline in the Sun (the most popular and populist and low-brow newspaper in the country) yesterday - a reward is on offer if you can hit Nick Griffin with a curry.
That really shows how the majority of Britons thing: when the UK was racist, the Sun played to its market and was racist too; now it reflects its audience, which is pretty amazingly tolerant. Pretty much everyone on the conurbations of Great Britain has south Asian friends, coworkers, or neighbours, and curry is our national dish.
If the BNP had their way, one side effect would be to get rid of the people who run the multi-billion-pound curry industry - and I think that could be the fascists’ Achilles’ heel.
Actually, I loved it that Prescott turned around and decked the guy. It was such an honest reaction, and possibly the first time I had had any respect for Prezza.
Egg (or pie) throwing is a cheap stunt that accomplishes nothing.
That absolutely ties into what I was saying on the previous page about this sea change I’ve noticed in Britain vis-a-vis racism.
Who on earth would waste a pefectly good ruby by chucking it at Griffin?
I mean, come on, throwing a ruby? sacrilige sir, sacrilige.
A haggis yes, but not a ruby
Okay, fine, and no one has insisted that you should. But it does mean that you haven’t fully considered what has entered into mainstream politics (however temporarily one hopes).
Well, so that everyone knows what we’re talking about, Walker’s link describes complaints by the Church of England that the government is “focusing intently on minority beliefs while neglecting the Anglican faith.” In reply, “British Communities Secretary Hazel Blears has defended the Labour Government’s policy on religion” and said it is “common sense” for the government to spend “more money and effort…on Islam than Christianity because of the threat from extremism and homegrown terrorism.” By contrast, The Church of England’s report "echoes claims made by the Bishop of Rochester, the Rev Michael Nazir-Ali, last week that the decline of Christian values is destroying Britishness and has created a moral vacuum which radical Islam is filling." [emphasis added]
Well, what your link convinces me of is that the Church of England would like more money from the government and that some of their clerics think that “the decline of Christian values is destroying Britishness.”
Do you agree?
And do you think there’s any need for the Church of England to get more recognition from the government?
Now I do agree that some people might read this (especially given the way the story is being spun) and, yes, it might make them think they need to run into the arms of the BNP. But such people, I think, would be ignorant. And while it’s important to do what’s necessary to help to give them a clue, I don’t think the government should shape its policies on religion or any other matter wholly to placate an Islamophobic element among the British electorate; and still less because “the decline of Christian values is destroying Britishness”
No, I don’t and said that quite clearly a couple of pages ago…
I don’t necessarily disagree but in judging what “equal” means doesn’t it matter that the contexts we’re comparing are a minority religion and the Church of England? It’s a complicated issue and perhaps worth starting a different thread on in Great Debates: the question at stake is how a secular democracy should deal with minority religions in a situation that entails a problem with rising religious extremism among Muslims–this being a world problem as well as a British problem.
So, I do recognize the complexity but, no, I don’t think the answer is more government funding for or attention to the Church of England or for Christianity more generally. I think British Christians, whether Anglican or not, are entirely capable of taking care of themselves.
As far as what I was trying to get you to see about your previous post, I do think you’ve misunderstood. What you noticed was that electoral support for the BNP had been motivated by 1) economic anxiety and 2) political disaffection. Yet what you concluded was that the main recourse should be dealing with Islamic extremism (whatever that might mean).
My point is that no amount of increase in attention to Islamic extremism is going to allay anyone’s economic anxiety and (since there is already plenty of attention to Islamic extremism) it’s not necessarily going to cure political disaffection either.
So I think you’re mistaken in pointing your finger at “Islamofascism” (a term I really dislike) as what’s behind the BNP’s recent success. And insofar as those voters might name Islam as what motivated their rightwing vote they are being led to scapegoat immigrants–the great majority of whom are not religious extremists–for anxieties that are in large part economic and have to do with the effects of globalization and neoliberalism.
Does that make sense?
One of its clerics. Mr. Nazir-Ali is not exactly your typical Anglican cleric - he’s a Pakistani immigrant* (who was raised as a Christian) who holds some decidedly unusual positions for a Church of England bishop, and he takes an extremely dim view of Islam (he’s just a short step away from the “nuke the Middle East!” crowd).
He believes in God, for one thing. 
*So obviously the BNP is not going to be very interested in his viewpoint anyway
Yeah, really, multiracial Anglican extremism. Exactly what Britain and the world needs right now…
“I’m offering them ‘cake or death’…and I’m all out of cake.”
For those who haven’t already seen this article from last week’s Guardian,, it turns out that the guy who opened fire in the Holocaust Museum last week “has links to BNP.” Not only anti-semitic, he also shares the BNP’s obsession with foreigners and, according to an article in Salon is “a ‘birther,’ one of the nuts who believe that Obama wasn’t born here, his birth certificate is fake, and he thus isn’t eligible to be president.”
Small world…
Oh, I’m quite sure Griffin would want me to go home, on several levels. His views on the nefarious influence of foreign Jewry being what it is…
And more importantly, as a Tab I think he’s contractually obligated to send me to Hell.
I live in the NW, where Griffin was elected, and admit I didn’t vote, but do not accept it is partly my fault the BNP got elected around here. It’s not people who didn’t vote that are the problem, it is people who are that ignorant and fickle that they’ll actually switch their votes to another party, thinking they will do any better by them. Let’s face the facts; politicians are self-serving hypocrites and the people get the govt. they deserve.
At least this turn in the spotlight will allow their odious beliefs to be ridiculed for all to see on an international stage.
And those who might complain about the tactics of those vehemently opposed to the BNP, should bear in mind that if people had done the same when that neurotic fucktard shitler was trying to get into power, millions of lives might have been saved.
I’d rather see them stomped into the ground before the infestation spreads!
There is a full page feature about Griffin in today’s Sunday Times. Evidently he has two Rottweiler dogs at his farm in Wales. And their names? “Anne” and “Frank” (geddit?)
Words fail me…
I’m sure you don’t. The logic as to why you don’t would be amusing to hear, however. You and a lot of other people had the opportunity to vote against BNP and if enough of you had done so, they wouldn’t have got elected. No ifs or buts. It’s partly your fault.
You live in a very well run democracy, you are given a piece of power and you throw it away.
And please don’t give me any nonsense about how you didn’t vote because you didn’t like any of the candidates: it’s clear from your post you think the BNP’s views odious: you should have voted against them. And if you didn’t, you’re partly to blame.
If you want to begin on the Hitler analogies, your current role is as a German who stands by and watches mute while he rises to power.
Don’t talk such shite. The BNP seem to have got in around here because the other party’s candidates couldn’t even be arsed to canvas the area. If they can underestimate the support for such a bunch of shitheads as the BNP, how should I know any better? It’s not as if the BNP openly campaigned in my area. I see my non-voting as a kick up the arse vote.
You’re probably right, although support for the church was nto the intent of my post.
Absolutely not, I was just using it as a, poor, example of the governments double standards.
Makes sense and I think I agree with you. I got a bit off track I think.