Problem : Some BNP supporters are decent people

Lord dale of Blogland had a post up noting that the BNP were counselling their members to vote UKIP if they did not have a thug in situ . His clear intention was to smear UKIP by association with the Working Class Nationalist Party and electorally that makes plenty of sense . There is a considerable cross over between UKIP and the Consertvative Party but In a recent survey, 32% of Labour voters said they would vote BNP as second choice, only 12% of Conservative voters chose BNP as a second choice. In other words there is nothing in it for Les Bleus . I have always accepted this but I am still unhappy that the Conservative Party ignores its working class support . It is the Soul of the Party. I posted a couple of times expressing some ambivalence about the BNP and as I got quite a good response I am putting them up here . If only I could stop posting on other people sites I might get a half decent one together myself eh.

Newmania said
I `m always surprised at the way you attack UKIP Iain . Personally I find them unrealistic but I do agree with much of what they say and if I thought they could win a good part of my objections would be gone. Personally I usually prefer then to the time serving media clones that have so contaminated public life in the main Parties. The BNP is not really a Socialist Party is it ,it’s a Nationalist Party which unlike some has undertaken to reduce tax …. and barring its abhorrent racist views ,which I gather may well be dropped , also takes up a lot of the ground the Liberal Conservative Party has vacated.
I see UKIP certainly and possibly the BNP is it develops away from its unacceptable genesis , as allies of the Conservative Party . In this context its isn`t hard to see that there would be a cross pollination and the truth is there are equally points of agreement with the Conservatives as you know .

With the Break up of the Union now inevitable it is essential that resurgent Nationalism is not the preserve of racists and fascists . Most of the BNP`s votes come from people who are neither and I see it as up to the Conservative Party to seek a rapprochement with those who feel they are not heard. If I `m honest bellowing Caliban of the BNP in some ways appeals to me more than UKIP which cannot seems to make a simple case for self government without wanting to bring back the birch.

There is something rather unwholesome about this post and what I especially do not like is the implication that a whole swathe pf people are so disgusting that if they as much as mention your name they are tainted. Cameron should stop hugging hoodies are start understanding the BNP.


And dale said in his “Who me ?” way……………….
Could anyone actually explain where I have attacked UKIP in this post? Anyone with half a brain will be able to see that I have gone out of my way not to. Read the article again.



and so I replied …..


Iain you ask why the BNP would sympathise with UKIP when there policies are so different. I appreciate you have tried to stress the differences but asking the question carries a meaning of which you are well aware. Its not what you say its what they hear, and as a super sophisticated media savvy Westminster village mouse like you well knows I took you to have asked the “question “ knowingly. Political Parties out of power are not a sum of their professed polices or what they say they will be they are the sum of the members and supporters they are expressions of momentum in public life . You are implying there is a sympathy between supporters and members of these parties behind their policies and this is highly embarrassing to UKIP. That is what I took the point to be .
Perhaps I was mistaken but ( Jeremy) I did ,as always , think about what I posted. You ( Jeremy)think that vehemently opposing the BNP inoculates your views from the taint nationalism carries but I`m not sure how honest that (common) gambit is. There is a place for working class nationalism in this country and the Conservative Party have abandoned it . I just feel uncomfortable when the middle-classes talk of the BNP like lepers.I confess is not an entirely resolved disquiet but there it is .As far as their racism is concerned I have better reasons than most for fearing it.




So there you go . The BNP has some nasty people in it but I cannot forget that some decent people vote for it and I think the Conservative Party should try to understand why