Far Right on the rise in Britain?
The British National Party is about as unpleasant a political party as you can get. At the last election they ran on a manifesto that boasted, “We do not accept the absurd superstition — propagated for different though sometimes overlapping reasons by capitalists, liberals, Marxists and theologians — of human equality.” The document also talks ...
The British National Party is about as unpleasant a political party as you can get. At the last election they ran on a manifesto that boasted, “We do not accept the absurd superstition -- propagated for different though sometimes overlapping reasons by capitalists, liberals, Marxists and theologians -- of human equality.”
The British National Party is about as unpleasant a political party as you can get. At the last election they ran on a manifesto that boasted, “We do not accept the absurd superstition — propagated for different though sometimes overlapping reasons by capitalists, liberals, Marxists and theologians — of human equality.”
The document also talks of “genocide through integration.” Now, thankfully the BNP are far from a significant force in British politics. In 2005, they received less than one percent of the vote. However, Peter Oborne reports in The Spectator that the BNP appear to be on the verge of an electoral breakthrough ahead of this year’s local elections. “I went canvassing with the British National Party last Friday night, and I’d say half the doors we knocked on, all chosen by me, at random, revealed actual or potential BNP voters.”
So, why are the BNP threatening to do so well? Oborne thinks it is because New Labour have neglected the white working class in favor of courting key swing voters. This is undoubtedly a factor. But the BNP are also astutely playing on people’s fears after the 7/7 bombings. The trial of their leader, the odious Nick Griffin, on the charge of inciting racial hatred for describing Islam as a "vicious, wicked faith" was a publicity bonanza for the party.
A strong performance by the BNP would undoubtedly make British minorities, and especially Muslims, feel more threatened and thus make the task of creating a dynamic, integrated, multi-faith, multi-ethnic Britain more difficult.
More from Foreign Policy
Saudi-Iranian Détente Is a Wake-Up Call for America
The peace plan is a big deal—and it’s no accident that China brokered it.
The U.S.-Israel Relationship No Longer Makes Sense
If Israel and its supporters want the country to continue receiving U.S. largesse, they will need to come up with a new narrative.
Putin Is Trapped in the Sunk-Cost Fallacy of War
Moscow is grasping for meaning in a meaningless invasion.
How China’s Saudi-Iran Deal Can Serve U.S. Interests
And why there’s less to Beijing’s diplomatic breakthrough than meets the eye.
Sign up for Morning Brief
Foreign Policy’s flagship daily newsletter with what’s coming up around the world today. Delivered weekdays.
By submitting your email, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use and to receive email correspondence from us. You may opt out at any time.
