Scottish Elections: The BNP in Scotland
Posted by: Richard in Glasgow, Politics, Scotland, Scottish elections, UKI recently had a conversation with an apathetic voter, and they didn’t think they were going to bother voting for a number of reasons many of which boiled down to “It won’t make any difference” or “I’m happy with things as they are“.
No matter what their general political leaning I always find apathy about voting concerning, not least because there are significant issues pending in this election, including big changes to local taxation, independence referendums, and the relationship with London and amount of devolved power.
But more than any, in my view, is the scary and real threat brought by the number of BNP candidates standing. The BBC shows they are fielding THREE candidates in the Glasgow regional vote, and they are fielding 750 across the whole of the UK.
There can be no coincidence that the BNP’s electoral success is occurring as voter apathy rises, and voter turnout decreases. Mainstream political parties have a lot to do and offer themselves in relating to, engaging with, and motivating voters. But to borrow a phrase, “All it takes for evil to succeed is for good people to do nothing“, and never more so than in battling the extreme right in the democratic process.
Unison has a page dedicated to tackling this nasty party, and The Scotsman’s article highlights some of their tactics: They’re even importing candidates to get access to political broadcast privileges.
My point here then is no matter what your political persuasion or leaning is I’m certain most people find the BNP are an abhorrence, and dangerous. Remember too that motivated supporters of these extreme, racist, hateful excuses for political parties are very likely to be voting….
So if enough people who deplore racism, and share reasonable, open-minded views - no matter their political leaning - fail to vote in May, the chances of the BNP winning seats increases.
Apathy is not a vote for the status quo. It has a cost, and risks letting in extremists.
See also
- stopthebnp.org.uk (NB. This is where the above links to the BNP go… I’m certainly not about to start giving pagerank-love to them!)
Entries (RSS)
April 16th, 2007 at 10:20 am
The BNP is the reason why I think we should follow the Australian line in voting - do it or you get fined. It is so easy to say the ‘It won’t make a difference’ or ‘I’m happy with things as they are’. The first statement is incorrect, I can remember a seat in Brighton won by 7 (yes seven) votes - so that made a difference. And, if you are happy with things as they are - then you need to vote to keep them that way. Not voting is sheer laziness. In this day and age you do not even have to get off your backside and walk to a polling station on election day - you can postal vote. There is really no excuse for not voting.
PS What’s the ‘add-up’ for and if I am not human am I a good monkey.
April 16th, 2007 at 10:29 am
Not sure I agree with compulsion - at least until there’s a “none of the above” option on the ballot! I’m feeling quite forced as it is that here in Pollokshields we have three councillors, and STV, but only one candidate from each party!
http://www.leyton.org/diary/2007/04/11/scottish-elections-party-tactics-in-council-vote/
I still think the parties, government (at all levels) and the media have a lot to answer for in increasing voter apathy.
FWIW, I’ve a longer post on all these issues in mind, but I’m so incensed by the BNP (I think their broadcast went out last week) I wanted to get one of the main issues posted sooner.
btw, The ‘add-up’ stuff is to help cut down on the horrible amount of comment spam I was getting, although my recent upgrades/tweaks have reduced that quite nicely, so I may actually remove it again.
April 16th, 2007 at 10:29 am
The BNP had a free election broadcast on Scottish television channels on Friday. Most of it was boring twaddle with dire camerawork but there was one bit that was exquisite. It was when the speaker Kenny Smith (the man who once flew a swastika flag on Hitler’s birthday when he was living on the Isle of Lewis) held the globe in the palm of his hand. It was a perfect take on Charlie Chaplin’s Adenoid Hynkel in the Great Dictator. Compare them at http://www.stopthebnp.org.uk/index.php?location=news&art=641
April 16th, 2007 at 2:28 pm
I have to stand up for apathy here. I will vote, but I do not look down my nose at people who don’t. The chance of having a pivotal role in an election is so small that you are more likely to be killed on your way to the polling booth.
A Brighton election where there are only 7 votes in it makes no odds when you are only one person (which I presume we all are). It doesn’t matter if the gap is 7 votes or 7 million votes. The outcome is still the same. I don’t blame non-voters at all.
April 16th, 2007 at 2:29 pm
By the way, I shouldn’t have said apathy. You don’t need to be apathetic to be a non-voter. You only need to have a good idea of the probability of your vote making a difference, which is almost zero.
April 16th, 2007 at 5:39 pm
Voting is a PRIVELEGE that was hard won (think Suffragettes etc) and when you see on TV the lines of people in countries where that has been won more recently, queuing up or walking miles to exercise their right to vote, it just makes you want to rush out and put your cross in the box!
April 16th, 2007 at 6:08 pm
If doctorvee thinks that ‘you only need to have a good idea of the probability of your vote making a difference, which is almost zero’. Why does s/he vote?
What is the scenario if nobody at all voted? A Dictatorship? Ruling Power back to Royalty?
Bye the way, I have never looked down my nose at anybody - its not long enough!!! I just think we should all be responsible citizens and ensure we pass on a healthy democracy.
April 17th, 2007 at 8:57 pm
The point is that you don’t get an election where nobody at all votes. For a start, if nobody at all voted, the probability of affecting the outcome increases greatly, so people would start voting again!
The reason I vote is because I grew up with people telling me that I was expected to vote. It is out of habit, and also because I quite enjoy the process of voting and feeling that my opinion has counted. That is not to say, however, that I should expect everybody else to have the same preferences as I do!
April 18th, 2007 at 6:05 pm
I am standing for the BNP in Scotland and have to say you are deluded! We are not racist, facist or nazi’s.
I am not ‘full of hate’ I am full of love!! Love for my country and its history, traditions, values and culture and wish to protect them for the future.
Times have moved on with nu-labour and blue labour being completly different parties from how they started out, why will you not accept the fact that the modern BNP has changed also? Its not that difficult, just talk to any member now adays, go to a meeting and SEE for your selves instead of repeating rubbish spouted by our opponents to scare off voters so they can keep their noses in the trough riding the gravy train!!! Roll on May 3rd
April 19th, 2007 at 12:56 pm
Usual rant from a BNP member and candidate. Not worth reading or really acknowledging and certainly not to be taken any notice of when you are ‘deluded’..
April 19th, 2007 at 9:15 pm
I suppose that last year’s article calling for all Muslims to be banned from flying (google “BNP call to ban Muslims from our skies”) is an example of a rational, sensible new-BNP policy? Apart from the many ethical objections that could be levelled, what of the practicalities? How do you determine someone’s religion? (Remember: a terrorist might actually lie.)
Then here is Nick Griffin tying himself in knots: “In this official statement, party chairman Nick Griffin explains why, while the BNP is not racist, it must not become multi-racist either.” Er, right.
April 26th, 2007 at 10:57 pm
I’ve just read the nonsense written by the anti-BNP mob. For your informatio, recent opinion polls show that the majority of people in this country agree with the policies of the BNP. One more point - it has been shown that a high turnout at the polls improves the vote for the BNP.
April 28th, 2007 at 6:41 pm
Well they can have my two Scottish votes. They are protest votes but I’ll feel better for casting them than being apathetic and not voting. Think of them as two fingers to all the Lefties in Holyrood and that, in various hues includes them all.
April 30th, 2007 at 12:23 am
Correction: a majority of people agree with some BNP policies, such as accepting fewer asylum seekers and giving priority to British families in allocating council housing. But only 16% agreed that “non-white people were inherently “less British”", and a majority opposed the government encouraging immigrants to leave Britain. See The public like some BNP policies, but not the BNP for details of the YouGov poll.
May 4th, 2007 at 10:24 pm
What amazes me is how some politicians refuse to share a stage with the BNP but they’ll rub shoulders with ex IRA members who have murdered many British citizens! If they can accept that the IRA have changed why not the BNP? Or is that just not PC at the moment?