Senior politicians are drawing up cross-party plans to fight the British National party in next month’s local and European elections, amid fears the far-right party could stage advances by exploiting an “anti-politics” tide sweeping the country.
Harriet Harman, deputy Labour leader, and Eric Pickles, Tory chairman, will hold talks next week to draw up a strategy designed to isolate the BNP and to co-ordinate a united response in areas where the party is campaigning.
Ms Harman will propose that mainstream parties should not share a platform with BNP candidates and that they should avoid campaigning on issues that stoke sentiment against foreigners. There has also been talk of setting up a “hotline” where Labour, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats would share intelligence on BNP activity. The mainstream parties, and possibly church and other voluntary groups, would then knock on doors to try to raise voter turnout in an attempt to dilute the BNP vote.
Ms Harman has angered her opposite numbers by twice cancelling meetings to discuss the strategy. Lord Rennard, the veteran Lib Dem campaigner, will argue against making joint statements about the BNP on the grounds that they would give the party free publicity.
The rightwing party has long traded on its hostility to immigration and foreigners generally, but is now mining a seam of anger towards politicians, fuelled by stories about expenses claims.
Simon Darby, deputy BNP leader, said on Thursday his party aimed to exploit anger towards “professional politicians”. He said the party would field more than 400 candidates for county council elections on June 4 – nominations closed on Thursday – and that it would field a full slate for the European elections on the same day.
The proportional voting system in the European polls has raised the prospect of the BNP winning its first seats in Strasbourg, with Mr Darby claiming a target of five or six seats was “attainable”.
Hazel Blears, communities secretary, has admitted: “The BNP have got into ‘anti-politics’, which taps into a very resonant public mood.”
Labour’s discontent with the leadership of Gordon Brown is likely to be put on hold until after the polls, but could flare up if the party loses its last four county councils and fares badly in the European elections.
Financial Times
May 08, 2009
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10 comments:
Given the state they're in and the votes they've handed to the BNP by their stupidy, the main parties have left it a bit late really. They should have had these discussions a couple of months ago, not with less than four weeks to go until the elections.
If the Tories resoundingly win the next general Election as expected, that should lose the BNP a massive amount of members. Remember when Thatcher got in? The far-right was decimated overnight.
i think the tories and lib dems secretly want the bnp to do well as it will finish gordon brown and could lead to an early general election i even think there are quite a few labour party members who want the bnp to do well also so as to oust brown .the difference with the tories in thatchers time and camerons is thatcher had some policies cameron has not, so dont hold your breath if you think a tory victory will spell the end of the bnp it wont
"If the Tories resoundingly win the next general Election as expected, that should lose the BNP a massive amount of members. Remember when Thatcher got in? The far-right was decimated overnight."
Yeah right..But that means they'll become stronger in council elections.
"But that means they'll become stronger in council elections."
How does their being decimated overnight mean they'll be stronger in council elections? I don't get it.
Cameron is perceived as a strong Tory leader, though personally I don't see a lot of difference between him and Blair/Brown but I'd be willing to bet that if he gets in all the little BNP tories will go running back to the party they really should belong to.
They should have had these discussions a couple of months ago, not with less than four weeks to go until the elections.
Very true.
Anything's worth it in the fight against fascism.
If every election leaflet carries the truth about the BNP, Hitler worship, Don Black, Mark Collett's aledged child abuse, etc, censorship, and BNP in-fighting, this will have a positive effect of turning people against the bnp.
Whilst it is obviously to be applauded that the mainstream parties should come together to tackle the threat from the BNP there is a danger that needs to be carefully avoided, and that danger is to confirm in the minds of voters that the mainstream parties, all of which are discredited in many people's eyes, are essentially all the same. If voters form this view it allows the BNP to present themselves as the only real alternative, and is hence counter-productive.
As regards the BNP not performing so well under a Tory government, I fear that it not necessarily the case. It was certainly true under Thatcher, but definitely not true with the NF under Heath. Much depends on the nature of the Conservative government, and also what other issues attract the interest and imagination of the general populace, and of the left.
I despair at times !!!
Meeting next week to discuss strategy for an election where nominations have already closed?
I also agree with Chris Rennard's (reported) view against a joint statement, for two reasons:
1. It shouts out "the BNP might win, so you won't be wasting your vote"
2. It plays to the BNP's view that "the old parties are all the same"
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