Nick Griffin, the BNP's leader, has shuttled to and from Brussels since European elections last month in a push to take a central role in a new grouping of far-Right MEPs.
But Mr Griffin accepted on Tuesday that there was "no possibility" of the BNP finding sufficient support. "We have failed to form a formal group. It's disappointing but not surprising," he said.
As an "unattached" party outside a European political grouping, the BNP's two MEPs will lose out on extra funding worth £1 million a year, will not get a party office or administrative staff, and will not possess the right to vote on the parliament's main committees.
The parliament's rules state that at least 25 MEPs from seven different member states are required to form a new bloc.
Mr Griffin, along with his colleague Andrew Brons, had been in talks with Hungary's far-right Jobbik party; France's National Front; Belgium's Vlaams Belang and Ataka, the nationalist Bulgarian party.
Their plans to forge links with other parties, such as Italy's Northern League, failed because other Right-wing groupings feared that the BNP's controversial reputation would lead to isolation.
"We will remain in the unattached members working informally with some of the groups such as the Front National and Vlaams Belang," said Mr Griffin. "We held discussions with several others as well but haven't had any joy."
Sajjad Karim, a Conservative MEP for North West England, said: "The BNP being unable to form a new group is good news. This proves how ineffective the BNP will be in the European Parliament."
The BNP won two seats in Britain's European elections last month. Mr Griffin was elected in the North West of England region after winning eight per cent of the vote, while Mr Brons, a 61-year-old retired politics and law lecturer, picked up a seat in Yorkshire and the Humber with almost 10 per cent of the vote.
Telegraph
The entire far right scene is far more fragmented than the leftwing political scene, as it is concerned not just with race hate, but ego. Each individual little cell of non-nazis and their cardboard political fronts thinks they and only themselves have the best policies. You've seen it with the (British) National Front falling out with the BNP and the English Democrats going their own way.
ReplyDeleteEach fascist party views other likewise parties as being "Sell-outs" not worthy of collaboration. Yes, Mussolini was friends with Hitler, but there were times that even they fell out, especially near the end of the war, and Hitler himself destroyed all other rival far right groups in Germany to make sure he held all the power.
This just goes to show, policy differences, be it anti-semitism versus Islamophobia are only a symptom of the role of far right politics as a personal ego trip, be it LePennism or Griffinism.
When the masks of normality slip, it's obvious that behind the rabble-rousing, the racist myths, and the seemingly steely racist policies belies an egotrip of personal influence, wealth and power for flawed personalities, fanaticists, weirdoes and drop-outs.
If you haven't the braincells or the personality to make it as a political hero, the motto of the story is, try your hand with race hate, and the second-hand, small-minded, insularity of the elected far right.
Some European neo-Nazis are pro-Iran prefer antisemitism, others Islamophobia, some are accepting of homosexuality, others are virulently homophobic. Each party thus accuses the other of fundamental hypocrisy.
ReplyDeleteIndeed, far right losers are always failed politicians who scare people with irrational fears rather than enlighten voters with positive policies.
ReplyDeleteGriffin's website proudly announces that "Nick has indicated his preferences for the committees and sub-committees on which he hopes serve on..."
ReplyDeleteI hope one of them is "Improving my English".
They have both got five years as an MEPs. And my fear is that over time this may change, as they've only just arrived. If the problems with immigration begins to escalate throughout the EU then they will capitalise on it.
ReplyDeleteAs they haven't managed to capitalize on the economic situation thus far I feel it is hardly likely that they will gain headway. Isolated by Europe's far right, facing an increasingly disillusioned following resulting in fewer votes and a desperate scramble to try and infiltrate new areas. The increased impetus generated by the election of the BNP to the Euro parliament is a Godsend. It may take 5 years but possibly we'll witness the demise of this vile party.
ReplyDelete"English Democrats going their own way"...
ReplyDeleteFor the record the ED have never had any connection with the loopy loons of the NF/BNP and are a non-racist, non-nationalist progressive party whose interests are the people of England; regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation.
Do not confuse the ED with the racist England First Party.
Thanks
UKIP must now become the focus of attention to all those Europhiles and supporters of open borders. The BNP has just paddled itself into a very sh1tty creek and no one wants to deal with them. UKIP has 13 MEPs and dealing with the neo-fascist LN makes them worse than the BNP.
ReplyDelete