High IQ Greens, Low IQ BNP voters

The Guardian has got hold of the following academic research:

"On a party-by-party basis, the average (childhood) IQ scores for 2001 voters were:

Green - 108.3
Liberal Democrat - 108.2
Conservative - 103.7
Labour – 103
Plaid Cymru - 102.5
Scottish National - 102.2
UK Independence - 101.1
Did not vote/None of the above - 99.7
British National Party - 98.4"

Tory Diary

Don't let the BNP break through

The far right is in position to prosper if Labour fails to address its traditional supporters' grievances, says Mike Ion.

According to the Labour MP Jon Cruddas, the far-right BNP is busy exploiting the present economic crisis and could easily end up winning seats in the European parliament next year.

Jon has long pointed out that one reason for the BNP's growing support has been its ability to respond to and exploit genuine local grievances. The credit crunch will only end up exacerbating these and could help turn more people toward the far right. One way to prevent this is to address some of the underlying problems that have resulted in many traditional Labour supporters taking refuge in the policies of the far right.

The BNP is keen to take advantage of issues such as the end of funding for housing projects in predominantly white areas, and targets those wards with large numbers of disadvantaged white working-class families and where the local secondary schools are seen to be underperforming. It is often successful in what we might describe as "forgotten" white areas, where many traditional Labour supporters say they feel alienated from modern political discourse and have long been of the view that no one in the Labour party is listening to them, let alone concerned about them.

Historically, far-right parties have increased their support in the context of significant problems: high unemployment, economic deprivation, lack of educational achievement, high crime rates, drugs, and people of different ethnic backgrounds living apparently separate lives, which encourages the growth of myths and rumour.

One leaflet used in last May's local elections in Dagenham asked voters: "Are you concerned about the growth of Islam in Britain? Make May 4 referendum day." It added: "Defend Our Christian Culture."

It is sobering to remember that, in recent local elections, the BNP has continued to gain seats in east London and Stoke-on-Trent and picked up enough elsewhere to hold 46 council seats in England.

This follows 2002's dramatic local election successes in the north of England and a 4.9% showing in the 2004 European elections. For the first time ever in Britain, an openly racist party has sustained the support of more than one in 20 voters over several contests.

I believe the BNP is evidence of a new challenge in British politics. In the past the battleground (sometimes literally) of left v right politics centred on our inner cities. This is no longer the case.

The BNP has begun to develop a network of suburban supporters, people who are openly willing to admit not only to supporting a racist and bigoted political party but to doing so with pride and patriotic fervour.

If the trends of the past few years continue, the BNP may well make the type of breakthrough that Jon Cruddas is signalling and it will then be far more difficult to reverse than to stop it before it occurs.

Mike Ion was Labour's PPC for Shrewsbury in 2005. He blogs at mike-ion.blogspot.com

Comment Is Free

Usdaw launches new national anti BNP leaflet in Blackpool

Retail union Usdaw who are holding their annual conference in Blackpool have launched a new national anti-BNP leaflet to be distributed in council elections across the UK where the far-right party are standing candidates.

The leaflet highlights the complete failure of BNP councillors to represent local electors after they win seats and that despite the respectable façade the BNP is still a fascist party dedicated to racist ideas.

The leaflet will be offered to Labour candidates who are taking on the bogus idea that the BNP is the party of law and order.

“The BNP like to present themselves as the party of law and order despite the fact that many of their leaders and members have criminal convictions for serious offences including assault, inciting racial hatred and even bomb-making,” says Usdaw General Secretary John Hannett. “Usdaw has been coming to Blackpool since the war and our members from a range of different backgrounds have always been given a warm welcome here as the resort is an open-minded place which is the exact opposite of what fascists like the BNP stand for.

“Our leaflet reminds voters that in the few places where the BNP have been elected, they have been shown to be totally incapable of effectively representing voters. They’re incapable of taking any intelligent part in the democratic process and voters quickly see through their thinly disguised messages of hate, turning back to strong Labour candidates who can effectively represent every voter regardless of their background.

“This new leaflet reminds Labour voters that the BNP are hopelessly out of their depth when they are elected and that the only place to really hurt them is in the ballot box by voting Labour.
“Labour councils are the best way to ensure decent local services but a vote for the BNP isn’t the answer to often legitimate local concerns as time after time they fail to offer to contribute to any coherent ideas once they actually have to make tough decisions.”

Download the USDAW leaflet here.

USDAW

Frontrunner For Deputy Leadership Calls For Action Against The BNP

Leading anti BNP campaigner and deputy leadership frontrunner, Jon Cruddas MP, is to meeting with trade unions from tomorrow in a call to arms against the BNP.

In the week following news that the BNP is to field almost 900 candidates in the May elections, Jon Cruddas, MP for Dagenham, says we have to convert people's feelings of fear and revulsion into immediate and on the ground action.

Jon, together with the anti-fascist organisation, Searchlight, wants to mobilise the trade union movement, including their officers, activists and millions of members against the BNP.

Jon Cruddas, frontrunner for deputy leadership of the Labour Party and MP for Dagenham, said:

"We need the entire labour movement to understand the threat that the BNP represents in the upcoming elections and the need to mobilise it against it.

"We have just over two weeks to convince people that the BNP is dangerous and offers no solutions. We need to implement a strategic, local and very visible campaign to combat the BNP's arguments on the ground and to tell people that they shouldn't be persuaded to vote for them, even to register a protest."

Jon Cruddas has travelled the country over the last two weeks with Searchlight's 'Hope Not Hate' tour which has taken in all of the UK's major cities and many of the towns and communities where the BNP is active. Celebrities such as Billy Bragg, the Sugarbabes, Amir Khan, Coronation Street, Hollyoaks and Emmerdale cast members and Manchester City footballers greeted the 'Hope Not Hate' bus.

The BNP have almost trebled their number of candidates in the upcoming Welsh, Scottish and local elections. They are fielding 876 candidates UK wide this time, over 500 more than the number it stood in last year's local elections.

Jon Cruddas is MP for Dagenham. In his constituency there is one BNP councillor, in neighbouring Barking 11 BNP councillors were elected last year, polling 39% of the vote. Jon is standing as a candidate for deputy leader of the Labour Party. For more information on Jon Cruddas' deputy leadership campaign visit www.joncruddas.org.uk

Jon Cruddas' Deputy Leadership bid has received the support of 100 Labour grassroots activists from every area of the country. They include councillors, local party secretaries and trade union officials. He was overwhelmingly endorsed by 53% of Compass members in March. He has also received the support of Amicus General Secretary Derek Simpson and T&G leader Tony Woodley.

CCNMatthews Press