Comments

Comment 1 | From: Cristiano Di Carlo | Date: 8 June 2009, 12:37

Hi Nick I am horrified at the apathy shown in the turn out at the polls. I am born in England to Sicilian parents. In Italy it is illegal not to vote, and carries a hefty fine as punishment. At the birth of the Republic in 1946 they realised that Mussolini gained power because the Italians of voting age didn't bother to turn out. We know what happened next as a matter of history, disenfranchised, political enemies imprisoned and then dictatorship. Couldn't we send a petition to Downing street asking them to make NOT voting illegal? To plagiarise a quote, 'Evil triumphs when good men do nothing'

Comment 2 | From: Nick | Date: 8 June 2009, 12:51

It's a terrible day indeed. I haven't been able to do any work all day. I've written it off. I'm begining to question the wisdom of simply campaigning against them. We need to offer them something to vote for, or they will just stay away as they did last Thursday.

Comment 3 | From: Julia | Date: 8 June 2009, 13:08

I heard there's a demo this evening in manchester against the election of Nick Griffin (etc), but are there any others in the region? I'm so angry I want to do something to protest!

Comment 4 | From: Emma | Date: 8 June 2009, 15:17

I know, I didn't get any sleep either. I definitely think it would be useful to organise some protests outside the bigger cities, especially as most of us can't get to them at such sort notice

Comment 5 | From: Ewan | Date: 8 June 2009, 17:24

It is terrible that racist ideals still exist in modern society. No matter how corrupt parliament is, we should never resort to the BNP.

Comment 6 | From: Ryan | Date: 8 June 2009, 18:26

as soon as Uncle Rupert at Newscorp bought them a new polished media image for Christmas a couple of years ago, we were fucked. But that doesn't excuse the fact that nearly a million fuckers went out and voted for them. This isn't isolated, there's a fundamental sickness in this country and we are now literally fighting for our lives.

Comment 7 | From: sadaf | Date: 8 June 2009, 19:07

I was angred at the fact that the got two MEP's! One would have been bearable but, two and then to find out that only 30% of the Public voted. That's less votes than talent shows! Thus, as we most likely cant make voting compulsary we could have it online for the facebook/ twitter generation. http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/VotingOnlineNow/ I am not old enough to vote so i am trying to get everyone that can to - before we have a repeat of last night at our general election.

Comment 8 | From: bar | Date: 8 June 2009, 22:47

^^What Julia said about wanting to protest - me too! I just can't believe griffin is now an MEP for my region, its absolutely shameful. It makes me so bloody angry that 8% of the people in the north west fell for the lies of a puffed up, racist bigot like that. Completely gutted.

Comment 9 | From: brian johnson | Date: 8 June 2009, 23:10

Hi all when are you people going to learn nick griffin was elected by the people .i am not racist or support the bnp but i thought the actions of people like you trying to stop him in manchester by kicking his car was a discrace, i wonder who are the fascists you or him. what are you afraid of let him speak and over time the british people will see what he is like.

Comment 10 | From: Britishmum | Date: 9 June 2009, 00:44

Hi Nick, you aren't alone in not getting any sleep. I watched the whole thing on Sky News - couldn't believe it when Brons got into Yorkshire (my region). Very, very saddening. Then when Griffin got elected - that put the tin lid on it. I can barely believe it's got to this. I have noticed that the media aren't always coping well with interviewing Griffin and Brons, and sometimes don't seem very informed about them. They ask the same old questions and get eloquent answers as the BNP have had the same accustions levelled at them many times now. One can only hope this situation changes as the media gets over the shock of having to interview them. Best wishes from a Yorkshire anti-BNP stronghold!

Comment 11 | From: Nasira | Date: 9 June 2009, 03:06

I couldn't sleep either when I saw the results come through and now feel that I have to get actively involved. I moved to England from East Africa when I was six years old and was greatly affected by the racism and bigotry I experienced growing up in 1970's England. I have never felt fully secure in this country especially as politics continually shift further and further to the right. The successive Labour governments since the fall of John Major's Conservative government have constantly legitimised BNP sentiments. David Blunkett in particular bears a great deal of responsibility towards the inhumane attitudes against asylum seekers which then turned into a 'legitimate debate' about immigration as a whole. As more and more mainstream parties make soundbites which easily paraphrase into a BNP slogan, e.g. 'Jobs for British People' the less alien the BNP seem to voters with bigoted tendancies. Sadly I think UKIP are not so far removed from the BNP which makes the political future of this country seem very bleak. Certain longstanding bigoted attitudes in British society need to be challenged as a whole as well as the myth of 'white victimhood' which is a constant focus of BNP propaganda.

Comment 12 | From: Mark | Date: 9 June 2009, 12:16

I'm intrigued. There is not a single political party who stand in my name yet I, and thousands ithers are not startiung campaigns against specific party's, all of whom, including the BNP have a lawful right to make their point in our democracy and allow people to think for themselves. Having witnessed the violent outbursts in Manchester by those 'opposed' to fascism I find it very hypocritical that to counter these violent discriminate people you choose to use discrimination and violence to make your point. ?? I recently also witnessed similar actions in Bristol at a proposed BNP meeting where the UAF used similar violent threatening tactics to disrupt the meeting. Why is it alright in our democratic society for you as a group to display the very tactics you accuse the BNP of? I am not a supporter of the BNP but all I have noticed recently is that groups like yourself have given the BNP more publicity than any media coverage alone could ever do and are therefore part of the problem. Big deal, you have 50,000 signatures for your 'campaign', the BNP polled 60,000 votes in the South West alone. You actually damage the democratic system by your stance whereby the correct way would be to form your own party not stand on your soapboxes telling other people that they no longer have the right to vote as they see fit, however wrong to may personally think they are. Yes, racism and facism are wrong but the way you behave is equally as wrong and certainly unwelcome in a democracy.

Comment 13 | From: Patricia Shonibare | Date: 9 June 2009, 12:26

It is a dark day but I have to find something amusing to be able to see it for what it is. I went on the BNP website and read about them blabbing on about their Anglo-Saxon origins and wanting to throw out all non-indigenous people. I am making it my mission to find all the ginger haired BNP members and give them information on their Viking origins! Being a red haired fiery woman of possible Viking origin myself I wonder when they will come and repratriate me? OH! and my family is mixed race so I guess we will all be sent in different directions! Nick Griffin's Hitler haircut is impressive too don't you think! EUROPE won't listen to him! I have joined the campaign and since being the subject of racial abuse with my (non-white) partner and child in the early 80's I feel I have more than enough qualification to say HOPE NOT HATE..and BAN THE BNP!

Comment 14 | From: Pianoman | Date: 9 June 2009, 13:31

Hi Patricia. Immigration is okay to the BNP, just look at the amount of them they have in their party (Arthur Kemp, Lambertus Nieuwhof et al)!!

Comment 15 | From: Harry Wojciechowski | Date: 9 June 2009, 14:21

The fact that the BNP got in with a lower vote than in 2004 is a travesty, but on the same note making voting a legality would contradict the principles of a democracy and the right to vote or not. Yes, it should be people's responsibility to vote, but we cannot force anyone to - the Hope Not Hate campaign, however, is a brilliant way to encourage people to get themselves down to polling stations on voting days, and I know everyone in my circle of friends who did vote voted against the BNP, and we can only carry on and make sure we spread the message. On the same note, banning the BNP would only stoke the flames further because again, everyone is entitled to their view and to deny people the right to speak their mind is contrary to our democratic ideals - we must simply spread our message and inform people. In my eyes, that's the key issue - knowing. The BNP hide their true colours and I pity the people who voted for them; either they are simply bigoted idiots or they don't understand what the BNP truly stand - when I read their jargon about 'British Jobs For British Workers!' etc., I want to know what they think British actually is. I could go on! Kudos to everyone who set up, run and take part in the campaign, you all do an amazing job. As someone with a rather complex heritage (born in Norfolk with Polish, Italian and a blend of British roots), this is a cause I feel very strongly about because people from all over the world have suffered died in the fight against fascism so that we can live free from tyranny, and when the BNP start reeling out their campaigns of racism and hate, it is one of the few things that make me angry - WE didn't earn the right, those who came before us did, and the BNP are pissing all over the memories of those who gave their lives and their freedom to fight evil. The best way to honour those people is to fight the BNP, and dammit we will fight them. Keep the faith everyone - Hope Not Hate

Comment 16 | From: Pianoman | Date: 9 June 2009, 16:36

Mr. Johnson - It is quite clearly the BNP that are the fascists as fascism is of the extreme right and communism is of the extreme left (such as the Socialist Labour Party led by Arthur Scargill) and the two are political opposites - we learned that in school!!

Comment 17 | From: Pianoman | Date: 9 June 2009, 18:43

Harry, that's a good point. I am a Brummie of Irish descent and it makes me guffaw when I hesr the BNP say they're not 'anti-Irish' some of the loyalist paramillataries kept them bankrolled in Tyndall's 'reign' and even now their members in the Six Counties and beyond openly support sectarian attacks against Roman Catholics. Of course them and their friends in the NF were systematically tarring every Irish person and person of Irish descent in Britain as 'terrorists' not that long ago - exactly what they're doing now with British and worldwide followers of Islam. The BNP think we don't remember these things....

Comment 18 | From: johnny | Date: 9 June 2009, 21:44

Before i start i am not a supporter of the BNP. What happened today with the protesters is a joke, you have played right into their hands and gave them the much needed publicity they wanted. why ? they look like utter tits chasing him. where as if they would of held a peaceful protest and outchanted him it would of been different. i just want to say, due to the UAF half of britain is now turning towards the BNP. Absolute Idiots!!!

Comment 19 | From: Pianoman | Date: 10 June 2009, 08:33

I think the reason Britain is 'turning towards the BNP' is nothing to do with Unite, it is the result of a salacious ill informed smear campaign in the populist press which started on ASYLUM SEEKERS which turned into IMMIGRANTS which turned into MUSLIMS which is now turning into poor hard done by white heterosexuals. Current economic conditions are fanning the flames. This is a prime example of playing into their hands if ever I saw one. Britain needs UNITY, black white and Asian all together and realise this is the good ship Great Britain, we're on here together and only UAF community groups and the trade unions can bring about mass opposition to the BNP's extremism.

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