BNP in electoral oblivion?

Whilst the top brains of the Conservative Party and the Liberal Democrats circle the wagons and decide on the best options open to them, other things are going on in domestic politics. The side show is The Sun getting steamed up about a 59-year old squatter in a posh London home. Getting further up the billing is the plight of the BNP. Most commentators have written them off as a joke. However, I think that is misplaced. We have now a form of multi-party politics. The BNP is a small player in this new agenda. What most forget is that the BNP can command the support of around one million voters if all UK voters get the chance to vote. On top of that my inclinination is to suggest that another two million let the possibility of supporting the BNP pass their minds. This is no insignificant part of the electorate.

So where are we now? The BNP is led by a man who is clever but prone to childish pranks, poses and postures. He also has rather an iron grip on the party. Most of the campaigning "skills" are his. This has led to a catastrophic result as far as seats are concerned, but votes have increased slightly. The party is in meltdown, though. The website is offline due to the fact there is a tussle between Griffin and the former webmaster Simon Bennett. The site was taken down because Bennett was landed with the legal mess due to Griffin's crazed campaign with and against Marmite. Council seats fell faster than the ten green bottles. Barking was skittle alley for Margaret Hodge. The anti-BNP coalition of oddball anarchists, self-righteous lefties and political streetfighters think they have won the war. I think it's no more than a battle at best. Probably a skirmish.

The BNP has been the most successful "far-right" political party in the UK. Such politics as it represents, that of nationalism and populism, attracts a percentage of the electorate. And it always has. However, it will never be a mainstream political choice. Margaret Hodge thinks the BNP will run off like a dog with its tail between its legs. I think she is wrong. This election never addressed the matter of the thoughts of people about immigration. They hear statistics and well-meaning phrases, but precious little understanding. Gordon Brown flew off the handle over "that woman" because he thought he heard her say racist things. He never attempted to understand where she was coming from, that is why her postal vote stayed where it was.

The BNP under Nick Griffin is not the answer to the questions that people want answered. Many say that when BNP councillors get elected they are hopeless at the job and this is mainly true. But some are not. I sense there may be quite a few who see a different leadership as being the BNP's salvation for future electoral forays. Time will tell. And that will be when we need to get serious about responding to the debate.