In addition to Sunny Handal's 20 Questions We Should Ask the BNP, here are nine more that have come my way via Urban 75. Whereas Sunny's questions were addressed to the BNP's thinly-concealed fascism these take the BNP up on their record.
1. Why has the BNP consistently (Stoke, Burnley Pendle) voted for above-inflation increases in council taxation, despite its claims against council tax increases and property-based council tax in general?
2. Why did Broxbourne BNP vote to block free bus passes for pensioners against their pledge that "pensioners should get free bus passes"?
3. Why did Halifax BNP councillors in abstain from voting to block the closure of a primary school in Mixenden despite election literature promising to defend all primary schools in the area.
4. Why did BNP in Kirklees agree to council service cuts in Sep 2009 declaring "a lot of the silly posts can disappear. I've always advocated that you get rid of 25% of council staff and no-one would notice. We won't be able to guarantee early retirement and gold-plated pensions."?
5. You, Griffin, have expelled certain BNP members for their political actions (including ex-Conservative BNP councillor Geoff Wallace in Halifax for supporting greenbelt housing) but not those who have implemented these above actions which harm the majority whose interests you claim to further. Why is there this discrepancy?
6. Why did you oppose the firefighters' strike of 2002-2003, asserting that firefighters should not have the right to withdraw their labour to renegotiate terms and conditions of work? You declared firefighters "must be placed on the same level as military personnel and police officers and ... forego their ambiguous position of using strike action". Do you still agree with it?
7. Why did Stoke BNP exonerate chief executive Wayne Nutbeen for closing (in 2005) Royal Doulton's last factories. Nutbeen's explanation was the "company isn't owned by Stoke-on-Trent. It is owned by the shareholders. The board has to ensure it does right by them".
8. Why has Stoke BNP agreed to budgets (2004, 2005, 2007) that cut social spending including Citizen's Advice Bureaus, old people's services?
9. Which aspects of the "national good" in "Oriental countries" would you emulate in Britain first - a 2000% increase in work-related suicides, mass dismissals of workers for attending anti-government meetings or homeless nomad families working in low-wage sectors? (Your manifesto (2009) claimed "Oriental countries such as Japan, South Korea and Singapore have managed their economies to combine private enterprise competition with the national good, and these are the models the BNP would emulate.")
Also at Socialist Unity.
Exactly the kind of question that should be asked. Some of these get to the substance of the BNP's fascism far more effectively than Sunny's racism-and-Nazis agenda. Don't get me wrong, the BNP leadership are racist Nazi fans and absolutely should be exposed as such, but that can't be the only approach. Once the BNP have got their feet under council desks, there comes a point at which people can vote BNP and feel they know what they're voting for, without ever thinking in terms of racism (let alone in terms of being crypto-Nazis, which I imagine most BNP supporters quite genuinely aren't). And that's the really dangerous time - that's when British fascism can start to put down roots. So we need to be asking people, do you really want to vote for this?
ReplyDeleteExactly. There is a place for 'don't vite Nazi'-style propaganda but its impact will always be limited if the BNP's record isn't taken up aswell. This is especially the case in areas where material exposing the BNP as Nazis have gone out ... and BNP councillors have been returned regardless.
ReplyDeleteCouldn't agree more, we need as many tools to fight the BNP. We need arguements that are going to settle working class voters who may be tempted by the BNPs stance as a 'party for change'. Any thing that undermines the BNPs arguments and exposes their reality must be applauded.
ReplyDeleteStupot
Nick Griffin on Question Time was certainly an interesting experience. I think in this case the maxim "give them enough rope ... " has proven to be true,
ReplyDeleteTime will tell. He could still scrape away with the image of being cornered by the establishment. Can't wait to see their emailings this week though! he'll be squirming for weeks
ReplyDeleteI think doing the "Nazi, Nazi, Nazi" line doesn't cut it too much nowadays
ReplyDeleteFar better to make the point that they are neo-fascists and then take up *why* fascism and neo-fascism are wrong. That brings out the political debate, shouting "Nazi" doesn't.
I think we need to move on a touch from the slogans of 30 years ago.
Excellent down to earth approach Phil. Good attention to detail. Will reach the areas where classic 'expose the Nazis' can not. Punctures their 'outsider' 'anti-establishment' mythos perfectly. yes, they are closet Nazis, but they are also just like any other bunch of two faced, lying politicians betraying their voters. Need to spread these 9 questions everywhere! Send it to Lancaster Unity for a start! And everywhere else!
ReplyDeleteBarry Kade.
http://barrykade.wordpress.com
BTW: Here's my own response to QT farce:
http://barrykade.wordpress.com/2009/10/23/question-time-the-establishment-muggs-nick-griffin-so-they-can-steal-his-political-clothes/
Well I warched BBC QT and nearly put my foot thru the telly. The Fat Fuhrer will have got what he wanted: hysterical, incoherent middle class politicians sticking the boot in, so making him look quite reasonable. Dimbleby allowed the show to become 'BNP Question Time' and lost objectivity. It was a farce, which played into the Fat Fuhrer's hands. He looked persecuted and will gain a lot of sympathy from viewers. Well done BBC, Straw and co!
ReplyDeleteExcellent questions, have ye got sources for the claims? Sorry to flag up on old thread but these would be handy for countering a lot of arguments.
ReplyDelete