Monday, November 03, 2008

UKIP and the BNP

Surprised to see today's publicity concerning a suggestion that UKIP and the BNP should consider an electoral pact by which the two parties stand aside for each other in the next General Election. I hope its not true. UKIP are denying it. I hope its not a case of there being no smoke without fire. This story is very damaging to UKIP, and there is clearly a problem. Two members of UKIP's National Executive Committee have been expelled, and it appears that there are another 40 'disenchanted' members.

The 'relationship' between UKIP and the BNP carries a special interest in Montgomeryshire, as it does for me. The two best known local UKIP activists, Bruce Lawson and David Rowlands are good friends of many years. I've never been able to understand why they make so much effort to help the Liberal Democrat cause. This may not be the intention - but it is the inevitable consequence of UKIP's illogical focus on taking Conservative votes. I don't complain. Its a free country.

And of course Nick Griffin, Leader of the BNP has lived for many years in Montgomeryshire. I know his parents, Edgar and Mrs Griffin quite well. A few years ago the New Statesman ran an article which suggested that Montgomeryshire was a racist hotbed. At the time I was appalled by it, most of which I believed to have been invented. I thought that the journalist was extrapolating Nick Griffin's presence into an assumption that many in Montgomeryshire shared his opinions. I became quite famous when I accused the magazine of lying, and demanded a public apology from the editor, on the Today programme. At first he tried to ignore me, but eventually was pressured into debating the issue on the PM programme, where he admitted that the offending article was 'allegorical', (a synonym for not based on truth) and that the journalist would never write for the New Statesman again.

We don't know the extent of any links there might have been or might remain between UKIP and the BNP, but I can understand why the former are deeply concerned about the publicity about it. Whatever, I do hope that there is no link whatsoever between them in Montgomeryshire.

6 comments:

Damon Lord said...

I spotted BNP activists and Nigel Farrage of UKIP talking last year at the election count in Cardiff.... More details here http://saiminu.blogspot.com/2007/05/bnp-do-speak-exclusive.html

Anonymous said...

i like the idea of meeting nick griffin and conversing with him and nodding enthustastically had his notions and ideas....and then asking him when he will be leaving Wales as his kind are not from here or wanted here. Alas its a dream.

Anonymous said...

Do the BNP still hate or harbour a hatred to the Jewish race? For some reason I can't quite fathom elements of the extreme right have it in for minorities and Jews and want the Third Reich or whatever to reign on the Earth. I happen to believe that the Jews meant a lot to God and therefore should not be exterminated or otherwise hunted down or sent to concentration (death/extermination) camps. I can't help it; I do support Israel and will stand with them. They occupy what % of land in the Middle East? Less than 10%? About 5%? The Arabs and non-Jews probably have 90% plus of the Middle East.

But I also understand that the Jews and the Palestinians need each other to thrive. Peace between the two groups is better than war, "Yaw yaw than war war" - somebody famous once said that or something like that, was it Churchill?

Glyn Davies said...

Damon - You are ahead of your time.

anon - Surprisingly, I've never met Nick Griffin, though I know his father well. We all live fairly close to each other. Those who do know him tell me that he is a very personable and engaging man - and quite unlike the way he's appeared on television sometimes. This is why its all so dangerous.

Chris - I don't know what BNP policy is, but I suppose it to be antipathetic to all immigrants , rather than any specific race. There;s probably plenty of information on the Internet. These policies don't feature on BNP literature in Montgomeryshire, where resentment of immigrants is minimal.

Dr. Christopher Wood said...

It seems somehow kind of fitting that America has voted for its first Black American President. But we should not forget that America has many fine Black American Mayors. In fact there are Mayors from all sorts of backgrounds.

Greg_L-W. said...

Hi,

You may find the facts regarding Nigel Farage's attempt to create a 'Reichstag Fire' moment of interest at: http://caterpillarsandbutterflies.blogspot.com/2008/11/110-did-mr-mottram-provide-farages.html

There are a number of informative articles on EUkip, all factually backed and supported at http://caterpillarsandbutterflies.blogspot.com

Regards,
Greg L-W.