BNP
One worrying feature about the Assembly election campaign was the increase in votes for the BNP.
Whilst the turn out in the Assembly elections went up slightly on 2003, it was still woefully low, particularly if one compares it to the sort of turnout achieved in the French Presidential elections of 85%, the 44% that was achieved in Wales seems derisory in comparison.
The growth in votes for the BNP is, however, worrying. The message of racial division, which they put forward anti-immigrant, anti-Semitic, and anti those Britain’s who are of immigrant descent, is rightly something which the four main parties abhor and condemned on Equality Day during the election campaign.
I see recently that Nick Griffin was prevented from speaking at Bath University. It was called off on security grounds. I hate their message but I feel that their message is best tackled head on by force of reason and argument rather than preventing them speaking, though clearly they have to act within the law prohibiting incitement to racial hatred and so on, and often, of course, they do not. The Law should take its course where this happens.
Any political party that bases its appeal on division and hatred of people based on the colour of their skin or their racial origins is destined ultimately to fail, but we must make sure the BNP does not get a foothold in Welsh or British politics.
