Surprise surprise ! The BNP's new anti racists views are still racist

I suppose we all ought to be surprised and shocked to find out that the BNPs new non racists non discriminatory rules are actually still racist.

It doesn't matter how many times the BNP deny it, the very point of the BNP is that they are a racist party, that is the reason for their being and the reason for their support. Trying to deny it is like claiming that Manchester United are not a football team.

The worst possible thing to find on your doorstep ... a racist leaflet full of lies from the BNP

The people in my village are probably arriving home this evening to find their doorsteps littered with something even more unpleasant than a cat turd. Yes, the BNP have been out delivering hate filled leaflets full of contradictory myths that they claim to be fact.

I cannot be bothered list all the errors and lies they claim as "facts" in their leaflets, but needless to say if you are blaming the EU and immigration from Europe for the vast majority of immigration in to the UK, you can hardly claim that the UK will have white people as a minority in 50 years time, after all, most people from Europe are also white people.

As I said, it doesn't take a large brain to work out that if the BNP cannot get this simple fact right then there is a good chance that their other "facts" are equally wrong and misleading.

Still, there are plenty of thick people about who believe such rubbish or articles in the Daily Mail claiming we will be overrun in 50 years time.

A good argument stands on its own merits, but if you'll have to lie, you've lost the argument.

I am a member of the Liberal Democrats

I just thought I'd make it clear that I am a Liberal Democrat member. I am not ashamed or embarrassed by this fact and am happy to state it for anyone who wants to know.

Apparently though BNP members are not so keen to be open about their membership of their party.

Guilty secrets, shame, embarrassment or what ?

Bernie Ecclestone's excuses for racists do wash with me

I'm firmly of the opinion that making excuses for racism simply panders to it and fails to address the issue. Sadly I think Bernie Eccleston's dismissal of the racism from some Spaniards to Lewis Hamilton as "a joke", misses the point and does nothing to deal with the racists, indeed it may encourage them to do more "jokes" in the future.

Far right to split again ?

I seem to recall that the BNP came about after something of a split in the National Front in the late 1970's and early 1980's. Now, it appears, the BNP is set to split itself after factional fighting.

It's political correctness gone mad !

Be careful not to mention any country or anyone anywhere in the world for fear these days of being moaned about or called a racist.

you do have to wonder a bout these serial complainers who like nothing better than to watch entertainment shows on TV and then phone up to moan about them.

I can't be bothered to explain the story in full, but apparently Arlene Phillips, a judge on the BBC's "Strictly Come Dancing" show, made reference to two dancers looking like "poles (as in metal poles) from Poland," and thirty two people phoned up to complain.

You can read the whole story HERE, but it does make you weep.

When the word "racist" is used too often

Is it really racist to call someone English ? Apparently it is if you are Welsh.

It is odd, because I have been told in the past that it would be racist to refer to a Welsh person as "a stupid Welshman" during a football match, but now you can also be called a racist for calling a Welsh person English too ?

It seems crazy in the extreme and a massive amount of overkill for what appears to have been a misunderstanding (isn't that the word we are using about the British teacher in Sudan ?) . There is a difference between being ignorant and being racist. In this case it appears the convicted man was not singling her out because she was English, or even calling her English as an insult. Instead he called her English because that was a way to describe her given her accent. If he had called a stupid cow instead of English, he could not have been accused of being racist, although arguably it would have been much more offensive.

Of course, racist behaviour has to be tackled head on and should not be tolerated, but if we cannot use terms like "English" in the UK to describe someone, we really have got problems.

Julian Lewis MP quits Oxford Union over invite to racists

Well done to Tory MP Julian Lewis for having the courage of his convictions by resigning from the Oxford union over their invite to BNP leader Nick Griffin and Holocaust denier David Irving to speak to the Oxford Union.

It shows that for all their money and so called knowledge, the some Oxford students have badly misjudged the public mood on this issue and with the BNP now haling the Oxford Union's decision as "a big breakthrough for our party to spread its message", it shows how stupid they have been.

There is a difference between freedom of speech and given people a platform to peddle their hatred.

The persistent undercurrent of racist language from the Tory Party continues

The news that Nigel Hastilow, a Tory candidate, is to be asked to speak to senior Tory officials after he apparently praised Enoch Powell's "Rivers of Blood" speech should come as no surprise to anyone who follows the constant racist undertones emanating from the Conservative party.

In recent months we have had these sorts of comments from MP's, from Peers and advisers to David Cameron, accusations from Tory candidates, plus we have to ask questions about the way they campaign in local elections.

You could just put this down to one rogue individuals, and I do not believe for one moment that the Tory party condones these sorts of comments. most Tories I know are as opposed to racism as I am. However, they need to start asking themselves why it is that racists are attracted to their party and why some senior people believe that pandering to racism in speeches, in newspaper articles, is something that is wanted by Tory members.

Sayeeda Warsi - First pandering to homophobes, now to racists. How tough will Cameron be ?

David Cameron is going to have to decide whether he is decisive or a ditherer in the wake of Sayeeda Warsi's latest outburst of foot in mouth.

Ms Warsi has been accused of pandering to racists and the BNP when she told the press that:

"There are a lot of people out there who are voting for the BNP and it's those people that we mustn't just write off and say 'well, we won't engage with them."

"They have some very legitimate views - people who say 'we are concerned about crime and justice in our communities, we are concerned about immigration in our communities."

Remember, this is the same Syeeda Warsi who complained to the press that Sayeeda Warsi, that the Tories in Dewbury told her they did not want her to stand again because they didn't want there to be two ethnic candidates. The implication behind her story was that she was accusing Dewsbury Tories of being racist.

It is clear that Ms Warsi likes to use racist rhetoric, wants to pander to people with racist views and even endorse the views of the BNP when she wants press coverage, but then complains about racism when it affects her. Doesn't this make her the very worst type of hypocrite.

So how does this affect David Cameron ? Well he appointed her as Community Cohesion spokesman for the Tory Party. He had some criticism at the time for appointing her to this post after she had already made a number of comments that could at best be described as deeply unpleasant, but would be described my most people as homophobic.

She claimed just two yeas ago that homosexuality was peddled to children as young as seven in schools and that lowering the age of consent was wrong as it meant gay men were propositioning teenagers on the streets.

Now the problem for David Cameron is this he has not only got a senior spokesman who has both racist and homophobic sympathies blurting from her mouth in the run up to an election. But in the same way as it was well know that Margaret Hodge's idiotic comments about the BNP shortly before the 2006 local elections gave them a boost and talked up their chances of winning, this sort of publicity is absolute gold dust to the BNP. For Ms Warsi not to know that shows incredible naivety, or at worst down right stupidity. is this the sort of person he feels should be a Minister if his party win the election ?

people I know have been impressed by Gordon brown in recent weeks and months because he seems sure of himself, he comes across as decisive, he appears not to suffer fools gladly and has a team around him who are not putting a foot wrong. If Cameron wants to be seen at all as being tough, then now is the time for action.

Ms Warsi's views on homosexual equality and now on the BNP are not views that should be upheld by any political party. If the Tories keep her in her position then nobody in the Conservative party could complain if they are labelled as being a racists and homophobic party because if their Community Cohesion spokesman says these things and is not removed from her post, surely it is Tory approved policy ?

Come on Dave, show you can be a strong man. Take action against her now.

Just to add some balance

Yesterday I responded to Iain Dale's challenge to denounce a Lib Dem who signed a BNP candidate's nomination paper. I make it clear, he should be thrown out of the Lib Dems and I am pleased that Darlington Lib Dems have also disowned him, although due to the fact his nomination papers are already in, he remains on the ballot paper as a Lib Dem, even though the Liberal Democrats no longer support this candidature.

To add some balance, I am reminded of this story from a week ago which highlights the rather unsavoury language and messages coming from a Tory candidate in this election. I have not seen any follow up from the Tories to suggest he too has been suspended. Can anyone update me on this ?

Francis Maude. Dim, a stupid toff, a liar or just a nasty piece of work ?

I picked up this quote from Francis Maude on Iain Dale's blog.

"It’s also alarming that, of the three main political parties, the Liberal Democrats have the worst record in local elections of fielding candidates against the BNP. It is time that they woke up to the danger posed by this extremist party."

Of course, what he does not list is that the Lib Dems are the most successful party at winning seats off the BNP. He also fails to mention how many seats the Tories have gained from the BNP. From my memory, it is zero. Oh, and Francis, which party set up a special campaigning unit to fight against the BNP ? No Francis, I'll tell you. It was the Lib Dems.

Iain refers to Francis Maude's comments as "trenchant". Dim politically motivated misrepresentations of the truth would be nearer the mark. Alternatively, he is just very, very dim !

P.S. Great minds eh ! Even loyal Tories are not pleased with Maude either. For different reasons from mine I'll grant you, but still, worth reading The Hunter for an alternative take on him.

Lib Dem signs BNP nomination paper

Iain Dale brings to our attention (belatedly in my case) that a Lib Dem in the North East has signed a nomination paper for a BNP candidate.

Let me make my opinion crystal clear on this. I have members of my family who would, under a BNP government, be forced from these shores to live in countries that they have never lived in or even visited. My sister in law is of Indian descent (although she would describe herself as a scouser and her accent certainly verifies this), and although never supporting the aims of views of the BNP (unlike a number of Tory supporters), I have more reason than most to oppose them.

Furthermore, I would utterly condemn the actions of this idiotic Lib Dem and moreover, I would like to see him thrown out of the party.

Now Iain, back to you. How about some proper condemnation, perhaps expulsion for your fraudulent Lord ?

P.S. Iain will no doubt be as delighted as I am to know that he has already been disowned by Darlington Lib Dems. The link to this story can be found HERE.

P.P.S. The linked story from my P.S. seems to have been altered and no longer links on to the statement from Darlington Lib Dems. It appears, and this is covered elsewhere, that with his nomination papers in already, the Lib Dems cannot withdraw his candidature and cannot alter his description, much like the famous defection of a Lib Dem PPC in a parliamentary by-election back in 1994. Lib Dem Voice reports some people have been duped in to signing forms under the misapprehension that candidates were standing as Independents,with the BNP description added after they had signed. Of course this is just not the case in Darlington and is just bloody stupid ignarance on the Lib Dem councillor's part and he has no defence in my opinion.

Is Big Brother being edited to highlight racism in order to gain press coverage ?

In the past, Big Brother contestants have complained that the editing has put a spin on events that simply did not seem to be an issue, if seen in context, when they were in the house itself.

With Celebrity Big Brother dying on its arse just a few days ago, the latest "racism" incidents, seem all to convenient to have suddenly arisen and become such a feature of the show's editing. Fortunately for Endemol, produers of Big Brother, the furore about this whole issue has seen a massive jump in the viewing figures, ensuring more phone votes and more money in their coffers. Fortunate ?

Personally, I have not watched the program other than occasional five minute "bites". But the coverage I have seen does, to be, seem to show some really unpleasant bullying going on of the Bollywood star "Shilpa", but is that any different from usual in Big Brother ? In the last series we saw bullying at variosu times of Nicky, Shabaz, Richard and others. It is like "The Lord of the Flies" in the Big Brother house. It always is, and anyone entering the house ought to be aware of how the producers manipulate the contestants to get them to "grate" on each other as much as possible.

As for is it racism, as Lynne Featherstone asks in her blog, my view has always been if someone believes that it is racist, then it is. Racism is always in the ear of the beholder. If comments are being made about her race and she is being singles out in that way, then it is racist and offenseive and I hope the perpetrators are made aware of just what people think of them.

Livingstone vs Phillips - Old enemies at it again

The latest spat between Ken Livingston and Trevor Phillips is the most recent in a long line of confrontations between the two, and I guess has to be seen in this context. Read about it HERE.

When Ken was in the Labour Party first time round and expressed a clear interest in standing as the Labour candidate, Trevor Phillips was one of those "New Labour" loyalists who spoke openly against Ken. Indeed, through various Quango's and other organisations within the Labour Party, Trevor Phillips was openly touted as the futire Labour candidate for Mayor of London at the time.

Of course, when Ken went and left Labour, Trevor Phillips must have known he could not win and his campaign floundered after this.

I have to say that I think Trevor Phillips has done a poor job as head of the Commission for Racial Equality because his speeches and comments on issues appear, at least to me, to be all about Trevor Phillips making the headlines and do little for true equality.

Is Phillips "a dud", as Ken suggests, to my mind, yes he is.

When will the SNP stop being apologists for racism against the English ?

Reading the Digital Spy website that reports on a range of TV related stories, I happened across this intersting piece regarding a Newnight investigation in to Scottish football violence. Read it HERE.

It appears the BBC left a van with a flag of St George on it in part of Glasgow, and filmed as it was attacked by Scottish fans. What is the SNP's response to this ? They want to BBC investigated. No condemnation of the people doing this, just condemnation of the BBC.

The SNP are just apologists for racism towards English people. When will they start condmening those who do the attacks rather than those who expose the attackers ?