I’m not the slightest bit surprised to learn that the BNP website is the most visited UK political party site. Before anyone misinterprets, let me say I’m entirely opposed to their politics. But they are a real political party, with real seats on real democratic bodies, and they put forward real candidates in real elections (sometimes winning them too). The democratic purist in me says it isn’t acceptable to actively blank them. No wonder people actively look them up online, to see who they are, and precisely what they stand for: nobody else is telling us that. The website isn’t exactly up to much, but it’s there, and it contains the stuff if that’s what you’re looking for. But don’t misinterpret ‘high readership’ for ‘high support’: I dare say plenty of people, like myself, were looking out of sheer curiosity, rather than any kind of active or even passive support.
In the interests of left-right balance – the same goes for the Greens. They have even stronger representation, with two MEPs and a ‘real’ parliamentarian in Westminster, and their politics are increasingly mainstream – ask the Nobel committee. But then again, as long as they refuse to play the political game, they’re going to miss out on media coverage. They’re starting to ramp up their online activity (a blog, YouTube…) but I don’t personally believe it’ll be enough unless they opt to have a ‘proper’ leader when it’s put to the vote next month.
Monday will be an interesting test: the Greens are to announce the results of the elections for their chair and dual ‘principal speaker’ positions. A big deal. Will it get any kind of a mention?
Responses
Hi to anyone visiting after reading Christopher Hope’s piece on the Telegraph site. Yes, I deliberately chose not to link to the BNP site, lest I share any of my Google juice with them. (Delusion of grandeur, I know.) My blog, my rules. But if we’re going to talk about giving any games away, I’d say the line about me being entirely opposed to their politics might have been even more telling. 😉
Of course, with Ming going, there’s no chance whatsoever of the Green election getting a look-in. For the record, Derek Wall got back in as male principal speaker, and MEP Caroline Lucas was a convincing winner in the female speaker vote. So that’s one vociferously for a proper party leader, and the other anti. Hmm.
Incidentally – fair play to Derek Wall for running his own blog, and getting the result up there.
The british national party should be allowed media coverage after all we do supposedly live in a free country this is not burma its the uk lets just all remind our selfs of that.Any way if the goverment is so convinced that people will see through the racist bnp whats to worry about.Or maybe the goverment are starting to realise there is a problem in the uk and thats why people are turning to the bnp.Every time the bnp talk about immigration there branded racist on the news yesterday i saw david camron talking about halting immigration and bringing certain ammounts in every year i dont see david camron being called a racist HYPOCRITS.Plus why shouldent britain have a nationalist political party if its ok for scotland with the snp why not britain.I HOPE THE BRITISH NATIONAL PARTY GROW AND GROW OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS AND PUT THE FEAR OF GOD INTO THE LIKES OF GORDON BROWN AND HUG A HOODIE CAMRON.
[…] like under the rug. The BNP is an increasingly powerful political force in the UK – their website has more hits than any other party. Their views are those of a large section of the population. If we allow other minority groups a […]