BNP leader pelted in egg protest

[moggie]

No word yet on whether there were any arrests:

BNP leader Nick Griffin has been pelted with eggs and forced to abandon a press conference outside Parliament.

About 200 protesters disrupted the event, which follows the British National Party winning its first two seats in the European Parliament.

Mr Griffin was elected for the North West region - a result condemned by parties across the political spectrum.

...

The BBC's political correspondent Carole Walker said Mr Griffin and his fellow BNP MEP Andrew Brons were led to a car and had to abandon the press conference.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8091605.stm

[muriel_volestrangler]

1. A press conference outside Parliament?

Did he have Met Police permission for that - after all, that must count as a demonstration. It's not as if he's an MP or anything to do with Westminster.

[FunkyLeprechaun]

2. If only people had voted for one of the big parties

Instead of the silly Katie Hopkins like parties, BNP wouldn't have won two seats. Then again, I am very disappointed with people who have the right to vote who don't exercise that right. One of my friends said no quite dismissively, said she didn't have time (despite the polls being literally open all day) and of the 300+ million people in Europe being eligible to vote, only 43% turned out.

I wish there was a way to get involved in the voting process like the US does. I felt that there wasn't enough effort from people here in my part of Staffordshire as people at the local I frequent are generally apathetic to politics.

I think it's important to talk about it but people would rather talk about their horses and complain about the price of beer going up than talk politics.

[Nihil]

3. If only politicians in the big parties weren't so corrupt that people despise them ...

... then BNP wouldn't have won two seats.

> people at the local I frequent are generally apathetic to politics.

Cause & effect. It doesn't matter which of the major parties you
vote for, the only people who benefit from the election are directly
linked to the politicians - not the electorate.

Most people use this as a justification for political apathy.

Some use it as an opportunity for a protest vote - i.e., a vote for
one of the minor players (Greens, UKIP) or for one of the joke
parties (Christian Party, The Roman Party Ave!) or for a local
independent.

The only way I can see to fix the "low turnout" problem is to adopt
the Australian model and make voting compulsory - failing to vote is
punishable by law - as long as they maintain a "None of the above"
option.

:shrug:

[TheBigotBasher]

6. I was thinking about that

I was also thinking about the reasonably legitimate complaint of UKIP about the folded ballot paper. FWIU UKIP and the Greens were 1500 votes away from taking the seat from the BNP. The Trots are having a demonstration today, I thought about going, but have changed my mind. They have got this arse about face.

Why didn't they help The Greens on a GOTV campaign? UKIP have some evidence to call the vote in to question, but I think a recount can only be called on the night. Given that the Greens and UKIP are still pretty much a rag bag organisation of a PArty, their Party Agents tend to be people who sign the sheet to keep the election accounts. Party Agents from both the Labour and Conservative Party tend to have had 2 years training on election law.

[FunkyLeprechaun]

9. I agree with making an eligible voter vote!

If you're eligible to vote, you should make every effort to vote!

[moggie]

4. I have never not voted

Council elections, byelections, general, Euro: I always vote, and when I enter the polling station, no matter how unenthusiastic I am about the prospects, I always feel a little thrill, from a vestigial, non-cynical part of my brain which says "this is important! It's a right which people have died for, and for which people are still dying today!"

I've wondered about compulsory voting. Australia has it, for example. I'd be interested to see any research about what effects this has had on the level of public understanding of politics, or electoral policies (the thought of parties having to pander to people even dumber than BNP voters is pretty scary, I'll admit).

At the end of the day, though, I suppose "I'm not voting because I don't like any of them" is at least as valid as voting for a joke party. So, here's my two-part modest proposal:

1. Every ballot to include a "none of the above" option;
2. Every voter can optionally enter a prize draw, which has a range of money prizes.

[FunkyLeprechaun]

10. I do think there should be something done to

Invite people to vote. I feel that if one talks about politics, I would find out more information about the parties. I read a lot of newspapers but it's not as fun as talking to people face to face.

[T_i_B]

11. Where to start?

If only people had voted for one of the big parties instead of the silly Katie Hopkins like parties, BNP wouldn't have won two seats.

If you'd actually taken the time to examine the results properly you'd see that Independents and Jury Team did not perform all that well. That said, I did find it odd that many Labour people developed something of an obsessive hatred of independent candidates. As far as I'm concerned, if an independent has a better platform then what the main parties have to offer then that's what I will go for.

Then again, I am very disappointed with people who have the right to vote who don't exercise that right.

I don't like it either, but if politicians fail to engage and inspire (as is clearly the case at present) then it's no surprise that people don't engage with the democratic process themselves. The reason why the BNP won two seats is because many Labour voters in their heartlands simply didn't bother to turn up and vote.

Personally I didn't see anything positive coming from the Labour party and if Labour can't say anything constructive at election time, is it any wonder that people are voting for them less then they used to? It's certainly not like we owe the big parties our support. It's their task to earn our vote and all to often they fall short I'm afraid.

I think it's important to talk about it but people would rather talk about their horses and complain about the price of beer going up than talk politics.

Well good for you if you have horsey friends, but the price of beer is a political issue thanks to ever increasing taxes on the stuff.

[Dutch]

13. That's incorrect

If by "big parties" you mean Labour, Tory and Liberal. It was UKIP and the Greens who came closest to keeping Griffin out. Frankly this latest tactic from the big parties of using the BNP bogeyman to try and scare people into voting for them, and cover for the fact that none of them have anything substantive to offer most voters, is highly distasteful.

The BNP are scum, having them in the EU parliament is embarrasing (although it's not like we're the only European country that has to put up with fascists in our EU delegation), and the resources and platform it provides them with is regrettable. But the impact those 2 MEPs will have on anything is miniscule at best (if they're anything like most BNP councillors, just getting them to turn up to work will be an achievement). And a 6% vote share, after all the publicity and in the current economic circumstances, is actually fairly pitiful. Of course it's enough to demand reasoned, resolute watchfulness towards the extreme right - but unfortunately the major parties aren't really offering that, they're offering cynical, self-serving manipulation.

But you're going to need a far more dire threat than the current BNP to convince people to flock to the big parties who have spent the last thirty years fucking over the majority of the people of this country. I'll fight tooth and nail to stop such a threat emerging, but I sure as fuck will not vote for any party whose policies have created the kind of disaffection upon which the far right feeds.

[muriel_volestrangler]

14. The impact in terms of their voting in parliament is small, but they get funding

Salaries for them, allowances to employ supporters in their offices ... the BNP's finances had been said to be pretty precarious. Now they know they can keep turning out their racist and crypto-racist stuff for another 5 years.

We have to hope the various far right parties from different countries hate each other too much to work together:

Mr Griffin achieved his long-term ambition of being elected to Brussels after scraping through to take the last of eight seats for the North East. Both men will be entitled to about £310,000 in annual funding, including an £80,443 salary, a staff budget of up to £182,000 and £40,000 for office expenses. But the British National Party (BNP) could also unlock a share of the £22.8m allowance that is given to parliamentary groups if it can find at least 25 fellow MEPs from seven member states willing to form a bloc within the European Parliament.

Being part of a group is crucial in terms of power as it entitles members to EU funding, a party office, administrative staff and, crucially, the right to vote in committees which are the nerve centre of the Parliament.

A parliamentary group is also entitled to up to £5m of extra funding over the next five-year term.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/griffin-tries-to-build-extremist-bloc-in-europe-1700174.html

[T_i_B]

15. I kinda feel the same way

I just wish that political parties would give us more to hope for and less to fear. I must admit that I get fed up with certain parties fearmongering (especially when they don't seem to have anything positive to say abiout their own policies).

[muriel_volestrangler]

16. Talking of fearmongering, Liberal Conspiracy did an analysis

of newspaper articles that take a 'immigration is an awful problem for us' line.

http://www.liberalconspiracy.org/2009/06/11/whos-been-helping-the-bnp/#more-5630

It won't surprise you to find it's been the Mail and Telegraph who write lots of stories about immigation being an economic problem; or using MigrationWatch as a source constantly. The Sun comes off relatively innocent - as they say, Murdoch may have just decided the profit is in being a bit more inclusive.

And the comment about the Express and Star is good for a laugh.

[non sociopath skin]

5. Waste of a bloody good omlette, if you ask me ...

:evilgrin:

The Skin

[dipsydoodle]

7. Sheer stupidity IMHO

It gave the BNP increased press coverage they didn't deserve and you can be sure that next time round they'll have some over for their backs - their own ICF. This will just go downhill.

Anyone know which side the two who were hospitalised were on ?

[LeftishBrit]

8. If the eggs weren't rotten to start with..

they must have become so after coming in contact with the BNP.

[Nihil]

12. Heard Nick Griffin was furious after the egging outside parliament.

Apparently they didn't separate the whites first...

:evilgrin:

[mackerel]

17. Seriously who looks worse here?

He should still be allowed to speak. Those egg tossers were no better than he is. I don't care what kind of racist nazi pig he is, those egg tossers assaulted him.

Fighting intolerance with intolerance doesn't lead to resolve.

[mackerel]

18. Here's the youtube feed

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQoNy4m7DX4