Immigration?

The BNP, which advocates an immediate end to the “immigration flood” into Britain, lost all 12 of its seats on Barking & Dagenham Borough Council, with the Labour Party winning all 51 seats for the first time in the borough’s history. Council leader Liam Smith said the BNP “has no policy and plays on people’s fears,” while his own party ran a positive campaign, focusing on the council’s record in the area. Many pundits predicted the BNP could gain control of the council, as an influx of immigrants in recent years has caused resentment among the London suburb’s predominantly white, working-class population.

Curiously, although immigration was said to be one of the main issues in this election, why did the BNP fail to gain any support, locally or nationally?

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19 thoughts on “Immigration?”

  1. Ara; hello there.
    I don’t know…perhaps because most people felt the Tories would deal with it, sensibly and rationally enough?

  2. Hello Claire: I really don’t know.

    Trouble is, most of the anti-BNP votes, especially at local level seemed to go to the Socialists, who were generally perceived to have caused the problem in the first place!

  3. Ara; really? I’m a bit of a ditz, politically speaking, as you probably know!
    Quite a lot of people in Blackburn – when you scratch below the surface, I mean – are very anti immigrants -not just anti immigration.
    The BNP are filling a void, perhaps, because no other party wants to go there.
    I’m waffling and tired. Probably best if I leave this to the astute political minds on here!
    Night

  4. Araminta – I suspect that the man on the Clapham omnibus (I refuse to use the Americanised “Joe Public”) is very concerned about seemingly unfettered immigration, but feels unable to voice those concerns for fear of being branded “racist” by the establishment and also because he feels that the BNP is not a suitable vehicle through which to voice those concerns.

    OZ

  5. Night night, Claire.

    I’m feeling quite brain dead too, and I’m no political expert either.
    I don’t know the answer; hence the question.

    I think I had better go to bed too!

  6. Hello Oz:

    Whilst I take your point and “Man on the Clapham Omnibus” is much the preferred term, when we vote we just stick an X in the appropriate place and no one will know if one is a racist!
    With you on the BNP being an unsuitable vehicle though.

  7. Araminta – It is far more than sticking an “x” in the appropriate box. It is already been established (“Establishment”) that any actual or perceived criticism of immigration is inherently “racist” and they only have BNP militants to counteract. But what, yet again, of the silent majority such as that lady in Rochdale?

    OZ

  9. bravo22c :

    Because they are a bunch of racist thugs and people realised that when it came to the crunch?

    Bravo, I was just about to write the same thing when I saw your comment! The BNP’s image is negative and antisocial. Even their candidates exuded sleeze and menace – and their minders were straight from Strangeways.

  12. Minty MBE,

    They are totally unproven, everyone is more scared of our financial fracas than the immigration. When push comes to shove nationalism just isn’t that important in the scheme of things. A policy of fear doesn’t work on our omnibus patron and it also wouldn’t wash with the massive %age of immigrants in that constituency. NuLab and Bruin however are the candyman, of course they are going to vote to preserve their status.

    What amazes me that a green got in. Those ecomentalists are just one step up from the Monster Raving Loonies in my book. What the hell happened in Brighton? I suppose even a blind squirrel finds the occasional nut.

  14. The BNP won no seats in Westminster but won more than half a million votes countrywide.

    In east London, Mrs Hodge said: “This is really a great moment in our history, a never-to-be forgotten moment for both the good and decent people of Barking and Dagenham,” she said.

    “Our election here in this constituency was very different from elsewhere in Britain and our voters faced a stark choice.

    “And they have overwhelmingly chosen to support a democratic politics, built on tolerance, on fairness and on decency. Not a fascist politics built on division, prejudice and hatred.

    “The lesson from Barking to the BNP is clear: Get out and stay out, you’re not wanted here and your vile politics have no place in British democracy. Pack your bags and go.”

    Mr Griffin, who won 6,620 votes coming third, acknowledged that results had fallen short of expectations.

    He said: “I would say this to the people of Britain: It is going to be too late for Barking, but it is not too late for Britain. Get rid of our masters before they get rid of us.”

    He blamed the high turnout of 61.8 per cent for counting against him.

    I‘ve just been reading this here

  15. why did the BNP fail to gain any support, locally or nationally?

    Postal votes?

  16. I think the results for the Barking and Dagenham council need to be investigated. I agree with FEEG. There’s something very odd about Labour suddenly winning every single seat. We may be glad to see the BNP lose, but only in a fair fight.

  17. Thanks all.

    Interesting points, and there may well be questions to answer regarding postal votes and etc.
    I loathe everything about the BNP and I’m pleased that my opinion was reflected by the electorate, but they are nevertheless a legitimate political party, and as Sheona said they have every right to stand and be heard. Their message was largely ignored, but I deplore the use of unfair tactics, if that was the case.

  18. Hate to disappoint you Araminta but the BNP polled vastly more votes than ever before. I will concede that they ran a lousy campaign though. Squandering resources in Dagenham Barking was crazy, demographically it was always a loser.

  19. I’m not disappointed at all Jazz; rather relieved that they didn’t do better, and the odious Nick was resoundingly rejected. Says it all really.

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