Serious parties need to address the real and reasonable concerns of potential BNP voters. Serious parties on this DO NOT currently include the Lib Dems who continue to flirt with these fascists and use broadly similar communalist tactics in many cases.

- Electoral pact in Blackburn (leaked from Lib Dems)
- Boosting to Committee in Burnley (public domain)
- Mayor of Settle, no coon jokes (public domain)
- Signing their nominations (public domain)
- Pro and anti-mosque messages (Oldham/Saddleworth)
- Refusing to sign anti-BNP accord (x3, Manchester)

But, leaving the Lib Dems track record to one side, the BNP may be mad or damaged goods but they are not stupid. Their strategy is working towards future electoral success in London Assembly and European elections by blooding new wards and constituencies each time and then perming to a different and larger set with limited overlap.

will post soon….

b’shalom

bananabrain

Feeling rather pleased for the ladies in East London – new generation manifesto for Bethnal Green and Bow… Hurray.

Nothing changes, just the style of dress.

What an idiotic comparison. All the would-be hoodies and yobs of that time had just all been wiped out in the war

I’ll sort of promise to do it by monday.

I miss Amir. He was fun.

There is another element to consider – and that is PP’s shelf-life.

A good measure is the number of posts a ‘PP-centric’ topic attracts. A similar picture can be seen on CiF.

Perhaps what is needed is a new format. I’ve got some thoughts on that.

I think I said before there is a natural life to a PP thread – 73 posts is my theory. After that we’re into rambling territory.

On the BNP, there really wasn’t a need for BNP pt. 2.

But, yes, I think we’re getting a little BNP centric here. We all know they’re dreadful, but apart from Anon + 1, I don’t think any regulars here are about to vote for them, so perhaps what we should be discussing, is what party is actually going to do the things we want done, and that doesn’t just mean FP.

We have big problems here that affect everybody, regardless of ethnic background or political affiliation. We have housing, employment, education, pensions, crime, and health problems. Not necessarily in that order. As I mentioned previously, I have discovered that there is only one consultant in this developed world country that we live in that treats my unremarkable condition. This can’t be an isolated example. We need a government that is going to put things right, not just think that throwing cash in the air and hoping it will come down in the right place is the answer.

Forget the BNP it’s a troll and we’re continuing to feed it.

You forgot Anas.

Contrary to some folk on here, I think the BNP has seen an opportunity to represent the white working class. I happen to think they are possibly the worst people on the planet to do it, but politics is all about triangulation for the big boys and it has left a glaring hole that the BNP have occupied.

Unities piece that Sunny mentioned at the top and inders comment just above your rum and coke post suggest that they are either very confused or congenital liars.

How you deal with liars and charlatans in the media is beyond me. Hopefully, we will not be reading about massive BNP support next week. The electorate is not stupid.

On your other point, I would say that a blog like this is important mainly for the diversity of people who come here, not because it is specifically Asian. It is important that people of all backgrounds can have open forums where they can discuss things without the general nastiness that goes on elsewhere. You have Jewish voices that are willing to be pretty open here. I think that matters. I think that people should be welcomed into threads and encouraged to express their views.

Having said all that, there does seem to be a dearth of Asian commentators that are willing to stick with it. Which is kind of strange.

ElCid, you have to remember not everyone who reads this blog comments on it.

In the end only you can answer that matey. All of us on here write but are in various ways involved in work that [hopefully] progresses our society. We do what we can with the time we have…

For some reason your post reminds me of an excellent Pink Floyd tune:

You can have anything you want
You can drift, you can dream, even walk on water
Anything you want

You can lose yourself this night
See inside there is nothing to hide
Turn and face the light

Hangovers, you forgot to add hangovers…

In my experience certain neighbourhoods in Tipton have the worst figures for Crime. Tipton is a very divided place racialy, with neighbourhoods that are majority white british and neighbourhoods that are majority asian specificaly asian-pakistani. The ethnicity seems to make no difference to the crime rates there as crime is just as bad in both types of area.

Another difference which Mr Smith does not seem to recognise is that Smethwick and West Bromwich are on the border with the Birmingham City Council. One would expect areas that are more inner city in character to have more crime then areas like Tipton (which borders the town of Dudley) and Wednesbury (which borders the town of Walsall). I would say that Wednesbury and Tipton are actualy over-represented in crime figures for Sandwell, and I would point to the high levels of unemployment throughout Sandwell as to why these higher crime levels exist.

Your observations on Jack Straw are uncalled for. He is a million miles from the racist sentiments of the BNP. If you can’t make sensible observation why don’t you keep your mouth shut.

The veil hasn’t been banned here. It has just been deemed as inappropriate in certain situations. Quite sensibly. I note that many Muslim majority countries are totally against it. If you have a problem perhaps you should direct your attention to them.

Looks as though the Iranian Ministry of whatever are doing a good job re: headgear for women. They are also cracking down on rap and heavy rock. The young carry on regardless, two fingers to the mad mullahs. The young, don’t you just love their insouciance. Thank goodness for them, they are the future.

Long live freedom of expression.

Celebrate the fact that you live in a country that on the whole is tolerant of eccentricity and diversity. As Queen Victoria is alleged to have said, ‘If it doesn’t frighten the horses….’.

The racist BNP may well achieves gains in the local elections, if they do this will be because local politicians are not addressing the concerns of their constituents, or perhaps more likely are not sufficiently adroit in countering the lies of the BNP.

PS Islam is a system of beliefs, it is not a racial categorization. Criticism of a belief or its practices does not make you a racist.

Your observations on Jack Straw are uncalled for. He is a million miles from the racist sentiments of the BNP. If you can’t make sensible observation why don’t you keep your mouth shut.

The veil hasn’t been banned here. It has just been deemed as inappropriate in certain situations. Quite sensibly. I note that many Muslim majority countries are totally against it. If you have a problem perhaps you should direct your attention to them.

Looks as though the Iranian Ministry of whatever are doing a good job re: headgear for women. They are also cracking down on rap and heavy rock. The young carry on regardless, two fingers to the mad mullahs. The young, don’t you just love their insouciance. Thank goodness for them, they are the future.

Long live freedom of expression.

Celebrate the fact that you live in a country that on the whole is tolerant of eccentricity and diversity. As Queen Victoria is alleged to have said, ‘If it doesn’t frighten the horses….’.

The racist BNP may well achieves gains in the local elections, if they do this will be because local politicians are not addressing the concern of their constituents, or perhaps more likely are not sufficiently adroit in countering the lies of the BNP.

PS Islam is a system of beliefs, it is not a racial categorization. Criticism of a belief or its practices does not make you a racist.

Differentiates them from other polical parties certainly, but in all other respects they use the same methods and one shouldn’t be surprised.