Comments on: Andrew Brons: the BNP’s other MEP

By: Racist MEP is an al Qaida denier ... or is he? | Left Foot Forward

Racist MEP is an al Qaida denier ... or is he? | Left Foot Forward — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 17:21:12 +0000

[...] More damning evidence of Bronsâ€™s Fascist past can be found on Hope Not Hate, Socialist Unity and Pickled Politics. Share | Permalink | Leave a comment Click here to cancel [...]

By: HCFE 1978

HCFE 1978 — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 21:05:03 +0000

I must say I was one of Andrew’s political students in the 1970s. He was an early student at York University (graduated 1970), and was the most fantastic politics teacher I have ever met.
I was struck immediately by Andy’s friendliness and generosity to everyone. You must bear in mind we were 17+ and that is a very difficult age. We didn’t always meet his criteria in terms of output, and there were times when he pulled faces which bordered on the Hitlerian, but his interest in us, and his encyclopadiac knowledge of what was going on locally, nationally and internationally, overwhelmed us all.
A sign of the times was that the Harrogate College Students Union tried to have him removed from his post. This we met with disgust: we had plenty of Stalinist lecturers there too, and Bronzy was a much nicer chap. The SU’s victory would have been HCFE’s loss.
I think you will find Andrew Brons will make a very HELPFUL Member of the European Parliament to all, in contrast to many of the self-serving lot that have ruined our sovereignty and just taken the cash.

By: Student of Brons

Student of Brons — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 01:18:16 +0000

Interesting that he used the email address cordtbruns.fsnet.co.uk. Cordt Bruns being his German Great Grandfather

By: Jemmy Hope

Jemmy Hope — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 19:50:41 +0000

I’m pleased to note that the question of policy on disability, etc., has been raised. I think the fact that I wasn’t aware of that, or the BNPer’s remark on the Cameron boy, suggests that this subject doesn’t get the airing in the mainstream press ‘BNP on race’ does.
I have referred elsewhere to the recent BNP vote as composed of racists, paranoiacs and cretins, but I know that that is a simplification. There are people who feel disquiet at large-scale immigration, but from an economic, rather than a race/ethnicity/”culture” viewpoint. If these voters can be dissuaded from swelling the numbers registering support for the BNP (even as a gesture of protest) by shining a light into murky corners it should be tried.

By: Ravi Naik

Ravi Naik — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 13:47:53 +0000

In my view the BNP gets let off too easily as a result of this concentration on their racism. They have other, equally sinister policies that their ability to limit the area of debate helps them keep under wraps.

That’s true. In fact, focusing too much on their racial policies has two disadvantages: whites who would consider voting for the BNP at best do not care about excluding non-whites from society, and second the BNP has become pretty good at deflecting racist allegations. Still, I would say the “racist part” is useful for Asians and Blacks who decide to stay at home in the next election.

We need to focus as well on why the BNP is bad for those potential supporters. People may be racist, but they do not necessarily vote for racist parties if they think their self-interests are at stake.

specifically Question 19:

This question gives the BNP the opportunity to clarify that that’s the opinion of one individual, and not part of the BNP policy. And that the BNP does care…, and that’s another media campaign against the BNP. Instead, I would just collect infamous BNP quotes (like the “rape” and the “infanticide”) and just parade them in a flier.

By: Jai

Jai — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 13:20:26 +0000

Jemmy Hope,

One question exercises my mind – what is the BNPâ€™s policy with regard to the chronically ill and the disabled? Is it the same as that of their political forebears of 1930s/40s Germany?
In my view the BNP gets let off too easily as a result of this concentration on their racism. They have other, equally sinister policies that their ability to limit the area of debate helps them keep under wraps.

That’s a very good point. It was one of the areas addressed in Part One of the “85 Questions for the BNP” list, specifically Question 19:

“How will a BNP government ensure the safety, protection and welfare of Britainâ€™s current and future disabled population, considering that a senior member of the BNP has been on record as stating that he supports forced euthanasia of the handicapped, saying that â€œwe live in a country today which is unhealthily dominated by an excess of sentimentality towards the weak and unproductive. No good will come of it,â€ in response to the death of David Cameronâ€™s son in spring 2009?”

By: Leon

Leon — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 13:05:46 +0000

In my view the BNP gets let off too easily as a result of this concentration on their racism. They have other, equally sinister policies that their ability to limit the area of debate helps them keep under wraps.

That’s a fair point. Perhaps if we achieve success with this campaign, we can contact various campaign groups in those equalities strands and suggest they use the model?

By: david

david — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 12:51:41 +0000

Hi
Yes they may have suffered anti-german feeling in Bethnal Green or Hackney. I ended up getting carried away and put the full thing on my website, click on my name to have a look or try http://www.wastedfood.co.uk/andrewbrons.html

I actually did it before daily mail! made similar but very vague suggestions.

Im just waiting till he makes a comment about “immigrants”.

By: Jemmy Hope

Jemmy Hope — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 18:56:24 +0000

Re David’s comment (no.41). Presumably Brons was formerly Bruns, possibly changed by a clerical misspelling on an official document, not uncommon. It’s also possible that the slight change gave the name a less teutonic look. if AB’s grandparent’s were resident in this country during World War I they might have been victims of anti-German feelings, even anti-German riots, possibly interned as enemy aliens.
How ironic that would be.

By: Jemmy Hope

Jemmy Hope — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 18:44:52 +0000

One question exercises my mind – what is the BNP’s policy with regard to the chronically ill and the disabled? Is it the same as that of their political forebears of 1930s/40s Germany?
In my view the BNP gets let off too easily as a result of this concentration on their racism. They have other, equally sinister policies that their ability to limit the area of debate helps them keep under wraps.

By: david

david — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 18:20:06 +0000

Hi
Andrew Brons family tree is relatively easy to look up as he left messages on family tree message boards. His mother Alice Spenner was the daughter of two german “immigrants” and was born in hackney london. Andrews dad Ronald had two german grandparents: cordt bruns and eliza froelich/frayley. Let me know if anyone wants the full details (the rest of his family are simpsons and richards from southern england)

david

By: tinderbox0

tinderbox0 — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 21:23:18 +0000

I was looking up where Brons’ name originated and came across this site on my way. Thought I’d return to it with what I turned up. Brons is a Dutch name from broem, brom â€˜broomâ€™, probably having a topographic meaning, although it may have been a nickname for a poor farmer, one whose land was covered with broom. The highpoint of immigration of members of the Brons family into the USA was in the period 1875-1880. I couldn’t turn up any data on when people with the surname Brons migrated to the UK, but it may be around the same period. However, on the 1891 UK census there were still only around 20 households comprised of immigrant families with the surname Brons.

By: Ravi Naik

Ravi Naik — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 17:32:05 +0000

Here is Jon Stewart's take on the BNP (fast forward to min 3:10). Watch Nick Griffin respond to the question of how you decide what indigenous means. I have to say that it is weird after 8 years of looking down at Americans for having elected a retard... to see how they are looking at us for having elected two fascists in the European parliament.

By: Jai

Jai — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 15:26:05 +0000

Ravi,

he said he could think of 19 questions, but guess which one was his first?

Given the fact that, to my ears, it actually sounded like he said “90 questions” and followed it up with the very first question from my list here on PP (which was partly inspired by your own recent suggestion), it did make me smile too. These are exactly the type of questions that people need to very publicly ask the BNP.

Speaking of which, the third part of my list will be published on PP later today. I think you’ll find it especially interesting, as it deals with many of the key issues you’ve already referred to in your own comments on the previous two related threads.

By: Don

Don — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 15:17:39 +0000

Thanks for the heads up, Jai. Just watched it on iplayer. Yes, Bartley was very good, and that BNP ‘vicar’ was no help to Brons. Did he think a tame dog-collar would lend an air of respectability?

I liked one remark in particular – the BNP have a right to be heard, but not a right to be heard with respect.

By: Ravi Naik

Ravi Naik — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 14:58:31 +0000

Many thanks Jai – here is the link for anyone who missed it. And indeed Jonathan Bartley took them apart: he said he could think of 19 questions, but guess which one was his first?

It is a pity that many in the panel felt that the BNP should not have a voice, specially the MCB.

By: Jai

Jai — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 14:00:05 +0000

Andrew Brons was on “The Big Question” this morning and was effectively taken apart by one of the panellists, Jonathan Bartley, Director of the think-tank Ekklesia.

By: Student of Brons

Student of Brons — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 11:42:04 +0000

Don’t remember any Eastern European students, but there was no indication in Brons’ classes that he had any animosity to anybody. And that included the solitary BME student.

By: Ravi Naik

Ravi Naik — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 09:18:13 +0000

Is there anything you guys would like me to ask my MEP?â€¦ Bear in mind that I am likely to record his answers and post them on my husbandâ€™s little blog of rants.

Which MEP would that be? Nick Griffin or Andrew Brons?

By: teech

teech — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 01:52:47 +0000

Forget all the politics. They’ve been elected. I am represented by the BNP…

However, I am keen to go to an MEP surgery and ask questions of my elected representative. In fact I’m going to go and sit there and ask questions as soon as I am possibly allowed.

Is there anything you guys would like me to ask my MEP?… Bear in mind that I am likely to record his answers and post them on my husband’s little blog of rants.