Comments on: Prepare for a shock BNP victory http://www.tom-watson.co.uk/2008/03/prepare-for-a-shock-bnp-victory/ The inside track since 2003 Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:10:08 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: a very public sociologist http://www.tom-watson.co.uk/2008/03/prepare-for-a-shock-bnp-victory/comment-page-1/#comment-40449 a very public sociologist Tue, 01 Apr 2008 10:10:27 +0000 http://www.tom-watson.co.uk/?p=1944#comment-40449 It's possible and I wouldn't be too surprised if they manage to get a seat or two on the London Assembly. But BNP support doesn't materialise out of thin air - it thrives in part on the climate of fear created by the right wing press around immigration, crime and the EU. But also it is a response by a section of Labour's former core constituency to their abandonment by "their" party. Until Labour addresses this, or another force to its left does, the BNP bandwagon will continue to roll on. It’s possible and I wouldn’t be too surprised if they manage to get a seat or two on the London Assembly. But BNP support doesn’t materialise out of thin air – it thrives in part on the climate of fear created by the right wing press around immigration, crime and the EU. But also it is a response by a section of Labour’s former core constituency to their abandonment by “their” party. Until Labour addresses this, or another force to its left does, the BNP bandwagon will continue to roll on.

]]> By: Sonia Gable http://www.tom-watson.co.uk/2008/03/prepare-for-a-shock-bnp-victory/comment-page-1/#comment-40360 Sonia Gable Mon, 31 Mar 2008 14:27:57 +0000 http://www.tom-watson.co.uk/?p=1944#comment-40360 The BNP loves publicity even if it is bad. This is the sort of article that could be a self-fulfilling prophesy. Yes we anti-BNP campaigners also say that the BNP could gain seats on the London Assembly but we couple that with explaining just why that would be so bad for London and a plea to Londoners to make sure they are registered to vote and to turn out and vote on the day. The main factor is not how far the BNP can stretch its limited resources, as Tim Hames suggests, but how well the democratic parties can persuade the huge majority who would never support the BNP to turn out and vote. The more people vote for other parties, the smaller will be the BNP's proportion of the vote. Incidentally Hames's article is not quite accurate. The BNP will get one seat on the London Assembly with 5% of the vote not 6% and is likely to get two seats with around 8% and three seats with around 11%. The BNP loves publicity even if it is bad. This is the sort of article that could be a self-fulfilling prophesy. Yes we anti-BNP campaigners also say that the BNP could gain seats on the London Assembly but we couple that with explaining just why that would be so bad for London and a plea to Londoners to make sure they are registered to vote and to turn out and vote on the day.

The main factor is not how far the BNP can stretch its limited resources, as Tim Hames suggests, but how well the democratic parties can persuade the huge majority who would never support the BNP to turn out and vote. The more people vote for other parties, the smaller will be the BNP’s proportion of the vote.

Incidentally Hames’s article is not quite accurate. The BNP will get one seat on the London Assembly with 5% of the vote not 6% and is likely to get two seats with around 8% and three seats with around 11%.

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