The dramatic surge in votes—and council seats—for the United Kingdom Independence Party in this week’s local elections in Britain has confirmed that the formerly one-issue Euro-sceptic party has now become the preferred outlet for dissenting voters in the UK.
Where does this leave the British National Party (BNP), which until a few years ago, was vying—and certainly seemed to be on the brink of—achieving this enviable position?
In 2009, the BNP polled just under a million votes and saw two Members of the European Parliament elected, along with well over 100 councillors across the country—although not all of them were in contested seats, it has to be said.
However, the party was regularly polling on average between 25 and 35 percent of the vote in most contested elections, and in some, polled over 45 or 50 percent to win the seats outright.
At the same time, UKIP’s fortunes plummeted to an all-time low, and even had to endure the BNP beating that party in what would have been ideal UKIP-territory in the south-eastern constituency of Henley-on-Thames.
This week, however, these results have been completely reversed. Indeed, the BNP vote has collapsed, dramatically in many instances.
Here are some results, with the “last time” polling figures by way of comparison.
Spalding East and Moulton ward (Lincolnshire)
2013: BNP 94 votes, 3.9% (2009: 573 votes, 20.5%).
Goffs Oak and Bury Green ward (Hertfordshire)
2013: BNP 52 votes, 2.0%. (2009: 619 votes, 15.7%).
Holbeach ward (Lincolnshire)
2013: BNP 88 votes, 4%. (2009: 418 votes, 16.6%).
Perhaps the poorest result came in the Gosport (Bridgemary) ward, Hampshire, where the BNP polled just 32 votes, or 0.92%.
And so on.
UKIP, on the other hand, has made massive strides forward and now has well over 100 councillors, all fully elected.
The election results carry one message, and one message alone for the BNP: namely, that it is clear that, barring a miracle, the party will lose both its MEP seats at the next Euro elections (June 2014) and thereafter finally descend into minuscule party status along with several other contenders for that space.
UKIP has successfully manouvered its way into the space that the BNP desired: a right of centre, anti-immigration (but “non-racist”), Euro-sceptic party, akin to France’s National Front, Austria’s FPÖ, Denmark’s Danish Peoples’ Party and several other similar parties across Europe.
There can be little doubt that if Britain had the sort of fairer proportional representation election system that most other European nations have, UKIP would also be guaranteed of several, if not dozens, of seats in parliament.
Why then, the BNP’s decline and eclipse by UKIP?
The answer is, unfortunately, simpler than one might think. Politics is 95 percent about image, and only 5 percent about policy. Tony Blair could tell (and still does) the most shocking lies about his intended policies, and even when revealed as a liar, he would still manage to poll large numbers of votes for his party—simply because of his image.
The BNP, on the other hand, was functioning well until the disastrous Question Time appearance of party leader Nick Griffin. Although the show was clearly a set-up, the reality remains that Griffin’s personal performance was dreadful, to put it mildly.
If the BNP’s downfall can be traced to one turning point, it was unquestionably Griffin on Question Time. Any other political leader, having performed so poorly, would have stood down immediately, but, the BNP, being what it is, did not work that way.
Instead of the leader being forced to leave, the leader forced all those dissenting with his leadership to leave, and in this way almost all competent individuals were either forced out or quit in disgust.
This stripping away of talent from all levels of the party, combined with Griffin’s shockingly poor—and completely self-generated—public image, is the cause of the BNP’s decline.
What this means is, that for the foreseeable future at least, UKIP is about “as good as it is going to get,” and those who are dedicated to partaking in party politics better acclimatise themselves to that fact and get on with it.
Those who, however, seek an alternative to the Punch-and-Judy show in Westminster, will be looking for a viable alternative.
Fortunately, there are some plans in the offing with regard to this. Further details will follow in due course, suffice to say for now that they will focus on the creation of viable and real, tangible nationalist communities—set up on a physical, geographical basis.
Michael Woodbridge
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The problem for the British National Party is one it shares with all the other political parties, it is beholden to the mass-media for its image. This presents special difficulties for the BNP because as we know the media is entirely hostile to racial nationalism. In fact the media is hostile to any individual or organisation which has genuine principles because principles are a stumbling block when it comes to making money for big business and global capitalists. For that reason we shouldn’t fall into the trap of blaming each other for our lack of success. After all, greater men than the current BNP leadership tried to break the capitalist system in the twentieth century and still failed. What we do have however is the advantage of hindsight. History has taught us that there are other ways in which we can achieve our aims. Various tactical methods are being developed through which we can put our ideas into practical effect. But beyond that, by creating a politcal movement that is, for the time being at least, independent of party machine, we have more scope to think creatively. Because we’re not immediately dependent on votes and media approval we can think in a radiclal, even revolutionary way.
Steve
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Yes, If you are not state approved & passing the zionist media taste test, it’s like climbing Everest backwards, they’ll attack you at every turn.
It’s interesting to note that Farage takes supper with Murdoch & now the mainstream politicians take UKIP to their bosom.
s ducain
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The BNP climbed to a membership height of perhaps 14,000 before Griffin allowed himself to be seduced by the massive remunerations on the EU gravy train. At that point it was all about money and the 14,000 bubble burst shortly after, causing a complete collapse of the BNP down to a membership which now cannot be above 1500.
The brand is now so toxic that the effect has been to pump up all other nationalist parties. But the one that has been the cleverest of them all, UKIP, by NEVER mentioning race at all and having a charismatic and inoffensive leader, has scoopedup many patriotic voters. All nationalists should get behind Farage who is by far the best chance now.
Chris Barnett
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What evidence do you have that it the BNP had 14,000 members?
What evidence do you have that the BNP doesn’t have 1500 members?
What established facts are you dealing with?
Rather than speculate, let’s deal with facts. Like where UKIPs money comes from – the same people who have destroyed the country in the first place!
JohnB
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That simplistic analysis is why nationalist Parties never succeed. Nationalist supporter understand ( most of them) that the government is corrupt. Many of them even understand that the power structure has an agenda. But most of them cannot seem to understand the simple fact the the powerful oligarchy have been successful in putting forth their agenda, which means forcing the majority to suffer privations for them to amass wealth, throughout history. They think that somehow they can just go to a few meetings, speak their minds and with a few waves of a magic wand form a political party, and the power structure will just sit there like inanimate objects and let them get elected,
Here is reality The BNP was and still is the best shot the Brits have in modern times for reigning in the abuse of power. But the power structure knows that also That is why they created UKIP which is financed and wholly controlled by the City of London Banksters. And that is why also they don’t want people talking about conspiracies because what a conspiracy is is a bunch of people meeting privately to make a plan. a political conspiracy is the elite, the banksters, planning on how to keep power. Any one who says that this doesn’t happen is an Idiot.
So put yourself in their shoes . You are a bunch of International banksters who have raped the world of money and resources to fund your elite life style at the expense of the majority of the people. The common English Natives have been a bit wise to you for generations In fact In 1945 they thought they had kicked you out for good when the Labour Party took over. So how did you arrange things so You are still on top and they are getting increasingly impoverished??
I’ll Give you a hint The rich own the news own or bribe all the politicians including Labour and own the police and also have these very effective tools, a legion of spies scum and indoctrinated leftist druggies who Do not really give a fig about the sufferings of the white working class.
So now you have the BNP It is 2008 and despite all your efforts to jail Griffin in 2006 he is still there and his party is getting stronger Projections are that it may take as many as 10 seats in the 2009 EU elections next year.
What do you do. That is your political science homework question for the day and we will look at all the replies tomorrow,
Max Musson
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JohnB, I don’t think many people will agree with your assertion that the BNP “still is the best shot the Brits have”. The BNP is currently dead in the water and so I would suggest you are due a rethink on these issues.
JohnB
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That response avoids the question I raised, which is what actions did the Government take against a BNP that In 2008 they perceived to be very dangerous. That is important because you must realize the depths the power structure will go to divide and discredit nationalism so we can be armored against them. If people do not take their opposition seriously then they will again be defeated by the same tactics used against the BNP.
Max Musson
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I think we have demonstrated in articles on this website that we are well aware of the lengths that the corrupt Westminster regime will go to in order to discredit nationalist organisations. This is why we do not intend to replicate the organisational model upon which the BNP was founded, i.e. the political party structure.
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A succession of forty-plus nationalist organisations have attempted to function as political parties and they have all gone the way of the BNP and we do not intend to follow.
John Smith
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The key to success is unity, Griffin failed by removing genuine patriots & surrounding himself with thugs & conspiracy theorists, we need a UK based version of Golden Dawn instead of a state asset called UKIP,
frederickdixon
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A good article which pins the blame for the BNP’s decline where it belongs. Long gone are the days when we could deride UKIP for getting just eight (!) votes in an election in Nuneaton which, if my memory serves me correctly, the BNP either won or came pretty close.
Kenny Bryant
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There are numerous satellite reasons for the failure of nationalism in Britain, but the primary one is the fact that not one nationalist party/organisation has a leader equipped with both vision and aggression – a requirement, that all those with half a degree of intelligence, should now appreciate.
You can flounce around until the cat drops dead and nothing magic will happen for you until you open your eyes.
frederickdixon
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I’m not sure that you’re right. Griffin, in his heyday, didn’t lack for vision. John Tyndall lacked neither vision nor aggression, but he lacked a favourable political climate – the eighties and nineties, when he created and ran the BNP, was a quiet time for nationalist causes. Mosley, going further back, also lacked for neither. Venutios Brigantes is right about image, contrast the image of Griffin with the affable persona of Farage. An important part of image, particularly in English politics, has always been respectability, and the media has ensured that UKIP has it and the BNP hasn’t.
Steve
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“What Has Happened to Britain’s BNP?”
Nick Griffin happened to it!
If he wasn’t a state asset, he seems as good as one now & by the time the BNP get shot of him, the world will have moved on.
I put my doubts about him aside for a couple of years only to see that his enemies are broadly correct about him.
He’s deluded & opportunist, hopefully losing his MEPs seat soon, should finish his political career but I doubt he’ll retire until forced to do so in some way.
Steve
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The NF got shot of Griffin years ago but never seemed to recover from that or the Thatcher years & still make little impact.
Part of their problem is they don’t seem to reach out to anyone, though you will find individuals here or on the British Resistance site.
Maybe they (or any party) need a charismatic leader & probably female at that.
mal
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GOOD POINT STEVE..
Mike
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It is quite sad to see, but even as the Question Time debacle was disastrous to the image of the BNP, much more damaging was the non payment of bills which alienated many members of the business community, which then switched their support to UKIP.
Also after the problems with the UKIP call centre (similar to the BNP issues), the regions demanded and achieved relative independence from the centre. The turn in fortunes of UKIP can be seen from this point when the regions took control of the helm of the ship so to speak.
We all understand that UKIP will not solve the issues, but administratively speaking they have ensured success.
The fortunes of the Conservatives have progressed in the opposite direction due to their attempts to subvert the regions or Conservative associations (the A list being an example).
It could be argued that a regional organisation with limited control from the centre works
Right Foot Forward
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The BNP has fallen for the same reasons every other post-war nationalist party has failed…
Many exist, financial etc. but the main one that is most worrying is that of image.
I posted a comment on the British Resistance recently and I think it will apply similarly to this article also:
”This is another important event in nationalism… it is the end of an epoch, the post 99′ era under Griffin has well and truly finished and imploded, and the drive and motivations that originally secured him his position have gone as nationalists everywhere ask ‘Which was next?’. The long weary battles over ‘What we spurt to the public’ are now gradually fading out as nationalists realise that in our long and turbulent history, radical and moderate messages all seem to go through one ear and out the other.
Nevertheless, hope exists in the fact that the situation is so bad, the niche for our ideas still exists to be taken and used. How then do we go about doing what we need to do? It is simple, and it goes to the very basic nature of human psychology. In this dark century of utter apathy, we need to appeal to humans basic natures and press the right psychological buttons to get people up and shouting.
Its all about image and imagery, character, marketing, spin, mass propaganda and making sure everything is ruthlessly controlled as to ensure we provide a coherent picture the British can be so close to they can taste it..
You may shout – ‘This is what Griffin did! change the image, make us luvvy duvvy etc. it doesn’t do anything…’
You have the WRONG idea, its not about any sort of persuasion its about making sure we are actually creating and fostering an image, and not just running away from one given to us. It means we have to stop a few of these morbid and depressing sites which instinctively turn off the public.
Some examples of this.
– 3 or 4 grubby under dressed looking middle-aged men out with a crappy old stool with no colour or fascination giving out leaflets.
– Secret meetings through RV points in some freezing cold shed at the back of a pub, are we a cult?
– Standing MP candidates who know nothing or very little, can’t speak properly, under dressed with a leather jacket or something similar, being given time on behalf of our party on national TV!
– Propaganda, videos, articles etc. our one’s show small tiny meetings with no one in, terribly made interviews with unimportant people or constant articles on halal meat.
– Granny porn candidates… blah blah blah
– Party political Broadcasts and film, we should be creating masterpieces which shake the emotional soul of our people not filming old people in a dusty office talking about ‘dominoes clubs’.
You may think talking about clothes, how much lighting you use in a video, how many people at a stall etc. are all minor details that do not matter – but you do not realise that the human will is always moved by great works of art and that is all image is.
I can think of so much more but that is the general jist… we put out the worst image in the world. – We are either really culty or we seem to ‘normal’ – We do not look like politicians, we do not look special, exciting or bedazzling and we are not the young alluring member of the opposite sex that can give exciting new times – we are the equivalent of the 50 year old man with hair loss problems who is angry at Muslims because he can not please his wife in the bedroom.
We need to not be the people, through that we have and will only get sympathy, sympathy because we are like them trying to do something they are not capable of.
If we want to smash through the barrier and win politically, we need to be the special leaders, the elite that the masses naturally look towards.
The only way this can be ensured is through establishing in whatever party succeeds as the premier a propaganda office in which all activity in the party which relates to the public (numbers at stalls, meetings, what is filmed, who goes in tv, what goes in broadcasts etc., how videos are filmed down the lighting) is ruthlessly controlled and manipulated so that we create a purely coherent message, no lies, no contradictions, one truth and one purpose.
Think of it this way… we are not just trying to shut down some mosques… we are writing one of the greatest stories our people will have ever heard. It is something future generations of British children will read like a medieval story, let us build one great story, with one great evil, one great truth, one great purpose and one great ending.”
Steve
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“we are the equivalent of the 50 year old man with hair loss problems who is angry at Muslims because he can not please his wife in the bedroom.”
Hmm, at least my hair is still all there….
Steve
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I agree it’ll be a great story but it’ll being difficult living through it & people are still too comfortable.
JohnB
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well of course you are correct but how is this dynamic group of actors going to be gathered from your pool of average not politically sophisticated Brits?? Are you one of these glamorous types of which you speak, who look like movie actors and yet have compassion for our communities and still can talk like debating champions?? If people like this are out there well, , , where they hell have you been hiding all these years???
Max Musson
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It seems you have adopted a very negative and defeatist stance JohnB. There are many able people who can with a little encouragement be drafted in to advance our cause. All it requires is the will to take action, to find these people and to draw them into our sphere of influence.
JohnB
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No Max my attitude is the sites like yours which put out very many balanced carefully thought out and irrefutable article are very good My experience as a founding delegate and fifteen years in the infrastructure of the Reform Party USA ( I hold dual; US Brit citizenship) makes me very aware of the real problems small populist parties have and I believe that the salvation is in large groups of ordinary citizens who have no delusions about themselves but are very concerned about their families and so will be the hard core of the local party organizations are the ticket to success. Articles that educate people and lead them to activism at the local level are the Key.
That is how the Labour Party built itself up at the begining ( Before it was taken over by (the public school boy hard core Marxists)
A true grass roots movement must be built like Golden Dawn. neighborhood by neighborhood, and the National leaders must be men who are above personality cult politics.
Griffin is a good leader So is Darby Jefferson and Adam walker Derek Adams and I am sure many other unsung local ones.
He is absolutely correct that the government is targeting the BNP leadership structure. Time for you to stand up and get off the fence.
Max Musson
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John, I agree wholeheartedly with the first three or four sentences of your above comment, however Griffin/Darby etc., have not shown themselves to be ‘good’ leaders, if that was so, then they would not have made the glaring gaffs that they have and Griffin would not have pulled the wad of 600 proxy votes from his pocket at the EGM in Manchester in order to vote down the motions of the BNP’s ‘voting members’.
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Irrespective of the rights and wrongs of all of the other squalid accusations that get bounced around concerning that era in the BNP’s history, that was the moment when Nick Griffin very publicly turned the ‘voting members’ principle on its head and betrayed the people who had hitherto been his core supporters – the vast bulk of the party’s activists and local organisers.
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We don’t on this website wish to get embroiled in the ‘washing of dirty linen in public’ and this is why we have avoided dredging through the ‘muck’ that others have raked up. We don’t intend to demonise Nick Griffin, but on the other hand we are not going to pretend that he is a totally innocent man who has been entirely unjustly wronged.
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If Griffin is the man that you think he is, then he should realise that despite his best intentions, he has mishandled many issues and that his critics do have considerable justification for their loss of confidence in him. He has had many opportunities to bring about reconciliation with the former BNP activists and organisers that his actions have alienated, but there is little evidence of willingness on his part to do this.
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As articles that I have written on this website demonstrate, we at Western Spring are above ‘party politics’, in that we do not believe the political party route to power is a viable option for British nationalism at present and we urge nationalist activists and supporters to join us in building a broad movement in the way that you suggest the Labour Party did, and one that is free from ‘personality cult politics’ including the personality cults of failed/failing BNP leaders.
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Lastly, if Nick Griffin is the man that you say he is, then he will acknowledge that he has made many mistakes, too many for him to expect his critics to ignore, and he will realise that it is time for him to step down in favour of new people who are without ‘baggage’ and who do have the capacity to bring about nationalist unity. He will email [email protected] and ask how he and the BNP can help advance our Movement of National Salvation.
fred symes
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Nick griffin was ambushed in that Question time programme. The audience was picked and stacked with empowerd non-indigenous aliens, the chair urging them on.
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Nick has done the hard yards and he soldiers on. He has shown exceptional stamina. He also has some exceptional leuftenants in his team in the likes of Alan Walker.
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We need to end all this endless character assination, the establishment love it.
Max Musson
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You are quite right Fred, unfortunately it is now a bit late for such a policy to rally support around Nick Griffin. He has been too ready to countenance the character assassination of other people in the past and has simply alienated too many people now.
Richard Prentice
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“Griffin’s performance was excellent.”
What drugs are you taking? His performance was embarrassing, humiliating and that of an amateurish buffoon. My entire branch collapsed immediately afterwards, its morale destroyed.
BritishActivism
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I agree. Everybody knows it was a set-up, but even so, it was without doubt “car crash TV”. I was even watching it from behind my hands covering my face at some points. I had a dull feeling in my stomach. I couldn’t believe what was happening.
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After all the crowing and bravado of getting on the programme, he seemed completely unprepared, as though there had been no practice and no contingency plans for it being such a stitch up.
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I am not saying I personally could have done better, and I am sure it was not easy to be in the situation where you were heckled against 4:1 with a biased/hostile host and with a hand picked hostile audience baying for blood, but in the end, the only merit that can be attributed to Nick over that appearance was the ability to weave a sympathy element because of the blatant BBC stitch up. He did that well, but it was too late, most of the damage had been done.
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Even some of the mainstream press were stating the BBC was completely biased and had shot itself in the foot because of the way Nick was being able to “play the martyr” over their stunt and witch-hunt. Though given the penchant he has for ‘stunts’ I would not even put it past him relying on it and playing into it. (Okay, perhaps that is going a bit too far).
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I have to say I watched the show in dismay. This man was supposed to representing me and my views, but I am not sure what people would have thought of me and my positions after that performance. It is no surprise to hear your branch had the morale destroyed.
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Aside from a witty and timely barb against Jack Straw, I cannot recall much to be proud of from the Question Time appearance.
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Anyway, we have all done the QT analysis thing to death since it happened. Some will differ on opinions. It has happened, there is nothing we can do to change it, so it is now the past and should be forgotten about. What we do in the future is what matters – and all it can be useful for in my opinion is a lesson of what not do to if there is a next time.
Angelos Gavriel
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Just like to say hello, its been a long time since I have had the pleasure of reading your comments….. An army can have a great fighting commander but if the soldiers turn their backs on him what chance does he have to win the battle……
Michael Woodbridge
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“But the one that has been the cleverest of them all, UKIP, by NEVER mentioning race at all and having a charismatic and inoffensive leader, has scooped up many patriotic voters. All nationalists should get behind Farage who is by far the best chance now.”
I can’t believe that these words were written by a genuine nationalist. Britain and Europe are facing the worst crisis in their history through the deliberate destruction of their folk as a result mass immigration, and Mr. Ducain thinks the solution is through cowardice and lying! Respectability will only be earnt by those who have the courage to speak the truth.
Steve
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Some people maybe fooled by the Farage smile but he comes across as smug & smarmy to me like most politicians.
Michael Woodbridge
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An example of the sort of courage we need was expressed by Macaulay in his poem, ‘The Lays of Ancient Rome’
“And how can man die better than facing fearful odds,
For the ashes of his fathers,
And the temples of his Gods.”
Throughout history countless thousands of our best people have given their blood for our race and nation. Fortunately we might not all be called upon to give our lives, but only those who would be prepared to do so will gain the respect of our folk. If Mr. Ducain wishes to gain the respectability of bourgois conformity he should join the Liberal Party or the Tories.
frederickdixon
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Excellent.
Kenny Bryant
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Image is a major facet of any political party but do you honestly believe the enemy will start being nice simply because of it? What part of we are being attacked do you people not understand?
Michael Woodbridge
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Well said Right Foot Forward. It’s essential that we think as winners. ” its about making sure we are actually creating and fostering an image, and not just running away from one given to us.”
smith......
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The reason Nationalism has failed is:(A). Lack of planning. We have had nearly 50 years of elections or demos and little else.
(B). No concept of building roots or infrastructure. We have no money, few professional people , , no property, no influential contacts. Too much time spent.on above. So when the political wind is against us we have no tangible assets for our people to fallback on.
(C). Image is of limited importance while the enemy have TV and press.
(D). We need to recruit young people ,16-25, inculcate them with GENUINE nationalist ideology not fudge ,populism and waffle.We need the solid consistent characters to carry on building movement.
(E). Need to build racial communities. Local leaflets, advice services, being a real help to our people. Then we can always outflank UKIP type parties.
Kenny Bryant
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A combination of what we all have to say about what is wrong with nationalism is likely the safest statement on this controversial subject, but I’ll stick to me guns and state right here and now that a competent, aggressive leader is all it will take to end this nightmare rapidly.
Nationalists have a bloody annoying habit of really complicating things which is causing peoples brains to smoke.
Michael Woodbridge
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Both Mr.Smith and Kenny Bryant are absolutely right. We need to recruit young idealists to create a nation within our nation. We need to breed a fanatical racial loyalty that will inspire new structures and new initiatives just as the Golden Dawn are doing in Greece or Jobbik in Hungary. Kenny Bryant is right to point out that none of this can be done without courageous leadershp.
David Dee
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Nothing happened to the BNP that is not still happening to millions of British people as I write and we speak. The truth is quite simple, if the BNP had become successful in its attempt to re establish the UK identity it would have put many many mainstream parties out of a job. At the end of the day we all know that we want our identity back but not one of us ordinary folk in the UK can make that happen.