General Chat

No offense taken taken I'm sure!
We must be grateul we can have these discussions and better still, disagree with each other. When everyone has exactly the same views we really are on a slippery slope indeed.

oh...that would be boring! lol!!!!

anyone admitted voting for them yet

Havoc,

Unfortunately racism isnt limited to skin colour. As a child growing up in the 70's I wasoften asked if I was in the IRA as my mum was Irish. Now living in Ireland I have experienced racism for being English!!???

I have had people mock my south eastern accent but that has applied both in Ireland and in the north of England.

I grew up in a household with an Irish Mum and a Dad who grew up in Zimbabwee during his teenage years. He suffered racism because his best mate was black, not the done thing. Consequently I dont 'see' skin colour or accent. I wouldnt mock an accent, its offensive.

I dont object to jokes tho!! Because for the most part they are not meant to be offensive.

love T.x

I'm Welsh and my son and daughter in law experienced racism all the time when my son worked in York - unbelievable but very true

The fact that the BNP have gained a seat is all down to fiddling self-serving MPs who have let this country down big time - they are totally to blame

God help us if BNP gain more seats

I said a couple of weeks ago that protest votes and/or calling an early general election will leave the way clear for fringe parties like BNP to get in. Looks like I might have been right.

It's a shame but maybe the government might wake up to this warning and take heed that the real power is in the voters hands.

I don't hate them......I hate what they stand for, and they frighten me....It scares me that members of parliment - in this case the european parliment - who are the ones making the rules are blatently "anti" such a large proportion of the public......and their consituents.....I don't expect to agree with everyone else.....my husband and I are lifelong paid up members of different policitcal parties...

TW - I think and hope that you're right....that their success is due to voter antipathy, and that other parties will now take stock and learn some lessons from this!

The BNP would have no power if nobody voted for them, so to stop the BNP you need to find out why people are voting for them, are there problems that people think only the BNP take seriously. We need to start talking about certain subjects without being accused of rascism. Lets get these issues out in the open and the main political parties need to deal with these issues and then people wont need to vote BNP. Then the BNP will be history, just like the nazis .

Rita, hating a political party that thrives on ignorance and prejudice can't be compared to the hate the same party feed on. Up until they realised it wasn't helping their cause, they were advocating enforced repatriation. They are a party of the same ilk as the Nazis, who also thrived by feeding propaganda to a public brimming over with resentment about immigrants. And the wondeful new MEP for the NW was convicted of inciting racial hatres a few years ago. I don't hate the man but I do hate the party and everything he and it stand for.

I'm really not sure about making voting compulsory. I can't understand people not voting though. I would rather spoil my paper than not vote personally. We live in a democratic society and we all have a responsibility to take a part in it. Democracy comes with responsibility and if people are using their freedom to incite hate and hurt others, they're not deserving of it.

well put Uggers......! much more eloquent than me! lol!

Rod Gee and Uggers - I believe voting is mandatory in Australia, Belgium and Switzerland to name but three countries - if one wishes at the poll to spoil a vote sobeit but at least thought will have been taken in order to do. Any decision is better than none.

As to how one would check who had presented themselves at the polling booth were voting mandatory - quite simple - it happened on Thursday - one presents one's election card to the presiding officer and your name and addressed is checked on their list!

and has anyone noticed that it would be possible to see what someone has voted as the officer who gives you for voting slip writes on it the number off your voting card - in effect elections in this country are not totally private

I agree with that, Chris - as long as people have the right to protest and spoil their paper I can't see that it's a problem.

To answer Rd Gee's query - a heavy fine is imposed I believe. What has surprised me that it has been mandatory in Belgium since 1890s and in Australia for all elections since 1924.

I am horrified results coming in from Belfast showing Sinn Fein with the highest votes and yes I know we have a democracy (though sometimes I do wonder) but I lived in N. Ireland for some years and that was through the troubles.

I'm not surprised by that to be honest Chris, fairly predictable in the current climate.

Another warning for the main parties to pull thier fingers out and do something about the huge political mess we have ruling us at the moment?

I am in Manchester at the moment,thats where the B.N.P are gaining a lot of support. I find it sad its come to this , I never thought I would see the day that the B.N.P got a seat.
I blame the Labour Party and our Stupid to labour council in manchester,they have pushed people too far in my opinion, they have placed far to many immigrants In North Manchester over a very short period and Im afraid that people feel very angry and let down about this.
and to be honest I can understand their anger, its nothing to do with being racist ,until you have seen it dont judge!

I for one am not a racist in any shape or form,it would be very hard with my mixed genes!lol but integration is usually gradual this has happened over the space of 2-3 years and its crazy!

Having read all this,I agree with most of it.As for the BNP.It stinks and all it stadnds for. however there are two things I would like to point out,One is, some one at some time stated, While I may not agree with what you said,I will defend with my life your right to say it. Secondly, the people who were ,( say) a little derogatory about "Enoch Powell" quite obviously did not know him.therefor have ( in my opinion) no right to say what they did. Well you were totally wrong. I knew the man,and all the information he got was given to him by his Immigrant constituants.**M**.

I don’t practically agree with the education aspect of it, I am poorly educated, however I do have my own mind. I think the BNP party have latched on to the PC and how the media blows it out of all portion, then in wonder the sheep that believe every word that is printed. In my option the BNP is no more than the NF. I detest them and everything they stand for. But I do believe that everyone has the right to their opinion and the freedom of speech that is what I believe my Dad and other’s fought for in WW2. It always worries me that make’s me a hypocrite.

To be fair Merlin, I think most of us would only know Enoch Powell by reading about him, or reading his speeches, especially the 'rivers of blood'. Most of us would not have the privilege of knowing him personally, as most of us would not have the privilege of personally knowing Gordon Brown, but it doesn't take away our right to have an opinion on either of them.

As others have said, the BNP are focussing on many local problems that need to be tackled, but I wouldn't trust them as far as I could throw them. It's what they DON'T say that concerns me most.