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On St George's day I was a panellist at a lively public debate on racism, terrorism and the state in London. Hundreds of mainly young people attended. How heartening. But when the chair asked the audience to show hands in response to the question: "How many are more worried about the BNP than the xenophobic attitudes of some politicians in the main political parties?" hardly a hand went up. There was cool indifference to the fascist party that is set to win local council and London Assembly seats.
This generation is distant from Oswald Mosley and his band; it wasn't born when the National Front smashed our lives up just because we were black or Asian. We who were there in the 1970s have not told them those stories - strong reminders that racism and fascism are very light sleepers, easily stirred.
I, too, have been too complacent about the BNP, too busy attending instead to the drift to the Right and xenophobia in mainstream society and institutions. That vote in the hall was a wake-up call.
Rome has just elected a neo-fascist thug as its mayor. Here, the BNP is now sophisticated, gaining entry to respectable broadcasting channels. It has picked up the art of politeness, spin and presentation skills. It endorses Boris Johnson, not to embarrass him but to further the move into acceptability. The idea of another useful connection is planted, whatever the truth.
Don't be fooled. This party attracts supporters who would happily see black and Asian Britons, Muslims and Jews banished or butchered.
Just in time, and I hope not too late, a number of high-profile people are warning voters about the extremists. Alan Sugar, Jamie Oliver, former Spice Girl Mel B, boxer Amir Khan, Meera Syal, Jamelia, Billy Bragg and Paul O'Grady have written an open letter before the elections, stating that: "The BNP are trying to exploit tensions. They have a vision for Britain of division, hatred and fear."
Whatever the frustrations of life, fury felt about politicians, tax, housing, schools and, yes, even immigration, none of these is an excuse to vote for a party that believes in apartheid, which wants to ban mixed relationships and deny citizenship to "coloured" people, and whose leader, Nick Griffin, believes Hitler's Mein Kampf has some "really useful ideas". A vote for the BNP signals deadly pessimism. Londoners must not let that hopelessness prevail.
Reader views (16)
What's wrong with a selective immigration policy?
Go to Whitechapel and see the problems of bad immigrants living in your country.
We should only let those who abide by our laws and can contribute to our country stay.
- Joe, London,UK
Labour (Margaret Hodge) is not listening to local people and we have had enough, local services are suffering badly. If she thinks the honest hard-working people of Dagenham are going to roll over and take this she is in for a shock come the next general election.
- Carol,, Dagenham, England.
What does it matter who people voted for, when there are reports that some 40% of ballot boxes were without seals, or broken into before the count started. Add that to the ease with which postal votes can be defrauded, and we have an election of which Mr. Mugabe would be proud.
- Stephen, Milton Keynes, England
I'm truly disgusted with the hypocrisy of BNP policies and the romanticisms of our nation's history - the very same country which towards the end of colonialism had 11% of the nation's population living abroad mostly engaging in the activities of monopolising and extracting the wealth out of those nations. That same extorted wealth has disproportionately contributed towards making our nation prosper, and contemporary debt and trade systems continue to suck wealth up, and yet the BNP have the audacity to say these immigrants are spending "our" money. Not withstanding that a major source of our capital comes from foreign countries (with aid representing the loose change from that as a PR exercise), the statistics show that immigrants create more wealth for our country than they claim from the system.
There is no place for ignorant racists in politics, especially those who show a clear deficit in understanding of political economies. BNP - Go Back to School.
- Jessica, London
I hope Ms Alibhai-Brown is democratic enough to read these comments - then perhaps she will get off her idealist, leftist, high horse and come down to earth, realising that she is completely wrong and has no idea how the indigenous population of this country is feeling at the moment. Incidentally, the economics of this so called 'socialist' government are ironically very fascist in policy at the moment; ie "the privatisation of profit and the socialisation of debt"Northern Rock... need I say more?
- David, London
What a shame. To all who are voting for the BNP, do you realise the destruction that will follow? Yes there are many ethnics in the country and we have been let down in a big way by the government. Does that mean violence and hatred is the answer? I hang my head in shame.
- S.G, Dagenham, essex
Also, the taxpayers choosing to vote for the BNP are the BNP's best friend too. No matter how evil and despotic you may think international socialism is, don't give up all hope of it allowing democratic process to progress unhindered.
- Al, London UK
I have at times voted for the Tories and at others voted for Labour but now I feel that all the three main parties have betrayed the British working class. I'm not against a moderate number of immigrants but the massive influx of immigrants we have had in the past few years and the unfair way that the PC authorities have treated us indigenous Britons has had devastating effect on us. I have been made to feel like a foreigner in my own country. The final straw for me, was Brown sneaking in to sign away our constitution and refusing to give us our referendum. The abolition of the 10p tax rate, was just the icing on the cake.
- Richard, Hertfordshire
They seem the only party committed to zero tolerance on anti-social behaviour. They do it for me!
- Martin, Teddington
The current political orthodoxy can only be maintained by the kind of PC intimidation we have suffered since the 1980s. Yasmin is not worried about a tiny party with a handful or two of powerless councillors. What she's worried about is a breakdown of censorship.
- Mike Newland, London
You are correct Colin Brown.
I have just returned from a visit back to England my country of birth. What a shambles.
I could say more but it wouldn't be published
- Pws, Perth Australia
I don't think you know what fascism means. Fascism is Big Government & Socialism combined (as in National Socialists - Nazis )- where the State Knows What's Best. I'd say you socialists & Brown are far more aligned to fascism than the Tories. Many of us want Small Government & one that gets out of our faces and pockets and leaves us alone to live our lives with a minimum of interference. How dare you - a foreigner - patronise English men & women and imply they can't think for themselves. If they want to vote BNP that's their right in this country.
- Guy Thornton, Swindon
This is just the sort of article that spreads hatred and fear. She is talking nonsense. We are in Britain where free speech is part of our society yet people like Yasmin Alibhai-Brown and her bunch of leftist liberals have spent 30 years 'gagging' people telling them that they can't say what they feel as it may be perceived as racist, homophobic etc, even if it is true..."Don't say it as you may upset someone".
What does she expect to happen to a society where the indigenous population take 2nd place to the incomers in almost every walk of life? Does she think this is right? Why is she allowed to slag off the BNP but the minute the BNP slag anyone or anything off, she gets her knickers in a twist and starts shouting off about fascism and Oswald Mosley. You can't have one rule for you, Ms Alibhai-Brown and one rule for everyone else. I don't support the BNP but do believe in free speech just as you choose to exercise in your article above. The only reason the BNP are gaining support is because this amateur 2nd rate government have made such huge mistakes with their social policies and social engineering. It would seem that, over the years, the indigenous population of this country has bent over backwards to accommodate anyone from anywhere in the world and all the thanks we get is criticism for wishing to speak the truth or wishing to live our lives as we see fit.
- David, London
Utter rubbish, this reporter has cobbled together a list of childish nonsense.
If the BNP were all of the above, they would not be allowed to stand as a political party in this country.
Do as I did, look at their web site. The BNP think and say what nearly everyone in Britain is feeling today.
Lets see if they are right, the polls will tell us soon.
- Colin Brown, Newcastle. England
Sorry what a sensational article full of smears and unsubstantiated allegations.
Your attack on the BNP is an attack on democracy itself. During this election the BNP has been smeared and lied about are the unhappy English people not allowed a voice or an opinion. "The more you refuse to hear my voice the louder I will sing"
- Dave L, Reading
Should I vote BNP, the reason for doing so would be to wind up the sanctimonious, condescending, righteous Ms Alighai-Brown. Ooooh, it is tempting!
- Londonken, London
