Re: [Marxism] Rise of the Far Right in Britain

[" Ian Pace" <ian@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

From: "Jack Cade" <jack.cade@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>

> Look--this is the situation in Britain as of the last election in
2001:

> Labour 413 seats (43% of the vote)
Tories 166 seats (33%)
Lib Dems 52 seats (19%)
Others 28 seats (5%)

> So if you think that the 'UKIP and BNP could well do'
(20%) you believe they are going to do better than the Lib Dems
in the last election and from their current position of zilch.
Yes I know the UKIP won some seats in the Euro Parliament--so
what? No one cares about that. The only reason it even got in the
news (normally they are unreported) was when they rejected
Buttiglione as a commissioner and that's about the best they can
ever do.

> You need to connect with reality. You seem to be lost in
the hall of mirrors of Respect and its main prop. The British
Social Attitudes Survey (published by Sage and very expensive)
tells you that attitudes have become more reactionary. Why should
anyone be surprised? But to extrapolate from that a massive
fascist breakthrough? I don't think so.


> Jack

I'm sorry you think this should be taken so lightly. The nature of our
electoral system makes it unlikely that a groundswell in support for these
two parties would lead to much in the way of parliamentary representation;
nonetheless the effect in local government might be quite significant. Those
I know who've chosen to stay in the Labour Party and are campaigning for
them tell me of always hearing the same message on the doorstep - about
asylum and immigration. And so many people tell me how many they know talk
so freely about how the sympathise with the BNP - these are by no means just
the usual constituency they draw upon. I think that we DO need to take this
seriously. That feeling has nothing particularly to do with my involvement
with Respect. Also, shouldn't we be worried about how the agenda set by the
far right with regard to asylum and immigration is becoming mainstream
policy for the major parties?

Why do you think it's so impossible that the far right could attain the
prominence in the UK that they have in Europe?

Solidarity,
Ian



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