Far-right gains from Labour turmoil
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Independent Minds
The far-right British National Party won its first seat in the European Parliament yesterday, a breakthrough that will add to pressure on Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
The BNP gained the seat in the northern English region of Yorkshire and Humber at the expense of Brown's Labour Party, which has been hurt by a scandal over politicians' expenses and questions over Brown's leadership.
Labour also lost a seat in Wales, a traditional stronghold, where its share of the vote slumped 12 points to 20 percent and it was beaten into second place by the centre-right Conservatives.
Losing a seat to the BNP will give fresh ammunition to Brown's critics in the Labour Party after a traumatic week in which six senior ministers quit the government, one of whom called on Brown to quit and said he was an electoral liability.
Rebels among Labour members of parliament (MPs) are said to be canvassing support for a letter calling on Brown to stand down to boost their chances at a general election due within a year.
The Conservatives have a commanding lead over Labour in opinion polls and are on course to return to power for the first time since 1997.
Critics say the party lacks a coherent policy agenda and that Brown is indecisive, a poor communicator and unable to transfer his confidence on the world economic stage to domestic politics.
Labour members of parliament are due to meet on Monday when rebels could go public with their criticisms of the leader.
A change of Labour leader would raise the prospect of a snap election. Brown has not faced the electorate since he took over as prime minister from Tony Blair two years ago.
Last week, sterling was hit by speculation over Brown's future, and if he manages to survive the current crisis, it looks likely he will wait for as long as possible before calling the next election, due within a year.
Brown, who reshuffled his government team on Friday after the resignations, told supporters on Sunday he would not walk away from the country's troubles.
At a Labour event in London, staged to show Brown still had support among grassroot party activists at the end of a tumultuous week, he set out his policies on public services for the coming weeks and months.
He said the country had been through a "testing time" politically and economically, but added: "What would they (the public) think of us if ever we walked away from them at a time of need? We are sticking with them."
Brown is under pressure after a drubbing in Thursday's local election.
All the main parties have been tarnished by a scandal over expenses claims by MPs, but Labour is bearing the brunt of voter rage for having presided over the system.
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Comments
Horst Wessel? Who's he?
THE BNP ARE GETTING STRONG
THE LEFT ARE NOW REJECTED
AND NICK GRIFFIN IS ELECTED
A CLEAR MESSAGE IS BEING SENT
THE BRITISH ARE VERY DISCONTENT
The major parties are driving us into the EU hierarchy, even though we will be a small cog, and throwing our hard earned liberties away.
Give us the vote to get out of Europe, debate the Lisbon Treaty (which we were promised a referendum on), and let us have a choice of what the Government commits us to in Europe.
I do not believe this country is racist, but i do believe, which i blame all the major parties for, that the BNP would not have got a vote, if they had listened to the people about their feelings rearding Europe.
i) UNHEALTHY because they have no health service to speak of in their home countries and therefore present a massive burden on public health services. Immigrants are IMMEDIATELY allowed the same level of medical treatment as UK citizens - without having paid a penny in taxes. In New Zealand Canada and Australia prospective immigrants have to take a very stringent medical which includes a HIV test. Any member of the family that does not pass this medical is refused residence. The philosophy here is they would pose too high a burden on medical services. And also why would you have an unhealthy immigrant when you could have a healthy one! The UK does not ask for ANY (yes, ANY!) medical exam - it does not even require an HIV test. It is also interesting to note that immigration activists have successfully demanded that all HIV-positive immigrants be given the same standard of medical treatment as UK citizens.
ii) UNSKILLED and require support by social services. Again, New Zealand Canada and Australia only allow immigrants who are skilled and who fit within certain skills categories. Most immigrants have to have a degree.
iii) VERY POOR and require social housing - in the past immigrants who had been in the country months were places at the top of the housing queue, ahead of UK citizens who had been waiting for YEARS. This fact is often (brazenly) denies by trendy-lefties.
iv) HABOURING RELIGIOUS BELIEFS WHICH ARE STRAIGHT OUR OF THE MIDDLE AGES - including immigration due to so-called 'arranged marriages'.
Labour's irresponsible (some would say treacherous) immigration policy has changed the very character of the UK - you only have to walk down any street to see evidence of that. Labour has become so politically correct that it does not even deport FAILED asylum-seekers. How contemptible of the British people is THAT!
Labour has brazenly refused to set any targets for immigration - even when the economic situation demands it. Look at the the response of Australia to the current financial crisis. It has cut its immigration intake by a significant amount because it places the rights of its people - its citizens above any PROSPECTIVE immigrant - that is just a fair and common-sense approach. Remember, Australia does not accept ANY unskilled migrants so one can appreciate the massive extra burden imposed by continuing unfettered immigration in the UK by people I have listed above.
For too long trendy lefties, in their houses in Hampstead and Islington, have stiffled all debate about immigration by labeling people as "racists" who dare to question it. This might have worked very effectively 10 or 20 years ago but people have become aware of this disgraceful strategy and it will no longer work. Trendy lefties are partly responsible for the failure of entire immigrant communities (more noticeably the Muslim community) to integrate into our society. Trendy lefties, for example, led Hate campaigns against any person who dared to criticize the wasteful practices of councils in printing information leaflets in all known languages under the sun. Now we are paying the price for this. Just look at the treatment of British soldiers returning from battle in Afghanistan by SOME Muslims - they were abused and screamed at when they paraded down the street in what should have been a celebration of their contribution.
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. The reason why the BNP have gained such inroads is because of these things. We MUST have a sensible immigration policy where only those who can contribute can have residency.
Maybe the immigrants you're referring to are in your country illegally, in which case your problem is not the immigration laws but rather law enforcement...
If true you are protected, if libelous you will be sued, if fantasy you will be found out.
Lets keep the board to serious discussion.
These include, the teaching in schools of how Islam has improved European living, ban the right to "insult" Islam and last but not least, no elected official "should be questioned" regarding Islamic Policy.
I am not sure if i can post the link so i have not done so. If a mod gives me approval i will post the link.
This is indeed sad and NOTHING could be further from the truth. Just look at a recent poll of Muslims by Gallop which asked if gay people should be allowed to live the life they wish. ZERO percent of British Muslims said they should not be allowed to be gay. This is almost an unprecedented statistic. The quantity of Zero does not normally happen in any statistical survey. It just shows the levels of intolerance in the Muslim community. This intolerance makes a mockery of those that say Islam is a tolerant religion. They will be as tolerant as possible - until, that is, they gain political power. Just look at what happened in New Zealand. A Muslim man was elected a labour MP and as soon as he was in power started to support the death penalty for gay people (he later said that this was ONLY appropriate in Muslim countries). New Zealanders were utterly disgusted by this. In the country which was the first to give women the right to vote this Muslim felt it appropriate to make this comment. Shocking!
Islam did not improve European living when some of its members planted bombs in Madrid and in London, murdering hundreds and terrorizing many more. See the following website to understand how much Islam has contributed to "European Life":
www.thereligionofpeace.com
This is not about expenses, fiddles, peerages and politice. It is about the Political parties we elected not listening to us, the electorate.
We want a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty, as was promised.
We need to be offered the choice of whether we want to join the EU and lose our currency, constitutional rights and independency. This is not a right of the "few" who see an advantage for themselves.
I am watching the BBC now, and the press political pundits, which we are paying an undisclosed for for their commentary, are behaving just like our politicians, clowns performing to the camera.
Can any of them be trusted?
Video of Nick Griffin spouting his racist views and how he is aiming to hide the brand of British identity... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04QolIvf
Solzhenitsyn said, "men have forgotten God". More pointedly, YOU have forgotten God. You are at once ashamed and embarrassed by the thought of Him. Too bad, for He will not be mocked. Go ahead, try to form a national consensus without Him. Try to live in a democracy without a populous grounded in morality. In your arrogance I'm sure you just know you can do it. Over here, we need another Reagan. You need another Wesley.
Solzhenitsyn said, "men have forgotten God". More pointedly, YOU have forgotten God. You are at once ashamed and embarrassed by the thought of Him. Too bad, for He will not be mocked. Go ahead, try to form a national consensus without Him. Try to live in a democracy without a populous grounded in morality. In your arrogance I'm sure you just know you can do it. Over here, we need another Reagan. You need another Wesley.
It's where cougars and younger men can meet(Cougar is the slang for woman who is mature, experienced and want to date with a younger man). No matter you are looking for a NSA or serious relationship, please do check it out!!!
How I'll be labeled a racist, and a hater. I'll take the label from the left rather than see them flush or country down the loo...
Good for you British citizens...time to take your country back
Then don't pull him out . . . .
The links between the civil servant mandarins, NHS managers, senior policemen, education officials, senior military officers and government ministers and their activities when they retire are only now starting to enter the public domain. These groups are responsible for contracts worth billions of pounds for equipment of consultancy services such as working on the massive computer projects like digitalising the NHS medical records.
Upon their retirement, these senior staff responsible for awarding or monitoring the contacts with private sector companies take up lucrative jobs or consultancies with them, or join the banks, private equity houses and hedge funds that provide the finance for such deals.
The BNP will return to this topic repeatedly in the future as part of a two-pronged strategy both to gain favour with the electorate and to deflect criticism. The expenses scandal still has much to be revealed because only a limited number of MPs have had their details revealed to date, but even that has been sufficient to cause the mainstream political parties to tie themselves in knots.
By attacking the corruption of 'the liberal elite' the BNP will be able to deflect criticism by referring to a compliant, client media who are attempting to cover up the activities of 'the political class' and their allies in big business.
This populist appeal to the public may prove to be rather popular and put the other mainstream parties on the defensive, like the media if they attempt to refute the allegations made by the BNP they appear complicit in the corruption itself. A few choice revelations about mainstream politicians who retired to lucractive private sector activity will prove very embarrassing!