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Griffin and BNP strategy

durruti02 said:
do you really think i or jim page or torres disagrees with this? please do not confuse with volume of debate versus peoples actual activity.

I was suggesting that the days of ultra leftism (leftism here includes whatever shade of anarchism) are over, instead the reason of politics is to act, with effect. If your ideas are holding you back from having any effect, then you need to get involved with others who could. I am not saying abandon your commitment, but just get involved with something else and measure thats' success or not.
 
Attica said:
To me that suggests it is down on their average vote from the May election then.

I don't think you can really call a result where the BNP came second and beat the combined lib-dem and tory vote anything but encouraging for them:

Labour 781 - 44%
BNP 348 - 20%
Ind 308 - 17%
Con 197 - 11%
LibDem 150 - 8%
 
butchersapron said:
I don't think you can really call a result where the BNP came second and beat the combined lib-dem and tory vote anything but encouraging for them:

Labour 781 - 44%
BNP 348 - 20%
Ind 308 - 17%
Con 197 - 11%
LibDem 150 - 8%

That makes sense when you've added the relevant % Though I would add that the strength of the Labour vote held up well.
 
JHE said:
Yes, right on the second attempt, Attica: 8604 or 8605

The other thing, though, is that 57% of the members couldn't be bothered to vote in a leadership contest.

well consider the related example of the Labour Deputy leadership election- which was well covered in the media etc. i dont have the exact figures, but
John Cruddas`s webpages reports "under half" of labour party members could be arsed to vote (in a very contested election with a range of canddiates from blairite to socialist) and an abysmal 8% of union members who could vote, returning their ballots

it is probably like most political parties in the BNP in one respect. 50% of members do nothing - even bother voting in internal elections. 35% may turn out if it is election time, griffin is speaking at their local branch or there is a beer to be drunk. the remaining 15% are out there every week leafletting,
paper selling etc.

one indication of activist numbers is the 881 members who stood as candidates in may - compared to 68 in 2002.
 
Attica said:
Yes, but there's huge differences in fortunes even in Yorkshire.Take the city of Sheffield (or York), right next door to Rotherham, they could only muster 7 candidates and did badly. In Rotherham, (apart from Barnsley), it looks like they have hit critical mass, and I didn't realise they were doing well there.
.

i disagree with your stats here. in addition to Rotherham with 2 votes over 3 over 20%, you get they polled over 20% in 4 barnsley wards and got over 20% in 2 doncaster wards for the first time

as to sheffield, accepted, they only got over 20% in one ward, but may 2007 for them was not always about numbers. in some towns they stood widely, in some they concentrated resources in a small number of wards for tactical reasons (like walsall for example). york wasnt that goos, but they did beat some major party candidates

its a depth of support which is worrying
 
mk12 said:
That's alright then.

It's important because to win the BNP must break through that Labour vote. If there is no hope of that happening the fascists are never going to be a threat in that ward and resources can be concentrated elsewhere.
 
JimPage said:
i disagree with your stats here. in addition to Rotherham with 2 votes over 3 over 20%, you get they polled over 20% in 4 barnsley wards and got over 20% in 2 doncaster wards for the first time

as to sheffield, accepted, they only got over 20% in one ward, but may 2007 for them was not always about numbers. in some towns they stood widely, in some they concentrated resources in a small number of wards for tactical reasons (like walsall for example). york wasnt that goos, but they did beat some major party candidates

its a depth of support which is worrying

Sheffield they did appallingly, Barnsley they are doing well, very well, unfortunately. The crucial areas to try to stop them are Barnsley and Rotherham imho, Sheffield is taking care of itself, Doncaster could be one to watch though, BUT I think it is too like Sheffield. Though some villages may become problematic.
 
Attica said:
It's important because to win the BNP must break through that Labour vote. If there is no hope of that happening the fascists are never going to be a threat in that ward and resources can be concentrated elsewhere.

Leaving Labour with a free run!

Don't look at it in nakedly electoral terms - a regular 20% vote without being able to break the labour vote is a problem in itself. It means a sizable proportion of the pop is voting BNP and the rest for the party that's imposing the conditions that allow the far-right to flourish. A labour vote is not the answer.
 
butchersapron said:
Leaving Labour with a free run!

Don't look at it in nakedly electoral terms - a regular 20% vote without being able to break the labour vote is a problem in itself. It means a sizable proportion of the pop is voting BNP and the rest for the party that's imposing the conditions that allow the far-right to flourish. A labour vote is not the answer.

Yours is utopian then - which wants to take everybody on, all at once, everywhere. That's the problem with an overly ultra left/left communist approach, it theorises itself out of political engagement.

Mine was a tactical observation which recognises the limited forces at our disposal - start from small acorns and all that, tactically in the right places.
 
How can an argument for a political approach that takes on labour *and* the BNP (or 'everyone' as you put it) simulateneously be theorising itself out of political engagement?

The plain fact is, that if you take on labour you're automatically taking on those issues from which the BNP is growing. It's not either/or.
 
butchersapron said:
How can an argument for a political approach that takes on labour *and* the BNP (or 'everyone' as you put it) simulateneously be theorising itself out of political engagement?

The plain fact is, that if you take on labour you're automatically taking on those issues from which the BNP is growing. It's not either/or.

You said 'leaving Labour with a free run'. Implying that you wanted to take on Labour in that ward. I said that ward could be ignored and resources concentrated elsewhere. I do not think imposing a national policy which "takes on labour *and* the BNP (or 'everyone' as you put it)" is a political answer to the tactical demands we now face as a movement. It's about realistic attempts to put alternative anti fascism into practice against Ideologically Correct (I.C.) policy which does not engage. Incidentally IC politics needs to be demonised far more than PC is:D

Do you want to realistically take on the BNP or not? If so, a tactical pov is necessary to halt and reverse their spreading, starting with areas where they are on the edge of a councillor or two. I am not saying this is a national policy, but certainly it is one that is regionally applicable.
 
Attica said:
Do you want to realistically take on the BNP or not? If so, a tactical pov is necessary to halt and reverse their spreading, starting with areas where they are on the edge of a councillor or two. I am not saying this is a national policy, but certainly it is one that is regionally applicable.

tacitical voting is aleady organised between labour and liberals in a number of areas- and it clearly worked in may 2007 in a number of key areas. there is a big but though, and that is this cannot go on for ever. it is one thing safrificing running a campaign in a few wards to stop the BNP- but what of when they are challenging more widely? it is one thing, for example, asking the librals to run a crap campaign in a ward for one election which is clearly not going to have much impact, but for ever?

the only long term solution is a political, socialist alternative, to win people from fascism, coupled with militant antifascism to smash the BNP wherever they can be found
 
Attica said:
You said 'leaving Labour with a free run'. Implying that you wanted to take on Labour in that ward. I said that ward could be ignored and resources concentrated elsewhere. I do not think imposing a national policy which "takes on labour *and* the BNP (or 'everyone' as you put it)" is a political answer to the tactical demands we now face as a movement. It's about realistic attempts to put alternative anti fascism into practice against Ideologically Correct (I.C.) policy which does not engage. Incidentally IC politics needs to be demonised far more than PC is:D

Do you want to realistically take on the BNP or not? If so, a tactical pov is necessary to halt and reverse their spreading, starting with areas where they are on the edge of a councillor or two. I am not saying this is a national policy, but certainly it is one that is regionally applicable.

So voting labour and liberal then. And why not tory if they're the ones competing with the BNP?
 
JimPage said:
militant antifascism to smash the BNP wherever they can be found

That'll keep them on their toes.

Bolshoi1.jpg
 
butchersapron said:
So voting labour and liberal then. And why not tory if they're the ones competing with the BNP?

I was not saying vote social democratic or fascist - mine was the third way, the international third position:D :cool:
 
JimPage said:
tacitical voting is aleady organised between labour and liberals in a number of areas- and it clearly worked in may 2007 in a number of key areas. there is a big but though, and that is this cannot go on for ever. it is one thing safrificing running a campaign in a few wards to stop the BNP- but what of when they are challenging more widely? it is one thing, for example, asking the librals to run a crap campaign in a ward for one election which is clearly not going to have much impact, but for ever?

the only long term solution is a political, socialist alternative, to win people from fascism, coupled with militant antifascism to smash the BNP wherever they can be found

I was talking about those sorts of agendas, but doing it tactically and politically beyond the ward Labour/liberal deals. Where those sorts of deals are happening clearly 'we' could focus elsewhere, starting with; Barnsley and Rotherham. I will say that this sort of activity is down to the militants in that Yorkshire, North Notts region, to begin with at least. This is not rocket science, attempting to halt and reverse the BNP in areas they are targetting.
 
http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/display.var.1602897.0.farmer_cuts_bnp_ties_after_punchup.php


Farmer cuts BNP ties after punch-up
A FARMER who contested Tony Blair's old seat for the British National Party last month has severed all ties with the organisation after a punch-up with its treasurer, The Northern Echo can reveal.

Andrew Spence became the BNP's most successful candidate when he polled 2,494 votes in the Sedgefield by-election.

The result was hailed by the far right party as a breakthrough, but the jubilation has turned to recrimination following ugly scenes at the party's Red, White and Blue Family Festival, in Derbyshire, last weekend.

Last night, Mr Spence said he had thrown punches at party treasurer John Walker and head of publicity Mark Collett.

"There was a slight altercation because of a clash of personalities,"

said Mr Spence.

"The police were not involved, it was dealt with by the festival security."

He was allegedly escorted from the site by BNP security.
 
Geoff kerr-morg said:
http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/display.var.1602897.0.farmer_cuts_bnp_ties_after_punchup.php


Farmer cuts BNP ties after punch-up
A FARMER who contested Tony Blair's old seat for the British National Party last month has severed all ties with the organisation after a punch-up with its treasurer, The Northern Echo can reveal.

Andrew Spence became the BNP's most successful candidate when he polled 2,494 votes in the Sedgefield by-election.

The result was hailed by the far right party as a breakthrough, but the jubilation has turned to recrimination following ugly scenes at the party's Red, White and Blue Family Festival, in Derbyshire, last weekend.

Last night, Mr Spence said he had thrown punches at party treasurer John Walker and head of publicity Mark Collett.

"There was a slight altercation because of a clash of personalities,"

said Mr Spence.

"The police were not involved, it was dealt with by the festival security."

He was allegedly escorted from the site by BNP security.

THis was a big front page Headline and story in the Northern Echo - it must have set them back a bit up here. Also it looks like he scrapped with that twat Collet - Spence isn't the only one who would like to punch his lights out.
 
The BNP's press officer, Dr Phil Edwards, would not comment about the punch-up or Mr Spence's resignation.

He said: "It is a private matter and it was nothing serious. I am not going to tell your disgusting newspaper anything."
 
Geoff kerr-morg said:
The BNP's press officer, Dr Phil Edwards, would not comment about the punch-up or Mr Spence's resignation.

He said: "It is a private matter and it was nothing serious. I am not going to tell your disgusting newspaper anything."

He is of the 'Alastair Campbell Hard Bastard Who Insults Journalists' school of spin doctoring - or thinks he is. He just didn't get such a good job.

(He hates that "disgusting newspaper" because it turned down an electoral advert from the BNP, IIRC.)
 
Was it Dr Phil Edwards who did time for 'Glassing' a black guy for having a white girlfriend? I wonder what is Doctorate was in ?certainly not diplomacy.
 
I haven't heard the 'glassing' story.

He claims to have a doctorate in one of the hard sciences. I can't remember which. Physics? And I don't know if it's true, anyway. 'Phil Edwards' is a pseudonym, apparently.
 
Geoff kerr-morg said:
Was it Dr Phil Edwards who did time for 'Glassing' a black guy for having a white girlfriend? I wonder what is Doctorate was in ?certainly not diplomacy.

That was the former National Organiser of the BNP, Richard Edmonds, who was convicted for his part in a bottle attack on a mixed race couple in a pub in East London 1993.
 
Larry O'Hara said:
the argument was over Spence's expenses, fuelled by the old amber nectar :D ;)

The plot thickens:

Allegedly, after a bad row on the Friday night of the Red White and Blue, BNP Head of Publicity and chief dork Mark Collett spent twenty minutes on Saturday night goading and picking at Andrew Spence about money that was promised to him by the party over some damage that occurred to his car during the recent by-election campaign.
http://lancasteruaf.blogspot.com/2007/08/truth-about-spence-and-rwb-punch-up.html
 
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