Hope not Hate

So it wasn’t just a horrible dream then. I’m at a loss for words really to describe how I feel. Yes, having 2 members from a Fascist party represent us in Europe is bad enough. It’s embarrassing and a damning indictment on the state of voter apathy in this country. Make no mistakes, the BNP didn’t get those seats through a massive surge in popularity. They gained them simply because people in Yorkshire and the North West couldn’t be bothered to go out and vote. The margins were frustratingly close, and in some cases a few thousand more votes and the Greens would have gained. But we have what we have. A few entries ago I half jokingly said that I’d hold anyone solely responsible for the BNP gaining seats if they didn’t go out and vote. Even if you don’t live in the North West but still didn’t vote, I think you need to take a long, hard look at yourself.

I’ll say one thing about the BNP, at least their supporters can be bothered to get off their arses and vote.

But yes, having two members from a Fascist party represent us in Europe is bad enough. What’s far, far more of a concern to me is the landslide victories for both the Tories and UKIP. As many problems as I have with the SNP’s popularity here in Scotland, we at least remember the terrible mess the Tories made of this country. We gave Labour a chance, who again messed up, so now we have the SNP in power. What scares me is that people in England appear to have very short memories. Britain was a horrible, horrible place under Thatcher and Major. They see the Tories as a viable alternative, a party who have aligned themselves in the EU with far-right parties from Poland and the Czech Republic who are openly homophobic, climate change deniers……….and don’t even get me started on UKIP, who are basically the BNP for nice, middle class people. Their immigration policies are appalling (shutting the door for five years basically and dealing with any undesirables), and I despair at a party who has a leader in Nigel Farage who expresses admiration for Enoch Powell. Incredibly saddened, ashamed and disgusted to be British right now.

Suddenly this country seems like a colder, darker and scarier place to live.