Today I am saddened. My problem is I’m a northerner and I have just heard that last Thursday my part of
The North decided that it would like to send two racists to represent it in the wider world. Both Yorkshire, where I was born and brought up, and the North West, where I now live, have voted in BNP MEP’s.
How do I cope when people whom I love embrace something that I hate? This is the part of the world where the co-operative movement was born and flourished; it was here that The Labour Party (in the days when it was genuinely the party of the people) had its heartland. And now this.
musings on mission and ministry ... and other miscellaneous mind-leaks
4 comments:
It's little comfort, but in both the North West & in Yorkshire, the BNP vote was lower than it was in 2004. Unfortunately turnout was also lower, and the system of proportional representation used for the european elections thus returned a fascist in both regions. That's not to find excuses, but it does suggest that neither region is any more racist or tolerant of racists than they were in 2004.
In East Midlands we weep with you (or I do anyway!). We only just missed getting a BNP MEP because we had one less seat than last time, and here their share did increase quite significantly. Not sure it's all down to turnout or disgruntlement.
P.R.has its pros and cons - it does seem more appropriate than 'first past the post' in this context anyway, but it also means that this kind of result can occur. Tricky.
Thinking of you...
Have you seen this?
http://andys.org.uk/media/peter_davies_toby_foster_bbc_radio_sheffield_08_06_2009.mp3
Interview with Doncaster's new elected mayor, who's an English Democrat (not as bad as the fascists, but probably the most extreme right-wing person in the UK publicly elected to a position of executive authority.
Scary what might happen to Doncaster now what with sacking anyone whose job he considers too politically correct and abolishing translation services on the grounds that anyone who needs them shouldn't be in England anyway.
It may not be doing much, but you can sign a petition which says NOT IN MY NAME, which will be handed into the European Parliament on the day that BNP leader Nick Griffin takes his seat.
http://action.hopenothate.org.uk/notinmyname
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