Comment is Free post on True Finns and populist parties
After appearing on BBC World Service World Have Your Say to discuss the True Finns, I’ve now written a piece for Comment is Free about the same issue – you can read it here. The comments thread is full of bile, although there is one issue I would like to draw attention to – the alleged connection I make between UKIP and the BNP.
Note I am not saying that UKIP and BNP are the same thing, or that they are connected. I am saying that they both have some points in common with populist movements in other European countries. In UKIP’s case this is their effort to tap into anti-politics sentiment and discontent with the political mainstream. The case of BNP is different – their anti-immigration sentiment is what they share with populist parties elsewhere.
I’ve also written an additional post here about True Finns and coalition building.
@Jon Worth I share your views on the BNP,
I make no attempt to work out what’s going on in your head, I’m merely going on what you wrote. This was your original comment in CiF:
“In the UK the twin threat of Ukip and the BNP tap into similar veins of discontent as their counterparts across the English channel.”
So not only does UKIP get mentioned in an article about ‘populist nationalism’ (always used as a euphemism for far-right fascism) but note the words; ‘threat’, ‘UKIP and BNP’ (bracketed together) and ‘discontent’. You’re not actually saying it but the implication is perfectly clear – why do you think so many of your comments pick you up on it?
UKIP shares polices with other parties including for example the Lib Dems and are much closer to them in terms of poll rating. But it’s never Lib Dems and UKIP
“Note I am not saying that UKIP and BNP are the same thing, or that they are connected.”
Of course not Jon, of course not. That’s why you lumped them together in the same sentence because you wanted to make it clear that they weren’t connected in any way.
@TheBoilingFrog – Oh, wow, what stunning analysis.
By that logic anything that happened to appear in the same sentence would, necessarily, have to be connected.
Plus you seem to better be able to determine what was in my head more than I can. Bravo. Also note that I had one whole paragraph of the CiF piece to cover the rest of Europe / non-Nordic…
I know a number of UKIP people, but think BNP are the absolute lowest of the low and would never associate with them, ever.
But anyway I could go on and on, but clearly you know better than I do, so I’ll stop.