Muppets 1 - The BNP 0

It's official. I'm a muppet !!!!! Who says so? Why if it ain't the good old BNP. The BNP proudly boast that their website is the "most popular website this side of Trinidad and Tobago" or something like that. The BNP Council candidate for East Barnet, Stephen Curry, posted a message on their website with a link to my blog, calling me "a shirty Lib Dem" and saying that "a few more BNP supporters in the mix would liven things up". His mate "Reg" reckons that he's mad because I'd delete all of the comments. Now naughty old Steve, didn't bother to correct poor old Reg, which is a bit sad because our Steve (as I like to call him), knows full well I didn't delete any of his comments. I do wonder if Steve felt he needed help because he'd not exactly emerged from our little debate with shining colours. I was rather saddened to note that there wasn't a deluge of hits on the blog from the link, given that the BNP claim their blogs are the most popular....

Anyway, I don't mind visitors to the blog wherever they come from, y'all welcome here. I generally don't delete comments unless they break any laws or link to websites seeking to use this blog to promote causes I consider dodgy. So if you want a debate or to leave comments great, but follow the house rules. Given that our Steve's mate insulted my Dad (a Flt Lt in the RAAF in WWII who flew 40 missions in Wellington bombers and was held as a prisoner of war) and my Grandfather who was gassed in the Somme, purely because they were immigrants who volunteered to fight, you might think I'd be justified in deleting his comments, but no. I left them there. I felt it said more about Steve than me. Steve also left the comments claiming that Lib Dems are paedophiles (on the basis that some former Lib Dem Councillors and candidates (not anywhere near Barnet I hasten to add)) have convictions and they also called me a few other things to boot. The comments are still there. What rather saddened me was the way our Steve wasn't enraged that people committing such crimes received light sentences, only that they were Lib Dems?

One other rather interesting thing is that our Steve and his mate accused me of betraying "my people" and being "on the take". Here is their parting shot at me (I left the spelling mistakes in, as a dyslexic it would seem rude not to)   :-

you just tick all the political correct boxes.one minute your a liberal socialist,immigrant,with war decorated family, the next your a caring capitalist, patriot. one thing for sure is your sense of self loathing and that you dispise my people.if you are patriot you reconise one and you would be helping with our struggle but your soft and prefer to hurl the usal collection of insults and shoutdowns "facist,racist.bigot,nazi, then your done goodbye loser.

Well lets go through their comment. I stood for the Lib Dems at the last council elections. I previously had been a member of the Labour party. My Dad was an immigrant, who flew for the Royal Australian Air Force in 40 Squadron and was held as a prisoner of war after being shot down over Romania. My Grandfather was Irish and fought in the Somme.I run a successful business and employ 9 people. I consider myself patriotic, because I love this country, our rights, our freedoms and our record of standing up for causes I agree with (abolition of slavery with Wilberforce, war against right wing fascist states). I am proud of the England football team and the way we've lead the world in kicking racism out of football. I am proud that we boycotted South Africa under the aparthied regime. I am most proud when I walk around the RAF museum in Hendon and see the planes my father flew to protect us and hope to God I'd have his courage if ever needed.

Do I have a sense of self loathing? Nope actually. I'm proud to be of Anglo / Irish / Australian descent. I love this city and this part of it. I've been accused of many things, but self loathing was a bit of a first. I play in a rock and roll band with musicians from Sudan, Portugal, Slovakia and London.  I love them all. I oppose the BNP for many reasons, but mainly because if they got their way, I wouldn't have a band, I'd lose many friends and the institutions which keep the country running such as the NHS and the London Underground would collapse. Last night, I went to see the Steve Miller Band at the Albert Hall. In his song Space Cowboy, he sings the line "I keep my eyes on the thighs and the low and falling skys and I don't let my friends get hurt". Sort of sums it up.

As to shouting people down with insults, I prefer rational argument. Why would I want to help a struggle which would result in fear and misery for so many of my friends?  The BNP are spinning the line that they are a growing party. Stephen Curry stood in the East Barnet Ward at the election. I believe he was the only BNP candidate in Barnet ( I may be wrong on this), but unlike the Lib Dems, the BNP could concentrate all of their resources on one ward and one candidate. How many votes did he get? Well actually he came last. He got 364 votes (just in case you're wondering, I got 2,260 in Mill Hill and we campaigned across the Borough). Presumably they stood a candidate in the place they thought they were most popular.

I genuinely don't understand why the BNP seem to hate everyone and everything they disagree with quite so much. When I read "our Steve's" comments I was tempted to ask a couple of questions which seemed to jump out from his comments, but refrained as the issues are too important to be dealt with in such a way. Ultimately the reason why the whole exchange started was because I suggested that people should check to see who was organising petitions to "bring the boys home" before they sign them or donate money. I had the temerity so suggest that "help for heroes" was a more worthy cause for donations if people cared about the troops. What surprised me was that the BNP commentators never even responded to this. Surely if they cared about servicemen, they would seek to ensure that people wishing to help injured soldiers donated to them rather than a political party.

I believe that the majority of BNP voters do so as a protest because they are disgruntled with the political system and have no affinity for the racist policies (although clearly a number do, especially committed party members). I believe that politicians (especially those running Barnet) are out of touch and fermenting an evil brew. It is up to them, as leaders of the community to set a good example and to work for the disadvantaged in society. It is time they stepped up to the game and got their noses out of the trough. One thing is clear to me is that the likes of Robert Rams and Brian Coleman are the best recruiting sargeants that the BNP could possibly have in Barnet.