A slightly off topic rant today in that it’s not particularly about Nottingham (although with the English Defence League planning to come to the city soon and with a significant number of BNP supporters in the county, perhaps not so off topic as it seems…).

Griffin: Calls from his own party for his resignation following his Question Time performance won't make much difference to voters.

I know the world and his dog have now commented on BNP leader Nick Griffin’s appearance on Question Time and most agree that he was exposed not just as a fascist and a racist but also as being pretty inarticulate and stupid. However, opinion still seems to be divided on whether or not he should have been allowed to appear and whether or not his performance was good for the BNP.

What strikes me about all this debate is that it’s based on the presumption that the British people will analyse the facts behind such things as immigration into the UK and the BNP’s political manifesto, examine the philosophy that underpins it, listen to the various arguments being put forward and make a considered judgement as to whether voting for them or not is in the best interests of the country.

Rubbish. The truth is that there are a significant number of people in this country who are racist, selfish and stupid. There are also people who are cruel, violent and vicious (often the same people). These people don’t care about Nick Griffin’s performance on Question Time. They just like the idea of sending black people ‘back where they came from’, of persecuting gay people, spending millions of pounds strengthening the armed forces and forcing us all to celebrate St George’s Day. They don’t inhabit a world of reasoned political argument. They come from a place of superficial political posturing, scapegoating, ignorance, bullying, paranoia and fear.

It is these people (with the significant addition of a large number of ill-informed, disillusioned and disgruntled voters who fall for the BNP’s appeal to patriotism and Christianity), who will continue to vote for the BNP for as long as it exists and for as long as they are searching – as most voters seem to do – for a party that will make their lives better for them.

That’s not to say that those of us who see the BNP for what it is (the majority of the population, thank God) shouldn’t continue to oppose them wherever and whenever we can. But expecting Nick Griffin’s sad and embarrassing performance on Question Time to make much difference to those who might vote for these insidious, fascists next year, is, I think, a little naive and over-optimistic.