A BNP infestation?

This may be somewhat late in the day the way things seem to be moving on the political agenda but … Has anyone else noticed that wherever the BNP lays its hat discord flows? Now don’t get me wrong, I am all for a bit of discord here and there. Discord is often the anvil on which opinions are sharpened and clarified. I find dissent too to be a healthy indicator of a pro-active society. To say nothing about the fact that it affords me ample room for my own particular brand of witticism.

But there is something odious about the manner in which White Nationalism in general and British Nationalism as espoused by the BNP in particular tries to enforce itself on the population at large; and enforce it is and make no mistake about it (but more about that later). For now it is the general manner that seems to be de rigueur for the BNP that I am contemplating. In some areas, much fewer then Nicky Boy’s brigade would have you believe, they have been established for a while and to discuss their eruption on to the local political landscape is complex and multi-faceted. However here, in Upper Beeding we have what I think serves as a very good illustration of what a BNP infestation actually entails.

Upper Beeding was a typical English village in many ways. The pace of change was sluggish according to David Coldwell, editor of the village newsletter. And then a charming Donna Bailey arrived on the scene. Young mums loved her, she was kind, concerned, active, involved:

"She's a marvellous person. She's just thrown herself-into helping the community, and there aren't a lot of people like that around these days," explains Lorraine Blain, 38, who runs the local pub. "She raised money for the school, helping them buy laptops, and she's forever talking about how we've got to do something for the youngsters, to stop them loitering at the local convenience store every night." No surprises then that her fellow mums supported Donna when she told them she was thinking of standing for the parish council. (Daily Mail, 4th February 2008)

What Donna may not have told the mums was that she had tried to stand as a district councillor in other areas: twice in fact and both times unsuccessfully so. She had also omitted to tell them that she was a member of the BNP and an active member at that. This did not come to light, according to the same article till idle curiosity on the part of some sitting members of the incumbent Parish Council caused them to do some research on the internet.

This is where I was reminded of Foul Ole Ron and his independent minded scent – well it was more of a stench really. Aficionados of Terry Pratchett’s Disc World will recognise the character. Suddenly and without any real prior warning the other side of Donna came to the fore; contentious, litigatious, strident and demanding. When her request to be co-opted unto the Parish Council was denied, she marched along with 23 supporters to the next Parish Council demanding she be appointed. When this was again refused, she forced a by-election.

Setting neighbour against neighbour and causing upheavals the likes of which have not been seen in Upper Beeding. And was it all worth it? She, even with the elections forced on the local community did not get her place on the Parish Council. But it has left bitter divides; divides that will not heal all that easily. It has also highlighted a very real concern. The surface plausibility that hides quite effectively the real nature of British Nationalism as espoused by the BNP