I Don’t Care Who Is A BNP Member
I really couldn’t care less about the publication of a list of BNP members. I mean, seriously, who cares? Let’s make this clear: the BNP are a legitimate political party. However distasteful we may find their political beliefs, they have a right to hold them and to be a member of a political party that supports them.
Rather than threatening BNP members/voters, we should engage with them. Yes, we should. If we don’t, we can’t destroy the racist elements. Political parties must address the prime reason why people vote for the BNP - and that is because they feel ignored. If we listen to the voters - the vast majority of whom aren’t racists - then we can convince them that the BNP are not the party who can deal with the problems they are concerned with, but just a bunch of racists and bigots.
Ignoring them just because they have the stigma of the label “BNP voter†attached to them is not an option in a democracy. They are still part of the electorate. Just ignoring them is what caused the problem in the first place. If we listen to, and engage with, them then they will no longer feel any need to go and vote for the BNP - and they will thus wither and die as they should. But if we continue to ignore their concerns, the BNP will just gain more support.
The very concept that it could be sackable offence to be a member of a legitimate political party is nothing short of disgusting. Especially when the police and prison services have been told to actively “root out” BNP members.
The national policies are clear that membership of the BNP is incompatible with the requirements of the role of a police officer (IPPC)
How, precisely? So long as they leave their politics at home and do their job properly, how does it make any difference? Unless it is expected that no police officers ever be a member of any political party, of course - which is patently ridiculous.
Democracy demands that there is freedom of political beliefs. As soon as membership of a specific legitimate political party is proscribed, democracy begins to fail. Parliament must stand up for democracy and pass a law demanding that membership of a political party is no bar in itself to any profession, or democracy will begin to fail.
Anyone who believes that such membership disqualifies anyone from any profession is an anti-democrat.
Categories: All WW, News - Current Affairs, Political Blogging, Politics
Tell me; how do you expect a police officer to maintain confidence when they are members of an avowedly racist political party? Or a teacher? And so on.
In the same way that being a member of Hizb ut Tahrir or the Communist Party would make it hard to get a job with MI5, it does not seem unreasonable that certain jobs can require ‘not being a member of a racist party’ on the job description.
Yes, they are a legitimate political party; that means they are registered with the Electoral Commission and so on. It does not mean their views are legitimate.
Dave Cole´s last blog post..Towards sixty senate seats
A member of a police force shall at all times abstain from any activity which is likely to interfere with the impartial discharge of his duties or which is likely to give rise to the impression amongst members of the public that it may so interfere; and in particular a member of a police force shall not take any active part in politics.
<a href=”http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1987/Uksi_19870851_en_9.htm#IDAU33NC”Source. Police Regs 1987.
Are they still current? No active part in politics. The description ‘Activist’ gives it away a little.
Sim-O´s last blog post..BT: The censoring starts
I should’ve looked properly.
Here is the 2003 regulations but they say the same.
Sim-O´s last blog post..BT: The censoring starts
[...] The Thunderdragon doesn’t care who is a BNP member; I’d like to explain why TD should. [...]
[...] The Thunderdragon doesn’t care who is a BNP member; I’d like to explain why TD should. [...]
Dave, it’s how they act that counts. I have no problem with policemen or teachers being members of the BNP, so long as they properly conduct their job. I can see no reason why a political membership alone can possibly be a reason to hire, fire or even not hire or not fire anyone.
If they do not conduct their job appropriately, then that is cause to fire them, not their political membership or beliefs.
ThunderDragon´s last blog post..Change anything and don’t tell Big Brother? That’ll be £1,000.
Sim-O, we are discussing political membership here, not activism. And so long as the same rules apply to members of all political parties, then the issues are minimal - even though I believe that no job should preclude political activism.