Who helped the BNP?

A big bravo (I thought a foreign word would be appropriate here) to Tim Montgomerie and his colleagues who have gone where the politicians hesitate to tread by taking on the BNP. They have produced this effective video clip that makes a fundamental point: there is nothing British about the BNP.

Our political masters are terrified that the exposure of their venality will drive angry voters into the arms of the extremist parties on June 4, and there’s certainly evidence out there that UKIP and the BNP (and I accept it is unfair to bracket the two) will benefit, whether through the proportional system for the Euro elections or in council areas where white bitterness is at its strongest. The Conservatives have decided to avoid talking about the BNP to deny them publicity, but that’s the party they fear the most. Thankfully on Monday night in Nuneaton David Cameron ignored the ‘no go’ rule by laying into the fascists and urging Conservative activists not to “rush into the arms” of the far right by talking up immigration.

But who is responsible for this sudden drift to the extremes? Who must take responsibility for the rage of British voters, which was so in evidence among those in the audience for Question Time last night? In normal times it would be ridiculous to accuse leading politicians of helping the BNP. but these are not normal times, and only now do we see how little noticed actions at Westminster can have terrible consequences. How about Gordon Brown, who didn’t bother to vote to abolish the John Lewis list last summer? Or those who voted to keep it, like Jacqui Smith or Andy Burnham, not to mention Tories too numerous to name?  Or Harriet Harman for defying the High Court and the Information Tribunal by exempting MPs’ addresses from publication? And on and on. We should look to all those whose defective moral compasses have, in small but terrible ways, helped the loathsome BNP.