British soldiers fighting in Afghanistan
BNP activists are planning to ”March on Westminster” on St George’s Day 2010 – just a few weeks before the General Election - to call on the government to repatriate British soldiers fighting in Afghanistan.
Since its founding the BNP has passionately advocated isolationism. The march is an indication that they see an opportunity to use their opposition to the war to tap into growing concern in the heartland of Britain about our military commitments overseas.
BNP activists are organising for ex-servicemen to lead the march and put pressure on policy makers to “bring the troops home” and to stop what the leader of the group has called “[propping] up Zion.” Activists are expecting the support of sympathetic organisations such as Soldiers off the Street (Bill Murray, director of SOTS, has said that he will be present) and the BNP’s Scottish based veterans charity of choice - FEBA.
Some activists are planning to conceal their political identities to approach bona fide organisations to support the march. Reputable charities being approached include Combat Stress, a charity for soldiers suffering from the mental stresses of war, and Afghan Heroes, which was set up by the mothers of eight soldiers killed this year by Islamists in Helmand to help raise awareness of the conflict. The leader of the organising group is believed to be Ian Holt. He has blogged on the BNP social network that he has written to Afghan Heroes and is intending to write to the Royal British Legion for support.
BNP election strategy
Our research into the BNP since the June 2009 elections has found that the neo-fascists are trying to carve out a populist electoral strategy in the lead up to the 2010 election and it is hoped that by tapping into growing voter scepticism towards the liberation of Afghanistan they will be able turn it into what one activist termed, “political capital”.
Public scepticism about our military’s roles overseas has been growing for some time and it is getting worse. According to a recent ICM/BBC poll, more than half (56 per cent) of Britons oppose the war against Al-Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan, while only about 37 per cent support it.
Now that his party has significant political representation in the European Parliament, Nick Griffin is desperate to show to voters that his party has a lot to offer and is capable of holding its own in a serious political arena come the next election.
BNP foreign policy
The BNP’s strategy for the region is to pull out and they deny that “AF-PAK” Islamism poses a threat to Britain. Peter Mullins, the BNP Defence spokesman, believes that British troops should not be ”spilling their blood in an American-directed foreign war”.
There is a clear distinction between the “anti-war” rhetoric of the Left, which aims to tap into concerns about “neo-colonialism” and wars on the “Muslim world”, and the BNP, who are tapping into the lack of enthusiasm for the war and it reveals how there is a real tiredness about the confict that exists in Middle England – as the BBC’s poll has already revealed. Despite the best efforts of the Rothermere and Murdoch press, the Establishment’s failure to clearly state why we must prevail in Afghanistan is allowing elected conspiratorial extremists to advocate reasonable arguments of retreat.
Politicians must do more than simply saying “more must be done for our troops”. Most reasonable people can see that better equipment and greater care for our brave soldiers is obviously needed. But, most importantly, all the parties (Labour and the Conservatives included) must reiterate that being in Afghanistan is in our national interest because the world, and so therefore Britain, is a safer place as a result of our presence in Afghanistan.
Nothing British comment
Nick Griffin believes that Islamism “can bring [the BNP] to power.” Nothing British see it as a threat and not a political opportunity. Islamism and Afghanistan are not political footballs and treating them as such only puts our national security and Britons lives at risk.
Post-script
British National Party activists have announced that the event will take place on 25th April 2010, this of course is not St George’s Day, which actually falls on the 23rd April.
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