Virote_Considon
The Great Dictator
I'll try and garner more information for you on the weekend, when I see some of said relatives.
In need of assistance researching the British National Party
- Thread starter Keirador
- Start date
I'll try and garner more information for you on the weekend, when I see some of said relatives.
I'll try and garner more information for you on the weekend, when I see some of said relatives.
That would be incredibly helpful, I can't thank you enough.
Rambuchan
The Funky President
I don't disagree. Whilst they do not fall neatly into the category of radical right, there are many interesting cross overs in terms of both policy and personnel. The latter addresses your interest in "groups with large numbers of effective, intelligent people in them who can frame their policies in ways agreeable to the mainstream". UKIP seems to be able to get these people, and these are often powerful, wealthy businessmen, as well as the odd celebrity.
Personnel: There is something of a mismatch between UKIP's constitution and the actualities of some party members' history. Their constitution states that they are non-discriminatory and that their members must not have had a history with far-right organisations (I'm paraphrasing here, of course). But members with such histories do exist. Aidan Rankin, who I believe wrote their constitution (maybe their manifesto?), is one. He has historical links to both The Third Way (not so radical, but certainly nationalistic) and The National Front (radical, overtly racist, and eventually surpassed by the BNP). I can't remember what precisely, but it'll be easy to find this out.
I remember that there was also some ruckus about one of their members' views on the Holocaust. They expelled him, but he too proved that they have some skeletons in the closet. Maybe not radical far-right, but certainly far-right. All this said, they do have members from ethnic minorities as well.
Policy: If I remember correctly, the BNP mounted an assault of sorts on UKIP, though I can't remember the precise details of the strategy too well. Basically, the BNP were worried that UKIP would take the wind out of their sails with their position on the European Union. Both parties are fervently against the UK losing sovereignty to the EU (though, interestingly, don't have a problem with centralised power within the UK). But UKIP, with their slicker, cleverer, more subtle personnel, were able to position themselves as the Eurosceptic party, leaving the BNP to seem like crazed racists and pseudo-fascists alone (which of course people like me, and many others, think they are).
The lack of depth in BNP policy also bears similarities with UKIP, which started out as a one policy party (namely anti-EU). Whilst UKIP are expanding their policy base, to include policies on climate change and the economy, I don't think the BNP have. Again, this expansion of policies probably boils down to human capital.
UKIP are also very libertarian on many of their policies, such as corporate tax and inheritance tax. In this respect, they bear many resemblances to hard right-wing libertarians of Margaret Thatcher's era, many of whom influenced her economic policies. Some of those libertarians were quite militant in their rhetoric, policies and even clothing (aping revolutionary Marxist garb, which was very bizarre). They were finally undone for good by their position on heroine consumption, which of course they thought people should be able to do freely. Anyway, all this may be peripheral to what you're on about in your book, but I mention it all to point to where these parties go when they establish human capital that can endear them to the mainstream.
Sorry not to provide more accuracy and detail. I don't really have time to go researching now. I'm sure you'll be able to follow up some of this info and maybe others here can chip in / correct me where necessary.
