Left-wing challenge for Labour leadership

[Cuivienen]

Although the BNP are a far-right group, it is not Tory votes that they can win. UKIP can win Euro-sceptic Tory supporters but it is a strange anomaly in British politics that the extreme right party (the BNP) actually seek to win left-wing (primarily Labour) supporters. The majority Tory support comes from rural areas and the middle-classes...two groups that would almost certainly never vote BNP. The BNP votes are in the inner-cities, the heartlands of Labour.

Just an interesting little facet about British politics .

I know this... but it primarily stems from the fact that the Tories have historically being anti-immigration anyway, so the primary impetus for voters to abandon them for the BNP is not there. However, Cameron's Tories are not as vocally anti-immigration, which may cost them votes.

It is also important to point out that areas of particular BNP strength such as Barking and Dagenham used to have strong Tory showings before the BNP came along. Thus, while the BNP may be vying with Labour, its support is drawn primarily from former Tories.

 

[Nad]

I know this... but it primarily stems from the fact that the Tories have historically being anti-immigration anyway, so the primary impetus for voters to abandon them for the BNP is not there. However, Cameron's Tories are not as vocally anti-immigration, which may cost them votes.

It is also important to point out that areas of particular BNP strength such as Barking and Dagenham used to have strong Tory showings before the BNP came along. Thus, while the BNP may be vying with Labour, its support is drawn primarily from former Tories.

But immigration is only really an issue in lower income city areas. Whatever the Tory history there, immigration really is not a key issue among most Tory supporters.

As for Barking and Dagenham, I'm not sure what you mean there. The BNP have only just, in the recent local elections, made their presence felt there. Barking & Dagenham is a present Labour borough, not Tory, while the council has previously been Liberal Democrat dominated. So again, the BNP rise there is a threat to a present Labour borough.

Also if you look at the other hotbeds of BNP, Oldham, Burnley etc, those are all traditional Labour wards.

The Liberal Democrats are also at risk. The borough I live in, Bermondsey, is Lib Dem (Simon Hughes is the MP) but again the BNP have made some inroads.

I'd still contend that of the three major parties, the Tories have the least to fear from the BNP. Although I'm not a supporter of any political party, I think Cameron is absolutely 100% correct to leave issues like immigration off his agenda, because it's simply not an area that the Tories need to be concerned with. He's focused on the issues that will win centre and centre-right votes, which is the only way the Tories will win the next election. He knows the Tories don't have a hope in hell of regaining inner-city, low income areas.

 

[Cuivienen]

But immigration is only really an issue in lower income city areas. Whatever the Tory history there, immigration really is not a key issue among most Tory supporters.

As for Barking and Dagenham, I'm not sure what you mean there. The BNP have only just, in the recent local elections, made their presence felt there. Barking & Dagenham is a present Labour borough, not Tory, while the council has previously been Liberal Democrat dominated. So again, the BNP rise there is a threat to a present Labour borough.

Also if you look at the other hotbeds of BNP, Oldham, Burnley etc, those are all traditional Labour wards.

Don't look at 2001 or 2002, look at the 1970s and the 1980s. There used to be a quite substantial Tory vote in those areas that has now disappeared without a demographic shift. Where did those votes go? The answer is obvious: the BNP.


And my point wasn't really to make an argument out of this point. I don't think immigration will cost the Tories too much. However, I also don't think the BNP will make any impact at the next GE anyway, so it hardly matters.

 

[bholed]

[QUOTE


I'd still say it was preferable to having Labour use Scottish MPs to impose laws on the English that will never affect their constituents


--

Aye, fair enough but its a bit rich you moaning about it now, thou at least you know how it feels slightly.
We had to put up with foreign govermnet imposing there policies before and it wasn't nice.

You dont like it there's an easy solution stand up for yourself and stop sponging of us .

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[colony]

You dont like it there's an easy solution stand up for yourself and stop sponging of us .

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If only that was possible, I don't expect any British government to do anything about it until the North Sea oil/gas runs out

 

[nonconformist]

I find this baffling.

I'm guessing our politics are roughly similar given that the Lib Dems also lost my support when Ming started reversing key policies. But to react to this by supporting Gordon Brown seems crazy to me. I don't have a clue who I'll end up voting for, but it sure as hell won't be an authoritarian warmonger.

Christ, it's vote blue, vote for somefence-sitters, or hope to God there's some backbench rebellion and the Bennites retake the Red.

 

[GinandTonic]

Although the BNP are a far-right group, it is not Tory votes that they can win. UKIP can win Euro-sceptic Tory supporters but it is a strange anomaly in British politics that the extreme right party (the BNP) actually seek to win left-wing (primarily Labour) supporters. The majority Tory support comes from rural areas and the middle-classes...two groups that would almost certainly never vote BNP. The BNP votes are in the inner-cities, the heartlands of Labour.

Just an interesting little facet about British politics .

Thats because class still has such a role in uk politics. There are lots of urban areas where for working class people voting tory is a stigma around the level of a sexually transmitted disease. Similar with Scotland and Wales, voting for the old opresser - even with a new spin - is culturally unacceptable. Much of the emergence of single issue parties is based around the trbalism of uk politics.