In what the mainstream media consider nationwide news, Nick Griffin, the former leader of the far-right British National Party, has announced that he might vote Labour because of Corbyn’s stance on Syria.
And whilst Griffin is presumably far from welcome in Labour ranks, his declaration has caused great excitement amongst certain of the anti-Corbyn media.
The Sun crowed ‘Jez what he needs – Ex-BNP leader Nick Griffin says he’ll vote Labour if Jeremy Corbyn blocks airstrikes in Syria‘, whilst far-right website Guido Fawkes is running the story on its front page.
But one Twitter user summed up the story perfectly in just a few short sentences:
Nick Griffin agrees with 99.9% of Tory policies.
MSM: <silence>
Nick Griffin agrees with 0.01% of Labour policies.
MSM: Nick Griffin endorses Jeremy Corbyn. Corbyn must be a racist.
— Chuka Umunna's Flip Flops (@WarmongerHodges) April 10, 2018
Whilst others were quick to point out the problem with how the mainstream media were making so much of Griffin’s ill-wanted endorsement:
https://twitter.com/anubeon/status/983752017280749568
In recent years the Tories have adopted many far-right policies. In fact, as a former British ambassador pointed out last year, Theresa May’s 2017 election platform was virtually identical to the BNP’s in 2005!
As Craig Murray, the former British ambassador to Uzbekistan, reported just before June’s snap General Election:
“I was struck by how entirely similar Theresa May’s discourse is to that of the British National Party candidate I fought in Blackburn in 2005. That led me to turn to the BNP 2005 Manifesto, and I can see little significant difference between it and current Tory policy.
The British National Party in 2005 advocated:
– Severe cuts in immigration
– Leaving the EU
– Bringing back grammar schools
– Increased military spending
– More “security” and “strong leadership”
– Foreign policy driven by “British national interest” not human rights
– Reduce development aid
Indeed, the few differences I can find between the BNP 2005 manifesto and the current Tory platform are in areas like the NHS, where the Tories are more right wing than the BNP were.
Thankfully it was still considered by most people socially beyond the pale to support the BNP in 2005. Today the media portray anyone perceptibly to the left of those positions as mad. Society has changed markedly – and not for the better.”
And as UKIP staggers to an early grave, and the last BNP district councillor steps down, there’s no need for these far-right political parties anymore – because the Tories, in light of the vote for Brexit, have clearly lurched to the extreme right to fill the gap.
But that’s apparently not news if you work for The Sun. Like the endless attacks on Corbyn recently for alleged anti-Semitism – whilst blatantly ignoring a literal catalogue of examples of Tory racism and anti-Semitism – the narrative has to be that since Griffin is a racist, Corbyn must be too.
Tory MP Michael Fabricant was quick to weigh in:
"Know these people by their supporters."
Nick Griffin was Leader of the far right British National Party……….. https://t.co/uo8TPBsqmw— Michael Fabricant (@Mike_Fabricant) April 10, 2018
But that didn’t go too well:
Careful dear. pic.twitter.com/RMIFPUOr43
— Chris Ward (@christopherward) April 10, 2018
seriously? Should we "know" your party by the Wahabbist terrorist funding misogynist Saud monarchy or via Pinochet a mass-murderous fascist dictator…?
— JD (@HighburyJD) April 10, 2018
A poll last year showed that Conservative voters thought the party was more right wing than UKIP, which presumably puts it somewhere close to the BNP.
In reality, Nick Griffin is politically much closer to the Tories than the media would like us to think. But that wouldn’t be a story, would it?
