In 1930 a party with a nationalistic and hateful ideology had a sudden surge in their support in the German elections. That party was the National Socialist German Workers Party (NSDAP) also known as the Nazi party. The party had been formed in 1919 and originally named the German Workers Party (DAP) before being re-named the following year. In 1928 they had secured 810,000 votes. Two years later that number rose to 6,409,600. Their momentum unstoppable, in the January of 1933, their leader, Adolf Hitler, was appointed Chancellor of Germany.
The Nazi party’s rise to power was accelerated by discontent at the effects of the Great Depression. The other parties in Germany, the SPD and KPD, were divided and unable to show responsible leadership. Hitler infected many of his people with a hatred for the Jews and begun arming his country with ruthless efficiency.
In July 1934, the visionary Churchill, six years before leading this country, wrote in the Daily Mail: -
‘I marvel at the complacency of Ministers in the face of the frightful experiences through which we have all so newly passed. I look with wonder upon the thoughtless crowds disporting themselves in the summer sunshine, and upon this unheeding House of Commons*, which seems to have no higher function than to cheer a Minister; [and all the while across the North Sea], a terrible process is astir. Germany is arming.’**
Whilst we could replace ‘no higher function than to cheer a Minister’ with ‘no higher function than to enrich its members’ the urgency and spirit of his concerns travel sharply and pertinently to these times. His profound frustration at a House of Commons out of touch with the needs of the country is palpable. His was an imperative warning against complacency. Complacent would perhaps be too milder a term with which to describe our current Parliament.
The revelations concerning Byers, Hewitt, Hoon and Moran are sure to deepen our political instability further (Please read the excerpt of the letter I wrote to David Cameron in January 2009 on a previous post in my blog). It is the nation’s condition following further revelations of a self serving Parliament that could be so dangerous. Let us not pretend that any of the parties are showing leadership. Even if it is former government Ministers that are being outed on this occasion the other parties have within their ranks MPs and Peers who are complicit in the weakening of our political system by their submission to a progressively acceptable greed. The nation knows it and does not know who to trust.
The emergence of the BNP has some deeply troubling similarities with that of the Nazi party. As the Nazi party gained popularity following a financial crisis so do the BNP. As the Nazi party was a new party (founded 1919) so are the BNP (1982). Both promoted excessive nationalism and used the politics of hate and blame. The Jews were targeted by the Nazis and immigrants or non-‘indigenous’people are those under threat by the BNP. ***
Even the comparative polling makes for frightening reading. In the general election of 2001 the BNP had 47,129 votes. In 2005 that rose to 192,746. They quadrupled their support in those four years. In the European elections of 2009 they secured 943,598 votes which is nearly five times the amount of supporters they acquired in 2005. **** That is more than the Nazi party secured in 1928 when they begun their climb to power. It would be a catastrophic if the BNP were to continue to grow at this rate.
As Hitler and the Nazis exploited the weakness of the political parties in Germany so the BNP will look to further their cause on the fertile ground disgracefully provided by our government and Parliament. The main parties are so intoxicated with maintaining or attempting to secure power that they are allowing the BNP to persuade an electorate which is becoming increasingly ready to listen.
We are approaching a cliff edge. The single most important undertaking in the national interest today is the reformation of Parliament. It is imperative that legislation is secured to banish the practices that are weakening the Houses of Parliament and losing the confidence of the voters.
In the late 18th century and early 19th century, an independent MP, WilliamWilberforce battled to abolish the slave trade. He used a Private Members Bill, a piece of legislation that can be presented by a backbencher. He was aided by considerable public support (and fought considerable opposition within the House of Commons as many of the members were involved in the trade). This is the type of legislation I would present in the House of Commons if elected.
In Churchill’s day the enemy was outside this land. The fascist agenda of the BNP must not be allowed to deceive our ‘thoughtless crowds’ in Britain and endanger our future safety and security. Playing a leading and defining role in conquering a previous outbreak of fascism does not exempt us from being mindful of its resurgence nor does it make us impregnable to its clutches. It was a deception that captivated an entire nation only seventy five years ago.
Nick Griffin has targeted Barking and Dagenham council as his priority in the local elections on May 6th when it is all but certain the general election will be held. The BNP are the official opposition to Labour there and were they to secure the majority they would have £200 million to further their loathsome agenda. Such resources and funding are more important to Griffin than winning a parliamentary seat.
The think-tank, Policy Network, published a paper this month examining the emergence of the radical right. The author, Professor Montserrat Guibernau, argues that it is a threat that must be confronted and not ignored.
Parliament must be reformed lest it be vulnerable to a foul and focused onslaught.
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* It is also doubtful that the House of Lords was held in such low public esteem in Churchill’s day as it is today.
** What he would have thought about the treatment of the armed forces today is not difficult to imagine. However unpopular or contentious the conflict the armed forces should not be exposed to a dangerous lack of resources by politicians far away.
*** This in no way excuses the terrible and secret experiment undertaken by the Labour government that opened the country’s borders without consultation. The BNP will continue to use this to promote their loathsome agenda.
****In Germany Hitler was assisted by the proportional representation system in acquiring seats in the Reichstag though that does not lessen the seriousness that should be attached to the rise of the BNP.
March 26, 2010 at 5:36 pm |
Tom Margaret and I have both read it this afternoon and M’s response was excellent Just what happened in Germany because people were unaware or ignoring the issue.
Keep at it!!!