Don’t vote BNP (From Darlington and Stockton Times)

Don’t vote BNP

2:10pm Friday 22nd May 2009

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IT is highly unusual for this newspaper to give any form of political guidance to its readers. It is stated on this page every week that the Darlington & Stockton Times is independent of political party. It will remain so.

But it is to be hoped, in the North Yorkshire county and European elections held next month, that voters, despite being disillusioned with the mainstream parties embroiled in the expenses debacle, don’t opt for the British National Party.

Emboldened by success in the last local elections, the party is fielding candidates in both the North and Yorkshire Euro polls and the county council elections, most notably in our part of the county in Great Ayton.

We don’t urge readers to reject the BNP because it is racist, we urge them to look beyond that nevertheless important issue to what else it has to offer. Which is not a great deal.

For example, on the economy it suggests that foreign imports should be selectively banned and that will solve the unemployment problem. On agriculture, it somehow believes the UK could become self-sufficient in food. On law and order, it believes the re-introduction of corporal and capital punishment will solve the crime problem. On public transport, it advocates incentives to use public transport but wants cuts in fuel tax and the raising of speed limits. On defence, it would increase spending and reintroduce National Service while at the same time withdrawing UK forces from NATO and other overseas commitments.

This is populist policy making on the back of a cigarette packet. It cannot be considered credible. The BNP has nothing to offer other than poorly-articulated hatred.

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