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B.N.P battle for Barking

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123everton | 01:21 Wed 01st Dec 2010 | Society & Culture
35 Answers
Just watched this on T.V, I missed the first half hour watching Frankie Boyle worth seeing very funny.
A few things struck me, many of the people who said they were going to vote B.N.P were not racist, they were fed up.
They were fed up of politicians who don't answer questions, fed up of politicians who don't give straight answers, fed up of politicians who refuse to give you their opinions.
I don't live in a corpy house, never have, my Mum does, so I don't know about housing policy, but there was a woman there who said she just wanted to be treated fairly, can't argue with that sentiment even if her belief is erroneous.
I'd suggest that the problem is poor government housing policy, most notably right to buy.
They had an old man on, who was a racist, but his statement was the most telling "I'm voting B.N.P because nothing ever changes" that disaffection is rife and it's largely accurate.
The gap between rich and poor is wider than ever, the poor have seen no significant change in their status for 30 odd years.
Our economic policies are designed around debt, the nation's whole lifestyle is predicated on debt, cheap loans, not wages.
This gap will remain for the foreseeable future, job insecurity via short term contracts and tuition fees will dissuade poorer families from further education.
Politicians should take note, they ignore this seething mass of people at their peril.
History teaches us that when the poor feel alienated it's the immigrants, the minorities and the weakest that get the blame.
Not a question really just a statement, did anyone else see it?
What did you think?
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I didn't see it but it doesn't surprise me that either the far left or the far right attract support from those who believe (even falsely) that they're "being left behind" by other elements of society. It happened in 1917 in Russia and in the late 1930s in Germany.

Chris

PS: I've just posted a video response to your 'Crimbo' thread which took me ages to select because I didn't want to offend you by choosing something that included offensive language. Now that I know that you enjoyed Frankie Boyle, I've realised that I needn't have bothered ;-)

PPS: You're definitely in a minority!
http://www.theanswerb...k/Question963390.html
//there was a woman there who said she just wanted to be treated fairly, can't argue with that sentiment even if her belief is erroneous. //

What is her belief, and since you don't live in Barking how do you know it's erroneous?

ps. Frankie Boyle is ignorant and rude, and is a poor excuse for a comedian.
I live in Barking and anyone would be better than Margaret Hodge,. how can a millionaire's daughter know anything about living in Barking ? dont make me laugh !
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Slightly out of context Naomi "I don't live in a corpy house, never have, my Mum does, >>so I don't know about housing policy<<, but there was a woman there who said she just wanted to be treated fairly, can't argue with that sentiment even if her belief is erroneous."
Followed by "I'd suggest.....", if you want a row about something take it elsewhere, it's boring.
Dee, you may have a good point there, but Tony Benn is a dyed in the wool toff so it doesn't always follow.
Chris, alienation is a strong political tool, although Tsarist Russia was an awful place.
Everton, You said the woman's belief is erroneous but you haven't explained what her belief is or how you know it's erroneous. Since you've asked what we think, it's entirely reasonable to ask you to clarify your statement before commenting.
Incidentally, I think different councils have different policies.
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Did you not watch the show?
The question ends with "did anyone else see it?" and what did they think, presuming that you didn't watch it, what aspect of housing policy would a B.N.P voter complain about?
It's not hard to work out.
I stated quite clearly "I don't know" but her statement wasn't racist, she wasn't being racist, so even if her belief is erroneous, she had no complaint about foreigners being given housing (not that I heard certainly) just that she thought the criteria was being applied unfairly in Barking which was the show's topic.
The B.N.P is a national party, so people from other authorities (not just Barking) are free to contribute with their insights.
Pour yourself some cranberry juice, we may be able to have a conversation then ;-))
Everton, I didn't realise the question was aimed only at those who saw the programme, but having said that I'm sure the more intelligent of your readers would be far more impressed with you if you could remember that civility costs nothing.
I didn't see it but I'd agree with

//History teaches us that when the poor feel alienated it's the immigrants, the minorities and the weakest that get the blame.//

That's why it's important that we don't let groups like the BNP get away with their myth making and victimisation of immigrants and minorities.
Watch it Jake! You didn't see the programme! He'll be putting you on the cranberry juice if you're not careful. ;o))
Selling the best of the council housing stock reduced what was available for rent and made waiting lists much longer. Many of the locals believe that 'foreigners' get a better deal than they do. A refugee who had been granted asylum would then be entitle to a place on the waiting list. If they had a big family and lived in dire conditions they might be housed as a priority case.
The locals see this as queue jumping.
The BNP didn't do well in recent elections there despite it appearing to be fertile ground for them.
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In America there's been a huge rise in race crime between blacks and Hispanics, the Mexicans are now being blamed and targetted for it's economic woes.
Naomi, you've posted 5 answers in which all you've told us is that different councils operate different housing policies, amazing, I'm going to award you the inaugrual bear's latrine trophy for stating the bleeding obvious.
Honestly, if you want to try and hijack a question with your petty, pedantic pointless interventions then feel free to go elsewhere and leave the intelligent and intelligible people to have a conversation.
The question is about the B.N.P, if you are unaware of their polcies, then Google it, otherwise offer your opinions on them.
It's not that difficult.
erroneous
Containing an error; inaccurate.
Derived from an error.
Mistaken.

------she wasn't being racist, so even if her belief is erroneous, -----------

thing is everton how do you know she is mistaken about wanting to be treated fairly ?
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Noone desires to be treated unfairly, except maybe Frank Bough, as to whether her treatment is unfair, as I stated quite clearly I don't know about housing policy (I have suggested the problem lies elsewhere), but in her expression of being treated unfairly, it has to be said, she was doing so without a trace of racism that I could detect.
The question I have posed, amongst other things, how is it the B.N.P can find a way to make people like her vote for them?
She wasn't saying British houses for British people etc, she just wanted to treated the same as she percieved others.
She wanted someone to listen to her and address her needs, something mainstream politicians perhaps have failed to do.
It's the weakest and most vulnerable who will suffer because of these failures.
with what you have just posted i will ask again why do you think it was erroneous
everton a short answer would be more welcome you dont need to write an essay, not intrested in the bnp.
if she was voting for the j loggs independent party would you still have said erroneous
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Yes I do think she was/is erroneous.
That's why I mentioned right to buy.
the thing is everton years back i lived with my parents in rented accomodation and i can assure you people were not treated fairly when it came to housing .
my father was on the housing list from the end of the war when he came home, he is dead now but i can assure you he never got a council house.
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Do you feel immigrants were favoured over him and others like him?
sorry would have to stay online allnight to tell you what went on near me.
one thing i will say is the side street near to us was saved for ex prisoners to help them start back in the real world with their wives and kids.(black white and other)
they had top priority on the houses that came on the market
you would have to have lived down there to see it and beleive it, there again i may be erroneous :)

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