Our outrage is why we see so much Griffin on TV

By A Supporter / @gordonfrown

One thing that struck me as Nick Griffin was delivering his victory speech was the outpouring of grief on Twitter. My Twitter friends, predominantly Labour Party sympathisers, were expressing their disappointment at the fact that a bloated, ignorant, hatemonger had managed to wangle his way into the European Parliament. However, some were ostentatiously histrionic in their grief, over-the-top even. This, in my opinion, is unhelpful.

I don’t resent someone’s right to express grief. Indeed, I found myself effing and blinding online, but the BNP thrive on outrage, so much so that Griffin himself is now unafraid to use the word ‘outrage’ in reference to his party and indeed, his own election victory. It is our outrage that gives Griffin and his followers oxygen; it’s why we see so much of his ugly mug on TV. It is, in part, why some people view the BNP as a credible alternative to mainstream political parties.

In my opinion, outrage, though understandable, will not undo the fact that Nick Griffin has been elected. In Griffin’s myopic world, where black and Asian men and women living in the UK can be “civically British but not racially British”, no-one would survive. Too much depends on our multi-cultural way of life: enjoy the curry or Chinese takeaway you had last night? Enjoy watching your multi-racial British football team make it to the Champions League final the other day? Fancy that really attractive exchange student at your college or university? Had fun chatting to that French lad about next year’s world cup? Learnt something new and interesting about another culture or religion recently? These things are not possible in Nick Griffin’s “utopia”.

I don’t believe that fascism will ever take a firm grip on this country. Fascism is outdated, short-sighted, inexperienced as far as modern governance is concerned and, despite the votes of a minority, deeply unpopular. The question is: how do we fight fascism?

Personally, I don’t like to see anti-fascists protesters screaming, throwing eggs and breaking car windows, it doesn’t look good. I would rather see the real politicians take Griffin and his cronies on in an intellectual debate and win. Because that’s how we win, not by yelling but by challenging their ideas, which are deeply flawed, offensive and do nothing to make this country a better place to live.