A distasteful development. The BNP has won a seat in the Yorkshire and Humber European election, apparently due to the collapse in the Labour vote.
Happy now, Gordon?
UPDATE 2:10am
Nick Griffin has become an MEP. The BNP now has 2 MEPs, the same number as the Green Party. Some have blamed the system of proportional representation, but that's surely a cop out. New Labour has to take responsibility for alienating its core vote and looking the other way while support for the far-right festered, and Gordon Brown in particular has to answer for his reckless 'British jobs for British workers' gambit earlier this year.
The BNP now have a national platform, a European platform. It's a huge gain in propaganda terms. But look how much the Labour vote fell. Nick Griffin is there because of the failure of other parties.
The Prime Minister must go. But doubtless where everyone else will see a clear need for him to quit, he will see a reason to stay. I can almost hear him now: "The appalling success of the BNP in the European elections shows that it has never been more important that we get on with the job of tackling the serious problems that the British people want us to solve. I'm getting on with the job I'm here to do."
GO NOW YOU DELUDED UNELECTED DISASTER.
UPDATE 8/6/2009 18:00
An excellent Downfall mashup from Man Widdicombe:
To be fair, no PM is elected, as I mentioned to our local shopkeeper last election when he asked me who I'd voted for. "Did you vote for Tony Blair?" "No, because I don't live in Sedgefield."
Hello, by the way.
Hello, Hackette :-)
Apologies, as you see I've been away... but yes, you're right I suppose. Although let's not forget that after masterminding Blair's departure, Brown avoided even a leadership election within his own party - reportedly by intimidating any possible rivals by threatening to brief against them (the McBride treatment).
The inability to have a say on who's PM is an interesting one. Usually, you know who you're voting for as you expect the leader of the party will stay the leader. Maybe it should be the case that if a leader is ousted that a general election must be held? Hmmm...