WHY BRITISH NATIONALISM IS COLLAPSING AND THE UNITY OPTIONS ON OFFER by David Jones

Honoured Guest Blogger David Jones  (Over the Farm Gate)

I think, by now, even the most ardent sticks in the mud supporting Nick Griffin can, seeing the dismal election results, no longer all is fine and dandy in UK Nationalism.

The poor showing by the BNP in comparison to both other parties and their previous vote cannot be glossed over with sugar-coated begging letters from Welshpool. Confidence in Nationalist Politics is at an all time low. I know that because even I've been feeling the biting pinch upon the morale of all those that call ourselves English/ British Nationalists.

Despite a rash of "Unity Meetings" around the land, I fear that the agenda/ s at play are not unity but self/ brand interest.

There are essentially two currents flowing in that circuit.

The first is a push to promote the National Front, the main asset there being Richard Edmonds. This is not a genuine unity effort in my opinion, no disrespect to the ex-BNP officials now working hard within the NF, but a recruitment drive. When I was an NF member in late 2003, I was told that the NF believed that progress was only possible if the other parties are undermined and marginalised, that attitude in my opinion is part of the NF's DNA and will never change. Whatever the sound logic of that, the fact remains that other parties exist, and such an attitude is bound to rouse hostility from other groups. It did from me anyway, but I have a strong belief that submission to another group or its philosophy constitutes a strong personal defeat - hence my hatred of organised religion.

The second current is the Brons-Lewthwaite axis. This is a northern based push to promote an alliance of northern-based parties and rebel BNP members around the DN Party, and employing a sportingly co-operative Andrew Brons MEP as their main event, with support from the England-First and British Movement. This for all its faults will be the better option for those seeking competent organisers to work with. Their website and propaganda could do with a makeover though but they appear to know their business.

Caught up in the currents are the London-based IONA and New Right, who appear to be a in quarrel with each other but these can be dismissed as talking shops, and they have been pushed down into the flyweight division since their recent loss of the late Jonathan Bowden, the talented orator. We may safely disregard the BNP from the equation now as I think we already know.

Opens two distinct possibilities:

1. The vast number of independent nationalists and freelancers have an greatly increased chance of influencing the shape of things to come. If, that is, we can drag them away from their PC's and present our common demands and grievances. There is an enormous pool of talent going to waste here.

2. If the DN Party/Brons axis is centred in the North and the NF camp operates out of London, the exception being East Lancashire, there exists a strong possibility of infighting over the influence of nationalism in East Lancashire. With a strong NF presence in Rochdale & Rossendale that feels no love lost against the England-First Party in Preston and the increasing DN Party presence in Burnley then we could see the real battle lines drawn in this "unity effort".

Interesting times lie ahead. The NF wouldn't attend the Unity meeting I attended in Burnley and the theme there was "Nationalism in One County".

This could be a highly intriguing time for an independent nationalist hoping to fight a by election in nearby Todmorden in November, with the Lancashire County Council seats up next year in May 2013.

I don't want to miss this history in the making.

David Jones,
Todmorden, East Lancashire.