Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the SNP have urged voters yesterday in Glasgow North East not to vote for the British National Party in Thursday’s by-election.
Their decision to join forces rather than ignore the BNP campaign, is evidence of mounting concern about the far-right party in a country where its impact has hitherto been negligible.
On the day the BNP leader Nick Griffin made his second visit to the constituency, Alistair Darling, the Chancellor, and Nick Clegg, the Lib Dem leader, attacked the BNP’s “nasty message of hate” as irrelevant to the concerns and aspirations of voters. The SNP also issued a statement saying it was “vital” that the BNP was rejected.
The mainstream politicians were commenting on the BNP as the final days of campaigning got underway amid growing fears that the BNP candidate Charlie Baillie may succeed on Thursday in saving the party’s deposit for the first time in an election in Scotland.
What would have added to the concern yesterday was the reception that Mr Griffin got during his brief visit. There was little sign of hostility, and some passers-by even voiced their support for the BNP.
Advertisement
The BNP leader, surrounded by a group of minders, predicted during a campaign visit to Duke Street, one of the constituency’s main thoroughfares, that his party would certainly save its deposit and even stood a chance of winning third place ahead of both the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats in the by-election.
During his campaigning trip, Mr Griffin was greeted by some drivers sounding their horns while others shouted words of encouragement and one even got out of his vehicle to shake the hand of the BNP leader.
Mr Griffin told reporters: “We are going to do very well ... we are getting a tremendous response. We are in with a serious chance of third place.
“The performance which will send a message to the Government to take people’s concern about asylum dumping seriously is for us to beat the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats, or both,” he said.
Mr Darling, who was also campaigning in Glasgow North East yesterday, said voters should be under no illusion as to how “unpleasant and nasty” the BNP was.
Advertisement
Mr Darling said: “I think their policies are deeply unpleasant and I hope people will reject them.”
He was immediately backed by Mr Clegg, also in the constituency, who told The Times: “My message to voters here is simple. How are these people who peddle hate going to help? Hate does not create jobs or build affordable homes. Hate does not help a child to have a better school or make taxes fairer. The BNP is utterly vile.”
In its statement, the SNP said: “The BNP do not have a single councillor or any other elected representative in the whole of Scotland and they have never saved their deposit in any election.
“BNP membership figures shows them to be virtually invisible in Scotland. They have nothing to offer but hate and prejudice, and it is vital that they are similarly rejected in Glasgow North East — and therefore essential that they are not talked up. That is one reason why the BBC’s decision to invite Nick Griffin onto Question Time was so irresponsible and wrong.”
Although Scotland has not had a significant problem with issues of race and immigration in the past, Glasgow North East has one of the highest percentages of asylum-seekers in the country. The BNP has targeted the asylum issue with a campaign pledge to end “mass immigration”.
Advertisement
In the European elections in June the BNP won 545 votes in Glasgow North East — 4.4 per cent of the overall vote on a 21.5 per cent turn out. To save its deposit on Thursday, the BNP needs to achieve 5 per cent. If the turn-out in Glasgow North East is around the predicted 30 per cent, the BNP would require only around 900 votes to reach that target.
The main parties believe that the BNP’s profile in Scotland was boosted by the appearance of Nick Griffin, its leader, on BBC television’s Question Time last month. They also say that the BNP is feeding off voter antipathy created by the MPs expenses scandal.