What makes them dangerous is that they're actually quite media savvy, in a lumpen way, and that they've toned down the public rhetoric and the confrontational militancy to make themselves appear respectable and indistinguishable from any of the other serious parties.
The old NF were much more obviously about starting fights and kicking doors in. Although they had occasional bursts of sporadic political success, they were always obvious extremists.
Over 30 years or so, the overall trend is static - the insane right remains present, winning the odd seat or two, losing it in the next round or two, and being persistently fringey and unpopular.
As I've said before, I don't think the BNP stand any chance unless they can find a media sponsor like Murdoch, or one of middle brow craploids, to sponsor them.
The UKIP have already filled the respectable racist niche, so I don't think the BNP are going anywhere.
Not quite the same as sponsorship since the rhetoric supports all centre right and right wing parties but I'd say the BNP do benefit from it and are able to manipulate that to an extent. Ad astra per aspera
BNP Euro election candidate filled his Facebook page with race-hate remarks | Mail Online
A British National Party European elections candidate who set his Facebook status to, 'W**s go home Gurkhas very welcome', has denied being a racist.Eddy O'Sullivan, who is standing for the Brussels parliament with BNP party leader Nick Griffin, posted a series of offensive comments on the website and even joined a group called F** Islam.But he left his Facebook profile public instead of setting it to private.Mr O'Sullivan, 49, Salford organiser for the party, admitted posting the comments but denied they were racist.
A British National Party European elections candidate who set his Facebook status to, 'W**s go home Gurkhas very welcome', has denied being a racist.Eddy O'Sullivan, who is standing for the Brussels parliament with BNP party leader Nick Griffin, posted a series of offensive comments on the website and even joined a group called F** Islam.
Eddy O'Sullivan, who is standing for the Brussels parliament with BNP party leader Nick Griffin, posted a series of offensive comments on the website and even joined a group called F
But he left his Facebook profile public instead of setting it to private.
Mr O'Sullivan, 49, Salford organiser for the party, admitted posting the comments but denied they were racist.
The everso respectable UKIP are the Mail's creatures, and I don't think they're too keen on competition from the oiks.
I don't think they're as equivalent as you paint them. The brainless should not be in banking. — Willem Buiter
BNP leader Nick Griffin has been pelted with eggs and forced to abandon a press conference outside Parliament.... Mr Griffin was elected for the North West region - a result condemned by parties across the political spectrum. Mr Griffin and Andrew Brons, who was elected in the Yorkshire and Humber region, staged a press conference on College Green, opposite the Houses of Parliament. The BNP leader began the event by holding up copies of national newspapers and talking about what he said were media lies about him and his party. ScuffleHe denied he had past links with Oswald Mosley, as the former fascist leader "was very hostile to the National Front from which I am from". He had been speaking for about two minutes when about 50 to 100 protesters marched towards him chanting slogans and throwing eggs. There was a brief scuffle as Mr Griffin was jostled by protesters - and a scrum of cameramen - before the BNP leader was bundled into the back seat of a waiting car by his security men... 'Sad day'Members of Unite Against Fascism, which was behind the demo with trade union members, said they wanted to "defend democracy" against what they regard as the "fascist" and "racist" policies of the BNP. One told the crowd his message for Mr Griffin was: "Wherever you go in this country we will make sure you are welcomed by demonstrations."
BNP leader Nick Griffin has been pelted with eggs and forced to abandon a press conference outside Parliament.
... Mr Griffin was elected for the North West region - a result condemned by parties across the political spectrum.
Mr Griffin and Andrew Brons, who was elected in the Yorkshire and Humber region, staged a press conference on College Green, opposite the Houses of Parliament.
The BNP leader began the event by holding up copies of national newspapers and talking about what he said were media lies about him and his party.
Scuffle
He denied he had past links with Oswald Mosley, as the former fascist leader "was very hostile to the National Front from which I am from".
He had been speaking for about two minutes when about 50 to 100 protesters marched towards him chanting slogans and throwing eggs.
There was a brief scuffle as Mr Griffin was jostled by protesters - and a scrum of cameramen - before the BNP leader was bundled into the back seat of a waiting car by his security men...
'Sad day'
Members of Unite Against Fascism, which was behind the demo with trade union members, said they wanted to "defend democracy" against what they regard as the "fascist" and "racist" policies of the BNP.
One told the crowd his message for Mr Griffin was: "Wherever you go in this country we will make sure you are welcomed by demonstrations."
Video in link. *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
