We don't accept scraps from a foreign table

THERE is further proof that we are slowly edging our way into our country's political mainstream in a report in today's Independent.

Dennis Hayes a visiting professor at the Westminster Institute of Education at Oxford Brookes University, in an interview with the newspaper's Chris Green, argues that academics should have the freedom to put forward controversial and unpopular opinions with impunity, no matter how offensive they might be. He said:

"People ask me if I would let the BNP in on a debate, and I say, "Of course I would." It's not because I'm a racist or I like the BNP, it's because you have to respect people's ability to make up their own minds about an issue."

Well, that's all we have ever asked. It is the right of any political party in a free society to be able to argue its case before the electorate so that they can decide whether what we have to say has any merit or not. Since 1977 and the repercussions from the National Front's Lewisham march, that freedom has been denied to all nationalist political parties in Britain.

There was a great quote from BNP press officer Simon Darby in yesterday's Times concerning the resignation of David Davis.

The newspaper reported:
Mr Davis is eager for an opponent of substance, but not even the British National Party is willing to add its name to the list of fringe parties standing against him. Simon Darby, the BNP’s deputy leader, said yesterday that the far-right party shared Mr Davis’s opposition to the Government’s 42-day detention plan for terrorism suspects.
“We would argue that these people [jihadist extremists] should not be in the country in the first place, but if the price we have to pay for the accommodation of millions of immigrants is the scrapping of our ancient rights, then it is not a price worth paying,” he said.

It's an important and timely quote because many of our supporters have been saying we should stand against Mr Davis because we need the 42 days to keep Britain safe from terrorism. Of course, that is just a reaction to the flawed immigration polices of both Labour and the Tories. We shouldn't be forced to change our fundamental beliefs for short-termism due to the mistakes of others.

It's a similar argument to those who said we should welcome the Shanghai Automotive announcement that jobs might be saved in the West Midlands. We should have our own car industry, and not be happy to accept scraps from the table of a foreign car firm.

It was just about the first game of Euro 2008 that I actually enjoyed last night. I thought Russia played good entertaining football and I shall be supporting them in the Quarter Finals.