marked absence of nice things

[usuallyhats]

Terrible European election results: very low turnout (35%), UKIP in second place overall, and the BNP won two seats. The BNP. I am shocked and ashamed to find out that I live in a country where a gang of racist hatemongers are winning seats. Meanwhile, the Tories are talking about joining up with a party who apparently get their kicks banning gay pride parades*. Lovely. The local council results were pretty depressing too - great swathes of blue, and the fact that that lonely little splodge of Lib Dem orange represents Bristol is very little comfort.

*can't seem to find a source for this, but they were talking about it on the Today programme this morning.

Comments

[sneakyangel.livejournal.com]

That's terrible. TWO seats? I'm shocked. Well I can proudly say that I did not vote for them.

[usuallyhats]

It is awful. Apparently people at the Manchester count turned their backs on Nick Griffin when he made his acceptance speech, so that's something at least.

[sneakyangel.livejournal.com]

Definitely a start, but it shouldn't have gotten that far to begin with. As long as they don't get voted in at the next general election.

[usuallyhats]

Yeah, I really hope they don't have enough support for that.

[persiflage-1.livejournal.com]

Actually the other party leaders walked OUT on him or so they were saying on the radio news today.

[usuallyhats]

I don't blame them. Someone from the BNP was on the radio this morning and if walking out hadn't meant getting out of bed, I would've definitely walked out!

[persiflage-1.livejournal.com]

I'd have zapped the radio onto another station!

[stoplookingup.livejournal.com]

Weird how the States went left and Europe went right. Maybe just because people want "change" so they just go for whatever is the opposite of what they already have? (BTW, this election has gotten no coverage whatsoever in the States. Sad.)

[usuallyhats]

Maybe just because people want "change" so they just go for whatever is the opposite of what they already have?

I think that's probably true. I can understand people being fed up with Labour - I'm pretty fed up with them myself - but to go for the BNP as an alternative? Words fail me. I wish we'd followed the US's lead and headed left.

BTW, this election has gotten no coverage whatsoever in the States. Sad.

Apart from today, I don't think it's even had that much coverage over here, either, other than as a corollary of the expenses row. Hence the low turnout, I suppose.

[(Anonymous)]

I don't understand how they can be allowed to stand, let alone get voted in! The more I read about it, the more hateful they seem. And they say they're standing up for our Christian values.. Not as I see it, they're not....

(jess)