EUROPE’S NEW FAULTLINE
Perceptive analysis of the rise of UKIP et al….
The Front National is expected to win next week’s European election in France; UKIP may well do so in Britain. Both parties combine a visceral hostility to immigration with an acerbic loathing of the EU, a virulent nationalism and deeply conservative views on social issues such as gay marriage and women’s rights. The problems that such parties pose for mainstream politics goes, however, far beyond the odiousness of their policies. What their success expresses is the redrawing of the political map in Europe, and in ways in which mainstream parties often do not understand. The new populists seem to thrive on different political rules to mainstream parties.
Take UKIP. The electoral threat it poses to both Tory and Labour has in recent weeks led to a fierce assault from mainstream politicians of all hues and from the media. UKIP leader Nigel Farage has been accused of misusing his expenses and…
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In the Dark 
May 23, 2014 at 9:45 am
The British equivalent of the French Front National is the odious BNP rather than UKIP.
May 23, 2014 at 8:46 pm
In short, BNP are National Socialists; UKIP are democrats who regard the EU as undemocratic and unreformable so get out. As far as immigration goes, which is where a lot of heat in the debate is, I believe that BNP want to restrict it on grounds of race; UKIP on grounds of skills or lack thereof. As far as policy within Britain goes, BNP are quite Statist (which is why I called them National Socialists); UKIP less so.
May 23, 2014 at 3:34 pm
I suspect the more reasonable politicians might learn a lesson or two by casting their gaze over t’other side of the pond. These strongly conservative, right wing groups use the dialogue of fear to great effect. In addition, they will throw anything and everything at their opponents who then have to spend time refuting such allegations no matter how ridiculous or stupid they are (e.g. Karl Rove’s recent remarks that Hillary Clinton might have brain damage). In fact, Rove’s remarks have become so ridiculous lately that even Bill O’Reilly, a stalwart Fox News crazy-anchor, had a go at him the other night. It’s a similar tactic to that used by science-deniers and is difficult to respond to on a rhetorical level unless you’re someone like Bill Nye.
I hope your more reasonable politicians of all parties can deal more effectively with these new right-wing candidates more effectively than they have done over here.
May 23, 2014 at 8:49 pm
In the first half of the 20th century Britain changed from being a mainly 2-party system comprising Conservative (Tory) and Liberal to a 2-party system comprising Conservative and Labour.