Global Post: LONDON, UK — These are strange times for the British far right. As painful austerity fans surges in nationalism that are lifting their European counterparts’ political fortunes, the UK’s right-wing hardliners seem to be in disarray, fragmented by infighting and crackdowns by the authorities.
That doesn’t mean anti-fascist campaigners are celebrating. They warn that the murky world of the far right — home to a spectrum of beliefs ranging from fervent racism to mainstream views about exiting the European Union — is evolving into a new and ideologically dangerous force.
It’s tempting to dismiss the UK’s far-right movement as a lost cause. The British National Party, the most prominent anti-immigration political group, has fallen on hard times. Membership has slumped and one of its two European Parliament members has gone rogue.
BNP leader Nick Griffin has faced repeated criticism for public outbursts his opponents say have exposed the unpleasant side of a politician who’s tried to court respectability while advocating the deportation of at least two million migrants.
Last month, Griffin — who rejects allegations that his party is racist or populated by neo-Nazis — was subjected to a police investigation after inciting followers on Twitter to target a gay couple that had recently won an anti-discrimination case.
Categories: Age, Attitude, Behaviour, Belief, Bigotry, Crisis, Culture Clash, Double Standard, Europe