Electoral reform

[jake-the-peg]

As part of the reforms to Government should we make it a legal requirement for any party standing for election for the UK government to allow membership of their party to any UK citizen?

No elected official that discriminates against any section of his electorate can possibly represent that section and so should be barred from standing.

[another-view]

No not at all. The BNP doesn't intend to represent Eastern Europeans favourably, so why have them as members?

[sp1814]

another-view

What jake-the-peg actually wrote was any UK citizen

Eastern Europeans aren't actually allowed to stand as candidates in UK elections...because they're not UK citizens.

So would you agree or disagree that a party which bans sections of the British population shouldn't be allowed to present members at all?

I think that's pretty fair actually.

[youngmafbog]

Difficult one this. I think it depends on why the person was being banned. Certainly not on race/creed/clour but each party has to have the right to veto members who may well be undesirable.

[Julnar]

Wouldn't that mean the Christian Party would have to accept people from other religious denominations? Not that I believe people from other denominations would want to join, but there's always one.

[Rollo]

Why not just advocate a futher step towards totalitarinarism and ban any party you don't like.

If thyat was the case I could ban the Labour Party!

[another-view]

That seems closer to what jake was getting at. If you don't like them, don't vote for them. Simples.

[paraffin]

And which self respecting non white British citizen would even want to join the likes of the BNP?

[jake-the-peg]

No the party could expel people for behaviour inconsistant with their principles but not because of who they are.

Not because of their gender or their sexuality or religion.

Look it's simple

To be an MP you have to be able to fairly represent all of your constituants.

If you can't do that you can't be an MP.

The BNP is welcome to say what they like about immigration I may disagree with them but that is fair political comment.

They are not welcome to descrimiate against hard working Britons born in this country who just so happpen to be black or asian

If they can't represent these people's interests in parliament they shouldn't be allowed to stand

[R1Geezer]

Take your point jake but surely if the people are voting for said party knowing full well their party rules then you could argue that the voter is condoning those rules, possibly the voter is attracted by those rules. That's democracy for you!

[DrFilth]

i must agree with jake on this but only if it includes black bikers

jake-the-peg
Thurs 29/05/08
16:01 And here's one less piece of biker filth drink driving

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/74 22443.stm


If he'd crashed into a pub that would have been poetic justice don't you think?



are bikers included in your utopia ?


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[sp1814]

R1Geezer makes a fair point...

This is nice and complicated.

Do you really have to be a Christian to join the Christian Party?

Is it part of their party rules?

I bet it isn't.

[New Judge]

Up to about the 1960�s it was quite acceptable and legal to discriminate on the grounds of race. (Remember the accommodation adverts, �No Blacks, No Irish, No Dogs?).

Gradually it became unacceptable and latterly illegal. Legislation was passed by Parliament because that is what most people (or more precisely most MPs) wanted.

There is no reason why this situation should be permanent. If enough people can persuade enough MPs to reverse that legislation then that is what should be done. If a party stands on such policies (and by implication probably would not be the party to best represent everybody) then that�s democracy for you.

My MP (who happens to be a Tory) does not best represent me. He does not vote the way I would like him to on key issues such as immigration. The Tory party will not carry out my wishes on immigration if and when it is elected to government. But I do not wish the Tories (or indeed any other party) to be banned from standing just because of that.

For some people democracy is fine provided it delivers just what they want and what they think everybody else should have.

Politics is just not that straightforward and now that the worm is turning slightly it is no use moaning and wanting to change the rules.

[rov1200]

As Gordon Brown is fond of saying the party can only cater for the many not the few

BNP The British National Party exists to secure a future for the indigenous peoples of these islands in the North Atlantic which have been our homeland for millennia

Not too much to ask

[Haggisdj]

Would they then have to change the law to allow Policemen, etc. the right to be members of these parties?

[another-view]

Great isn't it. The BNP get in through fair means and people want to change the rules to ban them. So much for a democracy.

[Haggisdj]

I agree another-view, surely not everyone who voted has been brain-washed, or is a mindless thug. As youngmafbog mentioned in another thread, the government can change the law but they cannot change the way that the people in the street think.

[jake-the-peg]

I think it's more a case of Forcing the BNP of representing the interests of all the people in whatever constituency elected them.

Imagine if a woman went to an MP's surgery and was turned away and told "We don't want your type here"

That's the situation for many Black and Asian people with the BNP.

I'd be interested to know if New Judge thinks it should be acceptable to descriminate against British citizens based on the colour of their skin.

[DrFilth]

or what mode of transport they use


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[jake-the-peg]

It's OK NJ

Rascist Magistrates just get a "ticking off"

[ludwig]

Do they specify that people can't join the party on racial grounds? - this is a genuine question, I'm not familiar with their rules.

If so, surely that breaches existing race discrimination laws?, and if it doesn't then why on earth not?