THE HISTORY OF THE FAR RIGHT AND FAR LEFT IN THE UK IS ONE OF ABJECT FAILURE. DISCUSS.

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Diana Sokołowska LP 29

POLI 101

THE HISTORY OF THE FAR RIGHT AND FAR LEFT IN THE UK IS ONE OF ABJECT FAILURE. DISCUSS.

        This essay will focus on the history of the far right and far left in the UK with a special treatment of an electoral performances of the extreme parties. After that it will be considered if its’ achievements should be perceived as an abject failure or maybe a great success paying attention on sociological and historical conditions of development for the last few decades. It will also give a brief explanation of the main ideological assumptions of extreme politics in order to have a full view over the problem expressed in the essay topic.

        The term “far-right” is used to describe an ideology of a nationalism subscribed by the political parties. It contains a strong belief in a primacy of the nation state, as well as a conviction, that a country derives its power from the political strength. Far-right movements opt for government influence on a society in aim to promote inequality, simultaneously criticizing the ideas of democracy, individualism and liberalism. Another main assumption of the nationalism is a strong solidarity of a concrete group (usually a state) based on the purity of the origin and a belief in superiority over other nations. An extreme nationalism changes into fascism, in which these ideas develop into racism and xenophobia. It is also believed that the government should have a total power over all aspects of society’s life as politics, culture and economy. Often it is connected with a cult of personality.

        The fascination of this ideology reached the United Kingdom in 1930s. Sir Oswald Mosley founded The British Union of Fascists (BUF) in 1932. His manifesto contained resigning from parliamentary democracy and handing over the power to elected executives. The party strongly supported the planned economy and a concept of self-sufficiency of the state. At the beginning, these ideas aroused a great interest among certain groups of people, as the BUF had 50,000 members at one point. However, the party decided not to take part in the General Election in 1935 as its leader felt it was not yet strong enough to face such a big challenge. He encouraged voters to abstain, at the same time promising an appearance in next elections. In the mid 30s an increase of violence in attitude to Jewish and immigrants, and also a closer ideological similarity to German Nazi party caused a fall of a support for the party among its electorate. Because of a lack of electoral success, the BUF meant less and less on the political scene, losing its members and achieving the number of less than 8,000 people in the end of 1935. Finally, the party was disintegrated in May 1940.

        However, the ideology of fascism still didn’t die in Britain. In 1960 the British National Party was brought to existence. It supported a protection of a purity of a north-European race and a desire of curbing Jewish domination over Great Britain. In 1967 the BNP united with Greater Britain Movement and League of Empire Loyalists forming British National Front. A new party grew very fast and had about 20,000 members in 1974. It had a few good election performances, as in local elections, when it got 44% of votes in Deptford, London, almost winning with a Labour candidate. It is also worth mentioning that the NF came third three times in parliamentary by-elections. In 1979, in order to be a good opponent for the Conservatives, who adopted a part of the NF’s policy, John Tyndall, the then NF’s leader decided to fund extra candidates from party’s money to seem as a growing strength on a political scene. This move resulted in total bankruptcy and leaded to a final division of the NF to few smaller parties.

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        One of them was founded by Tyndall in 1980 the New National Front. In 1982 he decided to come back to a name from the early 60s and changed it into the British National Party. As a neo-Nazi, the leader of a new party was very strict in forming its political agenda concerning immigrants. During his leadership, a large number of controversial events on a racist background and involving the BNP members took place. In 1995 Nick Griffin joined the party and in 1999 took a leadership after Tyndall, who in 2003 was expelled from the party because of his ...

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