Voting out the far-right


by Chris Dillow    
11:33 am - May 29th 2008

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Mike Ion thinks the Labour leadership should do more to combat the rise of the BNP:

Gordon Brown would send out a powerful message to his party’s core supporters if he were to personally throw his weight behind a call for a new “coalition of the willing” that will help to blunt the advance of the far-right in this country by addressing some of the genuine concerns of white working-class voters while at the same time openly challenging those concerns that have no factual or legitimate basis.

I fear Mike’s plea will go unheeded. The fact is that our electoral system gives Labour little incentive to fight the far-right, or listen to its core supporters.
Labour will not lose the next election because of the rise of the BNP in places like Stoke (Mike’s example).

It makes no difference if Labour’s 10,000 majorities in Stoke’s constituencies are cut by thousands because of the BNP or abstainers.

What will cost Labour the election is the loss of places like Worcester or Oxford West. And although abstentions or BNP votes by white working class voters in those areas could be a problem, they are less a danger than middle-income floating voters swinging to the Tories. It was his grasp of this fact that helped Blair win three elections.

So, could it be that ignoring its core support – and the rise in the BNP this threatens – is one of the prices we must pay for our first-past-the-post system?

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About the author
Chris Dillow is a regular contributor and former City economist, now an economics writer. He is also the author of The End of Politics: New Labour and the Folly of Managerialism. Also at: Stumbling and Mumbling
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Story Filed Under: Blog ,Our democracy ,Race relations ,Realpolitik


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Reader comments


1. MatGB

“So, could it be that ignoring its core support – and the rise in the BNP this threatens – is one of the prices we must pay for our first-past-the-post system?”

For as long as we’ve got it, yes. Both Downs and Duverger, and all the subsequent research based on their analysis, shows this to be true. It does of course cause problems at a local level and on councils, but that’s how First Past the Post works.

STV is naturally a much better way of ensuring this isn’t a problem, as you need to appeal to all voters and make sure you don’t marginalise your core support, under FPTP they’ve not really got anywhere else to go :-(

2. Different Duncan

Agreed. FPTP means that Labour need not worry too much about the BNP. The BNP may gain votes, but they won’t gain seats.

A little confused you mentioned Oxford West. This is Lib Dem held (by the thoroughly excellent Evan Harris), with the Tories in 2nd. I can’t see how this has anything to do with your point…


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