'Stopping the BNP' is a very poor reason to vote. Worse, in fact, than 'sending a message'. Vote for whichever party represents your views.

If there’s one overriding theme to this year’s Euro Elections, it’s anyone but the BNP. Apart from not really understanding why they’re so scary in the first place, I’ve also increasingly been worrying about what that says about us, as voters.

You see, we live in a democracy, and in a democracy we accept that the area we live in will be represented by the person who receives the most votes from our neighbours. If we disagree with our neighbours decisions, we have three options: move away from that area to one where we feel our neighbours broadly agree with us; continue living there but accept that our specific view is underrepresented in that area; or, attempt to convince as many of our neighbours as possible that they are making a poor decision and they should actually vote for somebody else.

If the BNP represent a significant number of people, they get seats. It's democracy. Who are we to say those people's votes are meaningless?

It’s that third one that seems to cause the most problems. It’s also that third one which gets the libertarian contingent so upset. The fact that the third option exists is what makes democracy great – if you disagree with your neighbours, you are free to try and convince them that they are wrong – but you must also be able to accept the possibility that they might not be convinced, or they might simply not care.

And so we come to the BNP. The thing is, if they represent widely held beliefs in your area, they just may win seats. Even worse, if they do represent the views of people in your area, they actually deserve to win seats. That is how democracy works.

Saying otherwise, in fact, would be undermining the very concept under which this country is governed. Put simply, if the BNP shouldn’t be allowed to win seats, then neither should any other party.

The issue shouldn't be 'stopping the BNP' - it's finding out why so many people feel a racist, protectionist, fascist party represents them.

The entire ‘get out the vote to stop the BNP’ argument is utterly vacuous. Not only does it undermine the very concept of democracy, it’s a pure and simple negative campaign. What we should, instead, be doing, is trying to understand what makes people vote for the BNP – what it is that makes people feel that a racist, protectionist, totalitarian party represents them. In some cases it may, obviously, be because they’re racist and xenophobic, but in most cases I imagine it’s because they simply have nowhere else to turn. The solution to the problem of the BNP is not simply to claim that it’s self-evident that ‘the BNP are twats’, but to help provide a real alternative for the disillusioned folk who simply cannot see who else to vote for.

So, before you go out and vote for anyone but the BNP, remember that if you vote against a party, really you’re voting against democracy itself. Vote for the party that comes closest to representing your views, not the one that sends a message1, not the one that has the most chance of keeping another party out. Vote, always, for the party you agree with the most – if there’s no party, consider independents.

And if everybody does that and it means that the BNP win a seat, be grateful – because it’s far better than the alternative: that we don’t live in a democratic society at all.

  1. May I just mention here that I am very upset with David Cameron over this particular point. Receiving an email from him earlier on which said that the reason I should vote Conservative is because I want a General Election irritated me more than anything else he could possibly have said. For once, I find myself on the side of those who say he’s a slimy git, and I don’t like being on that side. Mr Cameron: Must. Try. Harder. [↩]