31st January 2007

At a full meeting of Burnley Council on 13 December 2006, a position on a local regeneration board came up for renewal. When it came to the vote, there was a choice of only two candidates: a BNP Councillor, or a Labour Councillor. The casting vote rested with a Liberal Democrat Councillor, and he backed… the BNP Councillor!
Indeed in a letter to the local paper, the Burnley Express, the Liberal Democrat Councillor (John Jones of Linby Street, Burnley) declared that, in his view, he backed the “better candidate”, going on to say: ” BNP Councillor Wilkinson is quite passionate about her ward members… As the spokesman for her party she speaks up regularly for what she feels is right. To my mind, she is actively doing her job for the people who voted for her.”
The BNP were delighted as their website shows.
One wonders whether this disgraceful incident will feature on any Liberal Democrat Focus leaflets in the May 2007 Council elections?

And that single image you have just painted is a complete fiction. Therefore why should I trust your other arguments?

“Scottish Nationalists chucking faeces through English people’s letterboxes.”

You have evidence of SNP members doing this? Or is it as fictional as your comment above?

“…it’s fundamental features are a belief that your ‘people’ are both superior to another group”

Where does the SNP do this? I take it Canadian independence must also be predicated on this philosophy. You will point out who they believed themselves superior to?

“…and permanent victims at the same time’.”

Really? Examples? Who was Canada the victim of?

“…your ‘remember Cullodden’ remark (??!) you’re just showing up your lack of knowledge about Scottish politics.”

And history. And remembrance of Culloden:

http://www.gsi.org.uk/centhist.htm

“When representing Inverness as its Liberal Member…Fraser Mackintosh did more in Parliament to help the ordinary Highland people than any other of his time. He urged the Society to popularise Gaelic literature and the history of the Highlands; to look after Culloden battlefield; to erect monuments and memorial tablets to our distinguished Highlanders, and invest money made by Highlanders in the Highlands.”

I wonder what Danny would think of this slight of his predecessor?

“I believe in the self determination of Londoners, North Westerners and Midlanders without needing recourse to wrap myself in a flag.”

Whoops! Look who’s wrapping themselves in the flag.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RInRyJBBP7s

And whoops again. What’s this http://reflectingbritain.org.uk/

In the very own side bar of this blog?

But then, since when has the Liberal Democrat party practiced what it preaches?

There are lots of ways in which you can commemorate historical occasions. Waving swords around on the day of your campaign launch though is about making a political statement, as you well know. Wearing a bowler hat and orange sash and marching around Catholic neighbourhoods is also called commemorating history. I’m afraid you cannot divorce history from politics, particularly when playing the nationalist card, in the neat and tidy way that you would have us to believe.

Shame that you didn’t tackle my other points.

Also I think the photo opp to which you refer was one taken at a commemoration marking the signing of the Declaration of Arbroath and Alex seems to have been handed a sword by Robert the Bruce. People mark events of historic significance the world over and they deserve applause for taking the time to mark their historic heritage. Maybe as well as tackling the points raised you could also get your facts right?

Dress it up as “civic nationalism” as much as you like, but that is your party leader’s idea of what nationalism really means.”

As a party member, I have pointed out this distinction between civic and ethnic nationalism on numerous occasions at Lib Dem conferences.

I’m continually struck by the ahistorical perspective that many (not all) party members have when it comes to nationalism.

“I think you know you have backed the wrong horse here Mr Graham. I mean really. Politicians, like other people, often get their pictures taken beside an arrange of different artefacts, historic and otherwise. David Cameron and huskies, Gordon Brown and the English FA, the Liberals and the Cheeky girls.”

I think in that one paragraph, you perfectly sum up my point. The fact that you equate this with Lembit Opik posing with his girlfriend (I’ll pass over the freudian analysis) suggests that you never took all that stuff about civic nationalism seriously in the first place.

But to reiterate: Alex Salmond wasn’t merely standing around, he was waving a claymore about ON THE DAY HE WAS LAUNCHING HIS GENERAL ELECTION CAMPAIGN. This wasn’t an example of a photographer happening to catch a politician at an unguarded moment, it was a carefully staged photo-op. And I think we both respect Salmond’s skills as a politician too much to suggest that he didn’t know perfectly well what he was doing, or what message he was (nudge, nudge, wink, wink) attempting to convey.

Rhys: You are clearly a nationalist caricature – thanks for helping my case. But to deal with your substantive point, Mebyon Kernow have no MPs and just a handful of councillors. There is no mass movement for Cornish Nationalism, just a lot of indifferent people and a handful of vandals. Clearly, your definition of nationalism is that a hardcore minority should be allowed to enforce their ethnic identity on everyone else. If only you were the only one.