Nazis use lies, deceit, half-truths, exaggeration and misinformation without hesitation to gain support. Hitler was proud to use what he called ‘the big lie’. Here are a few examples from the British National Party.

Democracy

The BNP claim to be democrats but their leaders and members are riddled with criminals (they also say they are committed to law and order). These activities show their contempt for democracy. Law is one of the main underpinnings of democracy. Electoral fraud is practised systematically by the BNP, again demonstrating their disdain for democracy.

NHS

The BNP cynically pretends to be in favour of public health provision in order to make itself appear respectable. Its real views were made clear by its Hitler-worshipping founder, John Tyndall, who said: ‘The NHS symbolises everything that is wrong with British society today, with its indiscriminate and promiscuous compassion’.

Terrorism

The BNP advocates the death penalty for terrorists while associating with them.

Homophobia

Following the bombing of a gay pub in Soho, in which three people died, Griffin, BNP leader, wrote, ‘The TV footage of dozens of ‘gay’ demonstrators flaunting their perversion in front of the world’s journalists showed just why so many ordinary people find these creatures so repulsive’. Now he says that the BNP is not homophobic.

Leaflets

The BNP issued a leaflet in Newcastle that greatly exaggerated the problem of asylum seekers in the area. It claimed that Brent council in London was intending to disperse 16,000 refugees to the Denton area of Newcastle. The local press printed a piece that showed the leaflet to consist of lies. The number of refugees in the area was far lower than the figures bandied about by the BNP. No such scheme to send that number to the area existed. Similar claims were also made by the BNP in Teesside.

In a Blackburn leaflet the BNP falsely claimed that the huge crossed swords which span a road in Baghdad were to be recreated in the Whalley Range area. Another BNP leaflet in the Blackburn 2002 by-election was designed to look like a LibDem leaflet. This was clearly intended to confuse electors.

Language

Nazis cynically abuse language as George Orwell described in his novel 1984. The BNP have a magazine called Freedom which they want to deny people. They make great play about democracy and free speech which they want to take away.

BNP deceit is not just the usual spin we have come to expect from politicians. They use dirty tricks with breathtaking aplomb. We need to learn to be deeply sceptical about anything they say.

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