My heart agrees with Michael but my head agrees with John. I will be signing the petition but don't as yet know what other action will have the most impact in the long run. They will get so much more exposure if pelted with dairy products but I agree that we cannot let them spout their views unchallenged. There are many people/communities who live in fear of them and their supporters and therefore enabling people to feel secure needs to be a priority hence demonstrating revulsion for their views should now a primary responsibility of the white British public. If a petition is a start on this then I'm on board. My partners grandparents were of German/Slovakian Jewish heritage who by various methods escaped Nazi Germany in the late 30's and managed to get into the UK more by luck. Not everyone did, as is well documented, as immigration by Jewish refugees was often blocked or became a lengthy process which made it too late for so many. It was a close call as the rest of their families were either killed in the camps or shot by the Nazis as many were members of the Slovakian resistance. The effects of the Holocaust are still very much with subsequent generations, whether they were directly affected or not. To have to sit and endure Nick Griffin on TV, a racist who has been convicted of same in the past, along with newsreel of Hungarian Nazis parading their own success in the European Parliament has already chilled our family to the bone.

I have spoken to family members in the north (they didn't vote for them) who say that the BNP success in two specific communities is a local 'phenomenon' largely driven by concern about rising unemployment and the usual view that immigrant communities get more support than the state ie economic fear and loathing. It is therefore questionable whether this can be seen as a general move to the far right by large parts of the electorate. I would therefore be careful about the interpretation of their success as to over react may give them more credence. Lets be wary of them but do not give them the opportunity to exploit our fear and insecurities. The far right may be an awkward and frightening presence, but they do not yet have substantial power in the policy making process. The question however is how to undermine their support and to prevent further electoral success.

As someone else has said, there is already a substantial far right representation in the European Parliament, some much more extreme than the BNP. I don't think therefore think a petition will have much impact there but it might make us all feel we're doing something constructive. As much as it pains me to say it, let them go on Question Time and try and defend their views and again, incorrect historical facts. How can their views possibly stand up under scrutiny and argument? There is no such thing as 'indigenous British Peoples' etc- any basic historical research would demonstrate that the UK is historically a nation of immigrants, and only in the last few centuries has been anything remotely resembling a nation.
Their views have in the past been largely written for and digested by a select audience who already agreed with them. They have not had to openly present and debate their policies in a wider more challenging environment. Unfortunately I think that the only way to get rid of them in the long run is to let them talk themselves out of a job. And of course a much stronger Government with more proactive and supportive economic policies. And to those who think that this is now time for a General Election? Forget it- the likely outcome is a low gain for the Cons/Lib Dems and more power to the BNP. Nothing to be achieved there.