http://www.irr.org.uk/2004/april/ak000015.html
Who votes BNP?
By Arun Kundnani
27 April 2004, 5:00pm
New research into how people voted in local government by-elections in
autumn 2003 shatters some of the myths about who votes for the BNP.
The British National Party (BNP) has seventeen councillors. Though not a
large number in itself, it demonstrates that in certain parts of England,
significant sections of the population are willing to vote for a far-right
party. And when voters go to the polls this June to elect local, regional
and European representatives, it is possible that the BNP will gain their
first member of the European parliament or their first representative on
the Greater London Assembly.
Who is voting for the BNP and what is motivating them? Till now, answering
these questions has been largely guesswork. But a new study, commissioned
by the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust, and conducted by the Searchlight
Educational Trust and Vision 21, sheds new light on the matter. The
research, which was based on exit polls of 539 voters and focus groups, was
carried out during local government elections in autumn 2003 in Burnley,
Oldham and Calderdale - three areas where the BNP had potential or actual
electoral success. The three wards studied were Mixenden in Calderdale,
Lanehead in Burnley and Failsworth East in Oldham. All are around 95 per
cent White areas. A BNP councillor was elected in Mixenden in January 2003
and another in Lanehead in May 2003.
Accepted wisdom questioned
The study indicates that BNP voters are not, as often supposed,
disgruntled, elderly people who are uncertain about a changing world. And,
the rise of the BNP cannot be attributed to traditional Labour supporters,
having grown frustrated with the current direction of their party. The
evidence also suggests that those who vote for the BNP are not just being
tactical but really do support the party's views. And the theory of BNP
success resting on low turnouts does not hold water.
Young support
The most startling revelation of the report, entitled 539 voters' views: a
voting behaviour study in three northern towns, is that, in the areas
studied, the younger one is the more likely one is to vote BNP. Around one
in three of 18-25 year-olds said that they voted for the BNP. 46 per cent
said they had voted for the BNP on a previous occasion. While the Labour
Party had strong support among older age groups, hardly anyone in the 18-25
category voted Labour. In this age group, large numbers of young men have
been attracted to the BNP's message - making it the only party whose
support is predominantly male.
The report suggests that other parties are failing to engage with this
group of young men. In local elections, the research indicates that the
main concerns of most voters, irrespective of geographical area or
political allegiance, are local 'quality of life' issues: tackling
anti-social behaviour, creating a cleaner environment, addressing low-level
crime and providing more facilities for young people. Only three per cent
of all voters thought that addressing asylum and immigration should be a
councillor's first priority.
But focus groups also suggested that many voters are ill-informed about
immigration and asylum matters. An opportunity exists for other political
parties to explain more clearly to residents that resources are being
allocated on the basis of economic need rather than ethnicity and to
counter the notion that asylum seekers are receiving an 'unfair advantage'.
Tactical voting?
Only about ten per cent of BNP voters said their vote was tactical. These
people wanted to protest against the Labour government or the local
council. But roughly half of all BNP voters said that the party represented
their views closely, a higher proportion than for any other party.
More than a third of BNP voters might consider voting Conservative if that
party had a stronger presence in the town and a quarter of BNP voters are
ex-Labour voters. The study, though, offers no information about the class
background of today's BNP supporters.
Overall impact
But, at least in the wards studied, the real basis for the BNP's support
was in a section of younger people who do not normally vote. The effect of
the BNP standing in a local election was to bring out these people to
support the BNP. (And another section of young people came out to vote,
tactically, against the BNP.)
The bad news for those opposed to the BNP is that support for the party is
not based on apathy and general disgruntlement but positive endorsement for
their policies among a core of young men. The good news is that hardly
anyone thinks asylum and immigration are key issues in local government
elections.
539 voters' views: a voting behaviour study in three northern towns is
available from the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust, price £15.00. To
order, telephone +44 (0)1904 627810. The Institute of Race Relations is
precluded from expressing a corporate view: any opinions expressed are
therefore those of the authors.
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