BNP ballerina defies rising clamour to sack her

Link: BNP ballerina defies rising clamour to sack her | Special Reports | Guardian Unlimited Politics.

I have two questions. Firstly, what right does an employer have to police the political views of its employees? Secondly, when Inayat Bunglawala, of the Muslim Council of Britain says that:

Questions need to be asked about how someone in that position can be allowed to abuse that position to promote the BNP

does he consider it relevant that this lady never expressed a public view until "outed" by an undercover journalist?

It seems clear Ms. Clark knows more about ballet than politics, but freedom of opinion means nothing if it does not include the right to be wrong.

Comments

[Oliver]

I have always voted BNP. It's the only party that even remotely addresses my agenda. True, Nick Griffin may be slightly mad but, taking politicians as a class, you don't expect high intellectual standards. The BNP is entirely as legal as the mainstream parties, so why all the fuss? If anyone thinks that it should be made illegal, why don't they make application through the legal system in the proper way or, otherwise, shut up?

[Martin de Cayless]

Why does everybody not leave this talented young ballerina(Simone Clark)alone? Her views are her views and in a democracy surely we all have the right to our own opinion. She is refusing to back down for something she believes in; I applaude her. Many people hold similar views but are afraid to say what they think. Is this a true democracy? I do not think so. Open your eyes Europe. We do have a large scale immigration problem....it is changing our demographics. Where will Europe be in fifty years time if this continues? Do my views make me a racist? I think not....only biggots would think so. I am not a racist, I just happen to hold a view. It is my view and I do not and will not applogise for it. Why should I agree with everybody else? George Orwell was right.

[Alan Carlos Jones]

Is there any scientific evidence that belonging to the Liberal Democrat or the Conservative Party would, by default, make Simone Clarke either a better ballerina or a 'better' person ? Thought not. How dare she have the right to her own opinions in a country that prides itself on freedom for the individual ! As a Canadian who has lived in the UK for the last twenty years, I am saddened by the increasingly doctrinaire over reaction to anything beyond middle ground opinion. God help this country if it continues along the path of mediocrity and political correctness. And how patronising and insulting of those erudite and perceptive individuals who assume that her only saving grace, if there is one, is that she must be either gullible or stupid in order to embrace the policies of the BNP.

[Chris Paul]

This was an interesting case. Number 4 in my Baker's Dozen of 2007 predictions commented on the current case of the Lancashire BNP Two and also on the wimpy pamphletry of the Guardian exposé. They had an opportunity to list all the crime and violence connections but did not do so. Without that or for example the BNP's recent hosting of Le Pen or one of their (Lancashire) members approaching police guarding the NF/Combat 18 demo at Manchester Pride and complaining about the counter-demo. Thanks by the way to uncityslicker for commenting favourably on my predictions and pointing me at your interesting blog. Tom Paine! Hah!

[sarani]

I find it bizarre that somebody whose boyfriend is non-white should want anything to do with a party that is against mixed-race relationships or 'miscegenation', and implausible in the extreme that he would have recommended that she join it.

If decent people joined the BNP in droves, Nick Griffin and the knuckle-dragging tendency would be in the minority.

There is nothing wrong with wanting controls on immigration and challenging the chattering class Independent immigrationists who despise their own people - but aren't there other organisations that can better articulate those views, like Migrationwatch?

Richard Littlejohn had it right when he said that putting BNP people in suits didn't make them respectable any more than putting lipstick on a pig made it Charlize Theron. And neither does putting them in tutus.

[Tom Paine]

Happy New Year to you too, Dave. Thanks for the kind invitation. I hope to meet you one day.

I think you are right about the BNP. A lot of disgruntled voters are looking for a way to "shake things up" - and Dave Cameron's BluLabour are not providing any satisfactory outlet for those feelings. If we wanted Tony Blair again, I don't think he would take much persuading - even if it meant him joining the Conservative Party. So why would Cameron promote himself as Blair II?

[Dave Petterson]

'Monsters don't gain power by being monsters, they gain it by being respectable and preying on peoples fears.' - As do politicians like Blair and Reid.

The BNP is being seen as one of the few parties with a difference. If it is racist, which IMO it is, then the fact that it is being chosen by many more must say something. I would not put myself down as a BNP supporter but I would vote for them as a way of putting rocks on the road for our general political parties. Who all ride in the same truck and would all feel the same impact.

Tom, Happy new Year. You should have let me know before time that you were over. I'm usually home and I would have been happy for you to have called in for a drink at least. If you had the time of course. Maybe next time.

[Colin Campbell]

People should have the right to maintain their integrity and personal beliefs at work as long as it does not impinge on any employment agreements that have been made.

[wayne]

"below the waterline there is a larger, darker, seething mass of hate."

Where is your evidence? How many BNP meetings did you go to so you could come to that conclusion?

I am a BNP member but just 3 years ago I thought the same way as you except I thought I would give them a chance so I asked to go to one of their meetings. I was invited to one 3 weeks later. Nothing racist was said. Since then I have been to about 12 meetings and only once was anything said that was racist and he was a new member and he was booed out of the meeting.

You might think that they wouldn't say anything racist around ordinary people who are there to see what they are like but for the passed two years I have been on my local BNP committee where we make decisions about what is going to happen. I have never heard anything racist at those committee meetings either.

So 3 years have passed. I know these people. I am even planning to stand as a council candidate in May.

You think they are racist? The Guardian man was regional organiser in central london for 6 months and he found hardly anything. If they were still racist don't you think the guardian would have said something about lots of racists saying stuff? infact he said he never heard anything anti-semitic and he only heard something racist a few times. A few times isn't much. He is regional organiser which means he is in contact with all members and activists in that region so he had plenty of potential racists to talk to.

[wayne]

As long as she doesn't express her political views at work what is the problem?

She has every right to join a political party and I don't see why she should be sacked for having her own opinions.

[Daily Referendum]

Ms Clark may have been lured in by the front the BNP shows in public. If you read some of their policies they do sound attractive to people who are alarmed by media hype. What these poor suckers fail to realise is that these policies are just the respectable tip of the iceberg, below the waterline there is a larger, darker, seething mass of hate.
Hitler promised a very similar future for the German people at a time of social unrest. Hitler didn't promise war or mass murder, he promised work, food and a Germany for the German people. If the German people had known the outcome they would not have allowed him to gain power.
Monsters don't gain power by being monsters, they gain it by being respectable and preying on peoples fears.