On Inviting the BNP to Speak to Democracy Activists

[danieldwilliam]

I find myself on the horns of a dilemma.

I’m trying to set up a programme of speakers for the 2013 Edinburgh Democracy User Group In the Pub meetings. One of our decisions at the planning meeting for this was to invite all the major political parties to send a speaker to talk to us about their parties core values and how they make decisions internally.

My working definition of “major” is any British party that holds a seat at the European, Westminster or Holyrood Parliaments. I’ve excluding Welsh and Northern Irish parties on the grounds of logistics, although if anyone can find a Plaid Cymru member in Edinburgh I’d be delighted to buy them a pint of Brains.

So, I’ve invited Conservative, Labour, SNP, Lib Dem, Green, Respect and UKIP speakers.

It’s not that I’m not happy to have speakers from other parties. I’d be delighted but my first objective is to invite the major parties and I wanted a rule of thumb to apply when I said I was going to spend time trying to get a speaker from X party but not as much time trying to get a speaker from Y party.

The problem is, my definition of major includes the BNP. They currently hold two seats at the European Parliament.

I’m genuinely in two minds about inviting them to speak. On the grounds that they have a democratic mandate should we engage with them. Should we deny them a platform because they are anti-democratic (and are they anti-democratic?)  Are we wiser if we know our enemy or is a fool’s errand to give them a platform?

Suggestions from the floor welcome.

Comments

[widgetfox.livejournal.com]

If I were engaged in your work, I would be intensely curious about what leads people towards the BNP, and I can't think of any other way to explore that except through conversation. This, however, is a different point from whether this is the right medium for that exploration.

[danieldwilliam.livejournal.com]

Yes.

For many reasons. Including...

I've never heard what they have to say. Difficult to judge if they are beyond the pale until I've heard them.

I'm not sure I have any special privilege to decide for other people what is or isn't acceptable speech.

There must be something about them that appeals to people. What are they offering that people don't feel they are getting elsewhere.

If I don't understand their values how can I persuade them that they can promote their values without their brusque policies.

I note that pretty much literally bombing them into the Stone Age didn't appear to put them all off. So what will make them no longer a threat.

But DUGIP may not be the right forum.

[widgetfox.livejournal.com]

Yes to all of this. Because (i) DUGIP is owned by all its members and (ii) your ability to control the container for the conversation may be compromised and (iii) it might intrinsically be the wrong container.

[danieldwilliam.livejournal.com]

We've already had one person say that if the BNP were invited they would consider resigning from the group.

[widgetfox.livejournal.com]

How can you take a comprehensive sounding about who's for and against? Talk about it at the end of a meeting?

[danieldwilliam.livejournal.com]

There are a few forums to engage in that conversation.

And plenty of time to have the conversation.

[widgetfox.livejournal.com]

True. And the conversation needs to be between people, not factions.

[danieldwilliam.livejournal.com]

Would that we had numbers enough for factions.

But you're right.

Not sure how to cultivate that TBH.

[widgetfox.livejournal.com]

The more I reflect on this thread, the more I think that now is not the time to make the decision. You don't have to arrange all the sessions now. Over the next few months, you will get to know the user group better and you will understand how the sessions work in practice. Let the conversation evolve.

Put differently, this is not a theoretical problem. It is a practical one, and as such can only be solved in practice.

[danieldwilliam.livejournal.com]

Yes, thinking about this overnight, I agree.

[danieldwilliam.livejournal.com]

The Facebook forum for starters, after the meetings over the next few months, email, here.

None of them ideal perhaps. Turns out the BNP are a trump issue. For some.