Elections.

I feel almost compelled to mention the EU Elections. I struggle to understand the ins and outs of the way a political election works, how a seat is allocated etc. It seems I also struggle to understand peoples reasons in voting BNP (and UKIP, but I won't mention them).

I was at The Specials at Millenium Square the other weekend. We were drinking at a bar over the road before, and as it was so crowded, we sat down with a Teeside guy in one of the booths. He was an old skinhead from the 60's/70's and told us some great stories. One which stood out was that while walking home from a Ska/Rocksteady gig one night, obviously music that descends from Jamaican reggae. A lad followed him and got right up in his ear and said : "You're a ni***r lover." He was obviously taken aback by this but calmly said: "Yes, I am" and walked off. (You wouldn't mess with this guy, easily 6ft 2 and ex-army!) He wasn't a racist skin head, I guess he was the 'leftist' subculture, he listened to Jamaican/Trojan music, skinhead reggae. He wasn't a Nazi or an extremist. He told us how he loved Asian girls, I mean really told us!

So what this Teeside, working class, 70's skin was getting at, was who he would be voting for. Turns out it was to be BNP. It sort of smacked me in the face, I no longer wanted to sit next to this man, I turned away and looked out of the window, I actually felt like I was seething inside.

My boyfriend and his brother carried on the conversation, though the atmosphere had cooled, I don't think Teeside skin noticed. He gets up to buy us drinks and I turn to the boyfriend and demand "I want to leave. Did he really just say he's voting BNP". Dave proceeded to explain a lot of things, about the working class being pissed off, having lost faith in New Labour, nothing is getting done, BNP are promising change and covering up their racist ideology (propaganda!), the public aren't noticing their disgusting policies because they're angry and seeing past it. It was a conversation that went on whilst Teeside would go to the toilet and whatnot. I sort of came to realise that this man was not racist, there was no way in hell. He was a lovely man, (albeit a bit crazy and could sink a pint in minutes) but he was a hard working man, he'd served for his country and this is how he was being re payed. This being the state of our government, the expenses row...He's just lashing out.

So whilst I am sickened, appalled and disgusted that BNP have gotten seats, perhaps I'm being hypocritical in ranting. I didn't vote. This was purely because I didn't understand the process of registering online etc. and missed the deadline. A bad system if you ask me. But anyway. People truly are just pissed off with Labour driving our country into the gutter, they're a laughing stock. Times are bleak, our economy has nose dived, what are the general British public going to do? They're gonna lash out and vote for the party promising the most change, for the party that have basically said "We can and will do better than Labour". People won't and don't give a fuck about the fact that the BNP are racist down to its very core. They ignore the fact they aim to bring in apartheid, the fact they see any minority as a second class citizen. They infringe human rights, they are discriminatory, they justify rape!? I just can't fathom it. I try to understand why an average Joe, with even a basic education would vote them. We are such an integrated country, everywhere you go you will see somebody who is Asian, Black, Polish, Irish...I'm not even "pure blood". Who is?

I just wish the people who have voted BNP would stop and think about it. The holocaust. (though the BNP's leader Nick Griffin denies it as ever happening and refers to it as the 'Holohoax') How could they vote for this? The effects would be disastrous if they ever came into power. They would "rid" Britain of any minority, anyone who isn't "pure". I haven't checked exact percentages but think about our health service, fire service, police force. We would crumble.

I will certainly use my vote if a general election is called. I also pledge to leave the country if those scum bags ever get in.