This has got nothing to do whether you agree with BNP, SWP, communists, Islamic equivalent etc etc or not. Either we live in a democracy (in which those voted in are accepted as being the rep of % of the population's approval of its policies or home for protest against failure or other parties to act) , or we dont. In the latter, non violent are parties are banned or boycotted to disfranchise those wishing to protest or vote on what concerns them. History shows what happens next if marginalised people are disfranchised instead of listened to.
BNP will benefit and feed strength from being persecuted by bigots and anti democrats of the fascist left and well meaning people who cant see the dangers of selective democracy. Same as for any other minor party , the political establishment should listen issue by issue to BNP's arguments and case on facts, and consider what makes sense and expose what doesnt.
Remember governments sit down and talk with far worse outfits than BNP .... Hamas , Sinn Fein , certain extreme Islamic groups. ... and if they have bombs governments come begging them to tell them what they official posts they want ( eg in Stormont) , instead of banning them.
The only time to ban parties is when they use bombs in their strategy, instead of the democratic process.
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