If it had the integrity to follow through the logic of its position, the government would make membership of the British National party a criminal offence. Ministers would be behaving illiberally – dangerously so, for reasons I will get to – but at least they would be demonstrating a consistency in their dealings with fascistic forces that has so far evaded them.
Instead of being honest, the political left is slowly turning Britain into a country where the state can blacklist members of a foul but legal political party. To date, it has only given itself the power to sack police and prison officers for membership of the BNP. Elsewhere, soldiers cannot take part in political activity and doctors, nurses, civil servants and teachers must not allow their beliefs to compromise their professional conduct, but they can keep their allegiances to themselves.
Nick Cohen
