I really couldn’t care less about the publication of a list of BNP members. I mean, seriously, who cares? Let’s make this clear: the BNP are a legitimate political party. However distasteful we may find their political beliefs, they have a right to hold them and to be a member of a political party that supports them.

Rather than threatening BNP members/voters, we should engage with them. Yes, we should. If we don’t, we can’t destroy the racist elements. Political parties must address the prime reason why people vote for the BNP – and that is because they feel ignored. If we listen to the voters – the vast majority of whom aren’t racists – then we can convince them that the BNP are not the party who can deal with the problems they are concerned with, but just a bunch of racists and bigots.

Ignoring them just because they have the stigma of the label “BNP voter” attached to them is not an option in a democracy. They are still part of the electorate. Just ignoring them is what caused the problem in the first place. If we listen to, and engage with, them then they will no longer feel any need to go and vote for the BNP – and they will thus wither and die as they should. But if we continue to ignore their concerns, the BNP will just gain more support.

The very concept that it could be sackable offence to be a member of a legitimate political party is nothing short of disgusting. Especially when the police and prison services have been told to actively “root out” BNP members.

The national policies are clear that membership of the BNP is incompatible with the requirements of the role of a police officer (IPPC)

How, precisely? So long as they leave their politics at home and do their job properly, how does it make any difference? Unless it is expected that no police officers ever be a member of any political party, of course – which is patently ridiculous.

Democracy demands that there is freedom of political beliefs. As soon as membership of a specific legitimate political party is proscribed, democracy begins to fail. Parliament must stand up for democracy and pass a law demanding that membership of a political party is no bar in itself to any profession, or democracy will begin to fail.

Anyone who believes that such membership disqualifies anyone from any profession is an anti-democrat.