Good riddance to him and his poison.

I think that's a bit harsh. He may have been a downright nasty bloke and I don't agree with any of his parties policies, but I wouldn't go to far as to say I wished him dead and am glad he's dead!

They'll just appoint someone equally as nasty, or someone who gives the impression that they aren't as extreme (Which in some cases is worse as more people will think that they've calmed down and more people will vote for them.)

It will be interesting to see what happens next.

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by Miss Corrupt
They'll just appoint someone equally as nasty, or someone who gives the impression that they aren't as extreme (Which in some cases is worse as more people will think that they've calmed down and more people will vote for them.)

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I think your latter suggestion is more likely than the former, though I don't see any particular need for them to appoint anyone in his place, bearing in mind that it's the friendly face of British fascism -- Nick Griffin -- that has controlled the BNP for the last few years.

The tensions between the two men have limited the BNPs effectiveness in the last few years, and any voids in the organisation left by Tydall's death are likely to be filled by Griffin's supporters. I'd expect a chunk of the organisation to splinter off, with the more hard-line/NF-style elements breaking away now that the most prominent hard liner in the BNP is gone.

This will leave Giffin in almost uncontested control, and free to complete his makeover of the BNP as a "legitimate" party. They've got plenty of time until the next general election to focus on local councils and bye-elections, they stood in 112 seats at the last GE, and if the BNP goes the way Griffin wants it to they'll be a lot stronger at the next one.

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by Callum
This will leave Giffin in almost uncontested control, and free to complete his makeover of the BNP as a "legitimate" party.

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Only if he's acquitted of his latest round of race hate charges. The mainstream parties find the BNP useful insofar as the supposed need to mollify potential supporters helps justify hardline immigration policies, but that license only extends to the political fringes.

Perhaps, but don't forget that they got 200,000 votes at the last general election, and that was not too long after they were first in court on the current charges.

We can expect the media-savvy Griffin to use his time in court to his best advantage politically, and they'll probably highlight the populist positions he's been focusing on recently, and the various censorship/freedom of speech angles he's been gifted over the last year or so.

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by Callum
Perhaps, but don't forget that they got 200,000 votes at the last general election, and that was not too long after they were first in court on the current charges.

We can expect the media-savvy Griffin to use his time in court to his best advantage politically, and they'll probably highlight the populist positions he's been focusing on recently, and the various censorship/freedom of speech angles he's been gifted over the last year or so.

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200,000 sounds a lot, but out of a population of over 60 million it's well below 1 per cent. The BNP are still very much a fringe movement without a national precense; the limited success they enjoy relies on opportunistic exploitation of local greviances, leaving them with a very unstable support base. Tyndall's inability to move beyond the mindset of a local bootboy thug is indicative of a wider problem. (Isn't it great you can libel the dead.)

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by Miss Corrupt
I think that's a bit harsh.

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I'm not sad that Hitler's dead, or Franco, or Mosley for that matter. And another dead fascist is a thing to celebrate, not mourn. So I for one say 'Harsh? Bah! Have another drink, sing another round of ding dong the wicked nazi is dead, and then letÂ’s talk about harsh!'

Also, the idea that there is a hard line and a moderate wing to a bunch of holocaust denying, lynch mob thugs, is a little hard to take. As for the recent rise in votes (though still their public exposure far outweighs their support) I would suggest has as much to do with the failure of the worker's party (that's what the Labour party is meant to be, for recent arrivals) to show any sign of .. well .. giving a darn about workers, as it does an increased support for race hatred in this country.

If the Labour party stopped stoking race hatred (see Blunkett and anything he's ever said, comments on floods of asylum seekers, and all recent asylum policy), while at the same time remembering who they're base is and who they're meant to be helping, then maybe the BNP will go back to being the tiny bunch of jack boot fetishists they really are.