Vortex,
I spent some time talking to a former East German man at a party yesterday evening. The conversation weaved around somewhat, but along the way we touched on the differences between the UK and Germany in terms of politics, policing and attitudes to alcohol and food. He thinks the police here are incredibly relaxed, especially when it comes to driving offences. He also considers our desire for quantity rather than quality (with alcohol) says rather a lot about our national psyche.
How does this link to the discussion? Well, I think people in this country are generally (important word) not inclined to demonstrate strength of feeling, nor keen on overly strict regulation. We simply don't care too much about the 'quality' and 'exactness' of things, because to do so would impose unnecessary constraints on behaviour. Sure, there can (and will) be tension if it seems like there is inequitable treatment going on between different groups of people, but that's as far as it goes. Fair play is key. We do not expect too much of life, the over-riding mantra being 'mustn't grumble' (even if we do with our friends). Complaints are embarrassing; queues a national pastime.
As a consequence, we're extremely unlikely to get anywhere near the tipping point where certain sections of society are going to be sent packing. It just isn't a very British thing to do. Stronger immigration controls are a possibility, as mentioned previously, but that comes down to a pragmatic sense of what we can afford rather than any concern about preserving our national identity.
The conflict in NI was certainly nasty, but it was fundamentally a religious one; the Balkans similarly. We don't have a dominant religion in this country; again, a reflection of our general desire not to have our behaviour overly circumscribed. We don't get passionate in public about much other than sport or the occasional celebrity death. Alcohol fuelled violence is a weekend ritual, nothing more.
It's no use pointing to Nazi Germany and saying 'it could happen here', because it simply wouldn't. This has nothing to do with softness (we'll get harder again in due course) and everything to do with our island mentality.
Chris,
I was being slightly sarcastic using the term 'smooth talk'! All the recent interviews I've seen or heard with the BNP have proved darkly laughable. The exposure they craved will prove their undoing.
You're right about the figures too: I'd only researched the overall tally. In the North West they lost 6,000 (Green Party up 14,000). In Yorkshire and Humber they lost nearly 3,000 (Greens up 10,000). It was Labour's loss that made the difference, of course. If the Greens had just gained another 5,000 in the North West, Nick Griffin would not now be an MEP. Hey ho.
