Well said Jonathan, the only way that we can prevent the Union Flag from being seen as something shameful is to use it as frequently as possible, in an apolitical way. The use of our flag by the BNP probably makes them more insidious than the Nazis who created their own symbolism rather than hijacking that of their nation.

I can only hope that this abhorrent result is the consequence of some deeply misguided voters, disaffected with the main political parties, rather than signifying a more worrying cultural trend.

I am doubly angry because they won a seat in Yorkshire, and because they have caused us both not to be frivolous (though I'm sure that is temporary).

It is indeed worrying/puzzling/annoying (I'm not sure exactly what my emotional response is) that, aside from the fact that they won two seats, nearly one million people (943,598 according to the BBC website) voted for them! Not only that, their percentage share of the vote increased by just 1.3% (to 6.2%), which presumably means that a hell of a lot of people voted for them last time too (just not quite enough in the right places to win them a seat)!

I know there are some vile/ignorant/intolerant (again, I'm not entirely sure which adjective is most appropriate) people out there, but are there really that many?

Should I just assume that the remainder are stupid, I wonder. Much like the people who apparently didn't realise that the ballot paper was folded at the bottom, and thus not all the parties/candidates were immediately on display to them, did a large slice of this 943,598 blindly put a cross in any box, not realising exactly what they were doing?

Hmmm.

Totally agree with you both. The fact that people maybe be disillusioned with the main political parties is something I failed to mention, but hopefully it is a factor. Mind you, it seems a very bizarre protest vote to make. I hope the major parties get to grips with this and get them out next time around.

The number of votes is also particularly alarming. As is the fact that until yesterday I didn't realise they had 5% of the vote last time around. I have long written them off as a small bunch of fascists and never imagined they would actually be voted in. To see they have nearly one million votes is shocking. It may sound a stupid thing to say, but maybe this is a wake-up call. It's a shame it has come to this, but it'll be a good thing if it makes people act.

Brilliant Jonothan, I couldn't have said it better myself. And i've tried. Their claims to be a legitemate democratic party is just plain ridiculous-Nick Griffin himself said in an internal memo... "What we urgently need, and must have to survive, is much less democracy, a very much smaller, more carefully selected and more intelligent electorate...Granting a voe to each and every one of the natives of Britain was madness... Luncay ould hardly go further!" These people are no more than thugs in suits and, once you go below the surface this becomes increasingly clear.
Despite the apparent ignorance of the voters of the BNP, i do believe honestly it is based primarily on just this: ignorance. Ignorance of the true aims of the BNP and ignorance of the true facts behind multiculturalism-Rags like the Daily Mail and the Express cannot hide from some of this responsibility.
Although saying this, things could be worse. As previously pointed out, the vote proportionally went up only slightly, albeit tactically and in the right areas, and due to the current conditions (economic recession, disillusionment with politics as a whole etc.) it was easily forseeable that the far right did even better than this.
Lets just take this as a little beacon of hope... www.nme.com/news/various-artists/45165

The Pirate Party? That is bizarre. I like the fact that NME reported it. Go there for all your news do you Rob? Well said by the way. Less said about the spelling and your talent of missing letters mind.