Ballerinas and the BNP

Off with her head!

I've been unable to get remotely worked up about the story of Simone Clarke's membership of the BNP. The fact that, after a concerted campaign to alter the image of a political party to a more middle class one, that political party attracts more middle class members should barely be in the paper at all, let alone a major news story. Nor, really, is the fact, that so-called 'anti-fascists' should respond by attempting to get people fire for holding political opinions different to their own. So far, so blehh.

But this story by Matthew Taylor of the Guardian rather takes the biscuit for chutzpah. He was the chap who 'infiltrated' the BNP and stole a membership list, subsequently publishing it for the Guardian. Among the 'interesting' names was Simone Clarke, a prima ballerina for the ENB, who hardly fits the classic racist image, her partner being a Cuban of Chinese extraction. A campaign has been launched, including someone who I bloody well pay for called Lee Jasper,to attempt to get her fired for her non-kulturny opinions. However, the line that really yanks my chain is this:

But following yesterday's demonstration the company, which is publicly funded and is therefore obliged by the Race Relations Act 2000 to promote good race relations, is coming under increasing pressure to explain why one of its highest profile employees is allegedly using her position as a platform for the far-right party.

Simone Clarke never spoke publicly about her political views until she was, without her consent, 'outed' by Taylor in a national newspaper. This is not 'using her position as a platform', and to pretend that it is, when it is in reality your own reports that have raised her to this degree of prominence is mind-blowing cant.

There is, in fact, a good word in existence for those who believe that anyone who hold a political opinion that differs from the state-approved version should be fired from their job. The 'anti-fascists' might not like it though.