The Drum ran an article today about the outrage that the BNP is feeling over the current MEN campaign ‘BNP – The Truth’ in which it exposes some of the parties more, shall we say ‘extreme’  (or to call a spade a spade overtly racist) policies in a bid to inform and encourage readers not to support them in the June 4 European Parliamentary Elections.  The BNP have responded as expected, decrying all and sundry and claiming that everything is a ‘pack of lies.’  They have also started a counter campaign in which they are encouraging their supporters to target MEN advertisers claiming that if they continue to advertise in the MEN they will boycott their products. 

I could begin to go on about the Empire Windrush in the 1940s and how the Commonwealth immigrants pretty much saved our bacon, start to talk about the incredible diversity of culture that this country has to offer and why this makes us great.   As it is this could go on for days so I will stick to the point.  I’ve lived in Manchester for the past 5 years and love pretty much everything about it bar the weather (and writing this today in the glorious sunshine seems a bit weird).  One of the things I like most is the incredible diversity of culture, we have China Town (Wasabi is a favourite) and the ‘Curry Mile’ (although I’m now an Akbars convert) not to mention the Cornerhouse and the amazing foreign films / exhibitions they show.  Manchester is a multicultural city with multicultural values and any company should be proud to advertise in a publication which openly condemns the racist, bigoted views of the minority white population.

Funnily enough one of the BNP’s major campaign points is that they want ethnic minorities to ‘remain minorities,’ well this is one MEN reader that is hoping that the minority population will prove to be them in the upcoming election.  And that it stays like that.