Left Foot Forward’s Alex Hern reports on Finnish fascist Timo Soini’s presence at the Conservative party fringe in Manchester this week.
On Tuesday, Guido Fawkes approvingly posted:
Timo Soini, leader of the True Finns party told the packed European Conservatives and Reformists Group fringe event earlier: “the Euro is our currency, but your problem”. The nail on the head.
Yet again, we find the Conservatives fawning over members of the European far-right. This site has previously covered the True Finns party, and why they are such bad company for any UK politician, but in case you need reminding, this is what Jan Sundberg, Professor of Political Science at Helsinki University, has to say about them:
“The True Finns saw political potential among the neglected people in society. Their political message is two-fold: social-democratic welfare combined with nationalism and xenophobia…
“They believe that a low birth rate is not solved by immigration, as that results in problems and foreigners do not fit into Finnish culture. Instead, young women should study less and spend more time giving birth to pure Finnish children.
“That is like a faint echo of Nazi ideology.”
This is not the first time the Conservatives have hosted a European ally of questionable morals at their conference. In 2009, Polish MEP Michal Kaminski attended the same event Soini was at yesterday.
The Guardian diplomatically referred to his presence as “almost as much of a talking point as London mayor Boris Johnson”, but the talk was hardly idle chatter:
“As a local MP, Kaminski played a key role in the campaign questioning the Polish responsibility for the Jedwabne massacre. The campaign had strongly antisemitic overtones,” said Dr Rafal Pankowski, a member of the Never Again Association and author of The Populist Radical Right in Poland.
In a clear message to Cameron, [the Chief Rabbi of Poland, Michael] Schudrich said: “It is clear that Mr Kaminski was a member of NOP, a group that is openly far right and neo-Nazi. Anyone who would want to align himself with a person who was an active member of NOP and the Committee to Defend the Good Name of Jedwabne [which opposed the apology] needs to understand with what and by whom he is being represented.”
To be charitable, it may simply be that Tory Eurosceptics are so monomaniacal they will ally with anyone of any ideology who will advance their cause. Indeed, one must hope so. The alternative is that these Tories know the views of Soini and Kaminski and don’t care – or even agree.
See also:
• The truth about the “True Finns” – Dominic Browne, April 18th 2011
• The homophobe, the climate denier or the moderate – what next for the ECR? – Ben Fox, February 21st 2011
• Cameron’s ECR farce continues – Ben Fox, January 27th 2011
• Kaminski’s resignation leaves Cameron’s EU group on verge of collapse – Ben Fox, November 25th 2010
• End of the road for Cameron’s homophobic alliance? – Will Straw, April 12th 2010
36 Responses to “Yet again, Tories fawn over the far right”
Anon E Mouse
Chris – And you fail to attack the Labour Party and it’s love for dictators. Whether or not these nutters are left or right wing isn’t the point – they do not affect people’s lives.
The dictators the Labour Party sucked up to, both Saddam Hussein and Gadiffi, along with the horrible regime in Saudi Arabia, which I notice you don’t criticise, murdered thousands of their own people.
How many people have the True Finns murdered? How many acts of genocide have the True Finns committed?
If you really see a moral equivalence between tyrannical murderous dictators and a bunch of idiots who have a different view from the one you hold then the Labour Party is truly finished.
Shame on you Chris….
Anon E Mouse
Al – With all the cuts the government should be WAY behind in the polls but they’re not.
Cameron is also most trusted on the economy (understandable considering the incoherent message Labour are trying to con us with) and Ed Miliband’s personal ratings are a disaster for him.
In fairness to Labour the party didn’t elect him, neither the PLP or members voted for him and they can excuse that position and blame the union dinosaurs I suppose.
Tony Blair, Labour’s greatest electoral asset and best leader in their history, was 21% ahead in the polls against John Major who had no unpopular cuts. Miliband is a dud and his brother would have won without the banana republic system in use. The Labour Party members should be livid but they’re not. It’s bonkers.
Oppositions don’t win elections – governments lose them and without “middle England” who would never vote for Ed Miliband, Labour have bought themselves a long time in opposition.
Looking at comments like the one from “Chris” above comparing murderers with a political party he doesn’t like speaks volumes about how out of touch Labour are.
Blogs like this one and unpleasant remarks and articles serve only to remind people that when Labour suffered it’s second worse election defeat ever last year the electorate were right to do it.
It’s over for Labour and until they accept they lost the last election it will stay over. The polls are a disaster for the party and the polls are correct…
Chris
This article is about the True Finns, not about anything else. Anon E Bigot’s comments and long list are an off-topic smokescreen. What a pathetic, gutless little racist. Still no word of condemnation for the True Finns – he’s actually defending the fascists. This blog is called LEFT foot forward, not FAR RIGHT foot forward. I don’t think I’m alone in suggesting BNP Mouse take his racism and homophobia elsewhere.
Anon E Mouse
Chris – I know nothing about the True Fins any more than you do. I do know they are a legitimate political party where people can choose to vote or not vote for them – something not approved of in the current incarnation of Labour if all the diaries published since last year.
I do know that the Labour Party has spent the last 15 years appeasing right wing fascist dictators and as an ex-party supporter I just wonder why the author here didn’t consider how hypocritical his item is and how badly it reflects on the party.
And btw Chris, this blog is not called Right Foot Forward and therefore by your tacit support for dictators and murderers is most unwelcome.
May I suggest you head off to some BNP website and share your views there where I’m sure your support for parties that slavishly follow rabid Republican US Presidents like George Bush and bomb woman and children in Iraq and Afghanistan would be better appreciated.
I repeat this is NOT Right Foot Forward Chris. Take note of that please…
Eddy Boyband
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/oct/21/labour-europe-kaminski-poland?showallcomments=true