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”
Leon Wolfson
The echo is anything BUT faint.
And Moron E Troll, you still can’t separate left wing from the very different “Labour” can you. Well, when did you last hug LePen?
Anon E Mouse
Leon Wolfson – I won’t take any lectures from someone who fabricates stories to support his theories as you often do.
I am perfectly capable of separating left wing views from Labour Party views but it seems you are missing the point deliberately.
1. The LABOUR party are the official opposition in this country.
2. This blog is called LEFT FOOT FORWARD.
3. The article criticises the Conservative Party’s “fawning” over certain European parties.
That leaves them open to the charge of hypocrisy – especially when one considers their “friends” in Europe. Did you actually read the link to the Guardian above? http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/oct/21/labour-europe-kaminski-poland?showallcomments=true
So when articles on this LEFT wing blog condemn the Tories for who they support it is perfectly fair to check on the Labour Party and who they support. Like dictators and murderers.
What I find worrying is that you don’t condemn Labour yourself considering the way they support murderers and dictators and all the Tories seem to have done is support perfectly legal political parties whose views you don’t share.
It’s called smearing the messenger….
Anon E Mouse
Leon Wolfson – To answer this article with evidence, as this fine blog proclaims itself to use, here are a few of the Labour Party’s colleagues in Europe.
1. Romania’s Social Democratic party – Where their leader dressed as a Nazi (a bit like Ed Balls in his SS costume) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8161570.stm
2. Francis Ross and his IRA links from http://www.nytimes.com/1994/12/12/world/irish-coalition-may-include-leftist-party.html
3. The Self Defence of the Republic party who have honorary degrees from an antisemitic organisation with the American white supremacist David Duke as an honorary professor and Lepper himself with numerous convictions for assault…
4. And then Giulietto Chiesa who is conspiracy theorist claiming the 9/11 attacks were a Jewish conspiracy…
5. The SMER who who share power with the neo-Nazi Slovak National party, which is open in its admiration for Jozef Tiso, the wartime ruler of fascist Slovakia…
6. And Sergei Stanishev who is openly homophobic and was involved in throwing petrol bombs at Bulgaria’s first Gay Pride march…
7. The Hungarian Socialist party, the successor to the Hungarian communists, is led by Ferenc Gyurcsány – an ex communist known for torturing and murdering millions of political activists…
8. Tony Blair who in collusion with Alistair Campbell openly colluded with Col Gadiffi who is responsible for the Lockerbie terrorist outrage…
9. Tony Blair who manufactured a dossier than resulted in thousands dead in an overseas war in Iraq based on lies…
10. Peter Mandelson taking holidays in Corfu with Gadiffi’s son…
Now if you really want to equate those atrocities with the Tories and this unimportant right wing party that’s up to you but it is straightforward hypocrisy and does the Labour Party no favours.
Where on earth is Will Straw these days to get a grip on this type of article which is simply making the official opposition in this country less and less electable…
Chris
And, once again, Facist Mouse refuses to condemn the Nazi-esque True Finns. What a despicable little racist. He goes off topic. Yet again. This article is about the True Finns, nothing else. As I’ve said before, and I think everyone backs me up on this, BNP Mouse should take his hatred, homophobia and bigotry elsewhere. This is called Left Foot Forward – left wing ideas and values, not right wing bile. Bugger off you sad, pathetic nobody.
Anon E Mouse
Chris – And once again Fascist Dictator supporting Chris refuses to condemn the Nazi-esque Labour Party. The one where Ed Balls wears the uniform of an SS guard for fun. Nice.
This topic is about political parties supporting other political parties in Europe – like Labour with all those I mention above.
I haven’t condemned the tories over this because I want to see Labour electable and decent and people with your views are preventing this. By condemning someone for doing something you are doing yourself is simply wrong and something needs to be said.
Like Polly Toynbee preaching about global warming whilst flying to her Italian villa every week. Or the Guardian preaching about the bankers tax avoidance whilst doing it themselves. It is dishonest and wrong.
Since I have never voted for any right wing party your (typical) assertions against me are nothing more than smearing in a typical New Labour fashion.
I’ve told you before Chris – this blog is called LEFT Foot Forward and by not criticising Labour’s support for dictators and Nazi supporting right wing groups in Europe you are missing the point to be deliberately rude here.
Try this:
BY SUPPORTING NAZI GROUPS IN EUROPE AND MURDERERS AND DICTATORS ABROAD, THE LABOUR PARTY IS NOT ACTING IN A LEFT WING MANNER.
Why doesn’t that annoy you because being from a Labour supporting family it enrages me….