The Extreme Right in Britain Essay -- Political Politics

The Extreme Right in Britain Introduction Perhaps, one of the highly debated issues in the electoral procedures of different European nations is about the extreme right. Based on the premise that the nation is the primary unit of social and political organization, extremist nationalism has been revived since the demise of communism. Unlike civic nationalism, which stresses equality and solidarity, the exaggerated, chauvinistic, and aggressive nationalism of the extreme right upholds the significance of the nation and national identity against any other value. Each person is defined by membership in ancient ethnic and cultural groups that are hierarchically arranged according to the "natural order." In the extreme rights’ view, violating this natural order through racial combination leads to corruption in society. Consequently, the extreme right portrays itself as the defender of the nation, protecting society's integrity and purity from the onslaught of foreigners and unwanted change. Therefore, national identity subordinates all other identifications; it divides good from evil and friend from enemy. It is a source of pride that right-wing extremists feel has been denied them by the state and liberals. The resurgence of extreme right parties gained its first sudden and dramatic momentum when the Front National (FN), led by Jean-Marie LePen, scored 11.2 percent in the 1984 European elections. This took many by surprise, including political and social scientists, most of whom at the time had expected rightist extremism to disperse altogether. Indeed, until the mid-1980s, the organized extreme right remained completely marginalized in Europe, enjoyed little political support, and performed poorly in elections. Even mor... ... as Compared with Previous Ones. Jerusalem, 1996. Hainsworth, P. â€Å"The Extreme Right† In Politics of the Extreme Right: From the Margins to the Mainstream. London, 2000. Heath, A. â€Å"What has happened to the extreme Right in Britain. Working Paper, 23, 1993. Ignazi, P. Extreme Right parties in Western Europe. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Margetts, H. John, P. Weir, S. Latent Support for the far-Right in British Politics: The BP and UKIP in the 2004 European and London Elections. Paper Presented to PSA EPOP conference: University of Oxford, 2004. Rensmann, L. â€Å"The New Politics of Prejudice; Comparative Perspectives on Extreme Right Parties in European democracies†. German Politics and Society, 21:4 (2003). Taguieff, P.A. "The New Cultural Racism in France". Telos, 83: Spring (1990) Walker, M. The National Front. Fontana Collins: Glasgow, 1978.