University College School's mock election ‘goes too far’
Students in fallout from ballot say gesture was intended to make a joke of far-right party
Published: 4 March 2010
by CHARLOTTE CHAMBERS
ONE of the country’s best-regarded private schools has found itself under fire for allowing a British National Party (BNP) candidate to stand in mock general elections this week.
The 17-year-old candidate came second in the pretend elections at University College School in Frognal, Hampstead, on Tuesday but insisted he had only done it to “mock” the party.
“I thought I’d do it as a challenge to see how I could prove their ridiculousness,” he said.
“A vote for me was a vote against the real BNP – it was a vote for mockery.”
However, the A-level student admitted not everyone understood his candidacy was tongue-in-cheek and that “some did think it was serious and that was a problem”.
UCS student Josh Brown, also 17, said the candidacy of the BNP was an important reflection of democracy.
“Living in a democracy we have to at least acknowledge the views of parties, even if we don’t like them,” he said.
But there were warnings last night (Wednesday) that the stunt set the wrong tone.
One recent student criticised the BNP’s inclusion and said it had no place in a school founded on the principles of a radical 18th-century thinker.
He said: “It’s amazing that a school that was founded on the Liberal ideals of Jeremy Bentham allows a racist and fascist party to stand.
“It encourages people to view the BNP as a joke when actually they’re a serious threat to the cohesiveness of our society.”
And school governor Ed Fordham, who is running for election as a Lib Dem MP, said he didn’t think the move “helped” debate.
He added: “I don’t think it helps. The BNP is a registered political party and there’s no way out of that but in a school election, is it helpful? Probably not – but would you stop it? That’s a difficult call to make.”
The school’s headteacher was not available for comment yesterday.
Comments
Disgrace
Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 2010-04-30 10:24.I think it's a disgrace that this erstwhile pillar of our community, the sanctum sanctorum - if you will - of British liberalism has mockingly convalesced in support of this bigoted and deeply-troubling crypto fascistic organisation. JB's bones are probably rattling in their cabinet in the knowledge that the lib dems won.
last election
Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 2010-04-29 10:01.the last ucs mock election; plaid cymru, the welsh national party nearly won and lost in a very contentious vote count to Labour... Obviously a joke election, is this news?
Not Fair and Untrue
Submitted by CrazyHalf on Thu, 2010-03-11 19:58.UCS is a multicultural school which encourages students to accept and embrace different cultures and beliefs.
The mock election was, frankly, a joke. The winners were the liberal democrats because of their posters, and the victory was a landslide victory. The BNP came second but drew with the Monster Raving Loony Party. What's more, the BNP party posters stated clearly at the bottom that a vote for the BNP was actually a vote "against" the BNP. On top of that, the voting incentive for the BNP was cookies, and so younger members of the school pounced upon this opportunity.
I would also like to add that much of the school didn't vote full stop. I can assure you that no-one actually supported the BNP concepts, what it was was an opportunity to mock the BNP and gain cookies. The article is very much dramatised and made to lower the reputation of a very liberal school. In the end, its just a school mock election, with many of the children voting for parties that have comical posters and cookies for free. I can also assure you that almost all of the school, as a community of various cultures, does understand the BNP and what it stands for, and understands the threat it may pose upon society. Do not underestimate the understanding of youth. Everyone at UCS is very unhappy to have discovered the effect that a mock election has caused.
Jack
Disinformation
Submitted by nmayo on Mon, 2010-03-08 23:14.The journalist here is guilty of having failed to research her material adequately. UCS is a fantastically inclusive school where pupils of differing ethnic, socio-economic and religious groups all get on in perfect harmony. Rather, the outcome of the "election" shows the susceptibility of the electorate to bribery. The BNP candidate offered a bribe of a cookie to pupils voting for him and the bribe was readily accepted by some younger pupils. In fact, the LibDem candidate won by a huge margin. Never let the facts get in the way of polemic!
really?
Submitted by boo on Mon, 2010-03-08 11:46.slow news day.
this was a joke- as are the bnp at my school, not a particularly funny one but not to be taken seriously all the same.
Rubbish
Submitted by Sd250 on Mon, 2010-03-08 11:22.I feel compelled to inform this paper of the effects this inaccurate and totally uninformed article has had. The BNP have celebrated this so called 'victory' on their website which is frankly embarrassing. Thank you Camden New Journal for this pathetic and completely false portrayal of both our school and the election. A vote for the BNP was totally, utterly and categorically in jest on every single account. The campaign posters were steeped in irony and mockery for the BNP – each poster even had this written at the base of it. Absolutely no pupils at this school were unable to decipher this mockery and your suggestion that it was taken seriously and that our school (which prides itself on Liberal principles) should prevent any party (even in jest) from running in a mock election is entirely absurd. We are very disappointed that our great school has been portrayed in such a false and imprecise manner.
Bentham misrepresented.
Submitted by totallyeddie@go... on Thu, 2010-03-04 21:26.There are a few problems with this article.
Describing UCS as 'a school that was founded on the Liberal ideals of Jeremy Bentham' would suggest that freedom of speech and expression are ideas that UCS tries to protect. To use this as an argument against allowing a particular political party to run in a mock election is absurd.
'The BNP’s inclusion...had no place in a school founded on the principles of a radical 18th-century thinker.'
Bentham, who famously argued:
'As to the evil which results from a censorship, it is impossible to measure it, for it is impossible to tell where it ends' would be disappointed to see his ideas misrepresented as poorly as this.
Ed
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