The subject of the English National Ballet dancer, Simone Clarke, is a popular topic on the General Politics message board currently. The Guardian revealed that this woman is a BNP member and she's received much condemnation for her political views.
This evening, or possibly this weekend, she's to make her first appearance on stage since the Guardian revelation and some groups opposed to the inherent racism of the BNP Party intend to picket the performance.
BNP supporters feel that their members are unfairly hounded and persecuted by anti-racists to the extent that they sometimes lose their jobs and that such politically motivated persection is an offence aganst democratic principles.
I too have from time to time faced the knotty problem that some artists whose work I admired held views or supported causes that I abhor and as a result I have considered the issue of whether continuing to buy and enjoy their output compromises my own principles in any way.
My considered opinion is that it might or might not, depending on whether the work has any relation to the problemmatic belief or action.
For example, Philip Larkin was something of a racist, he was also a sexual voyeur and had (imo) unacceptable views about women and about 'ordinary' people. The thing is that I didn't know any of this from his work, which I knew and loved long before I read any of his collected works or letters. He didn't write odes which denigrated Johnny Foreigner, he didn't write poetical porn, he didn't write diatribes against the working classes or women. His views were something apart from his work - and imo we're all entitled to think whatever we wish to think - it's when what people think has a negative impact on other people that we need to concern ourselves with it. Actions therefore, imo, speak far louder than words.
Take for example the teacher 'hounded' out of his job for belonging to the BNP - according to the BNP. This person as a form tutor or Year Head had daily contact with children to whom he was an authority figure. He would also have had to relate to pupils of ethnic minority heritage and to the white indigenous pupils who are growing up in a multicultural country. That alone would give me cause for concern. But this man also wrote articles for StormFront; the National Front website; was a supporter and admirer of Hitler and all his works; and was a total denier of the Jewish holocaust. He was an active proseltyzer on behalf of racial hatred and intolerance.
Such a person ought not to be in a position of trust and influence over children imo and it's right that he should have been asked to leave teaching.
But this dancer isn't in any such position. She merely dances. Not only does she not proselytize for racism or for the BNP, but her membership was not a matter of public record until the Guardian infiltrated the Party and gained access to membership details.
In my opinion this is disgraceful. The BNP, despicable tho it and it's leaders are, is still a legitimate British political party and she has every right to belong to it, as much as anyone else has the right to join any other legitimate political party.
Unlike many other theatre people, she didn't use her fame, such as it was before the Guardian put it's oar in, to campaign for the BNP, she hasn't put her name to any public appeals for funds, she hasn't demonstrated in support or opposition to any political policies. She's merely a member.
We saw no public outcry when the ilk of Kenny Everett and Jim Davidson loudly and very publicly campaigned for Thatcher, no-one blinked when Blair was publicly supported by the likes of Melvin Bragg and Glenda Jackson - nor even when they got safe seats or were made a Peer or Dame on the strength of it.
Simone Clarke is misguided in her political affiliations imo, and given that her significant other is a person of immigrant heritage one might suppose that her brains are in her feet. But she has every right to think as she does and to belong to any political party she chooses. Attempting to force the hand of the English National Ballet to fire her is anti-democratic and an infringement of ALL our civil liberties.
