http://www.counterpoint-online.org Counterpoint is the think tank of the British Council http://www.counterpoint-online.org/both-the-bnp-and-edl-are-running-into-problems/ It's not exactly a good time for Britain's far-right radical movements. While the BNP is rocked by internal squabbling, the English Defence League is not doing well in its demonstrations or public image. http://www.counterpoint-online.org/latest-resignation-shows-that-the-bnp-is-still-being-rocked-by-infighting/ If events continue as they have been, historians are likely to look back one day and write about how Marmite (yes, the spread) brought down the BNP. Yesterday, the Lancaster Unity blog revealed that the BNP's legal director Lee John Barnes has resigned from the party. http://www.counterpoint-online.org/could-the-english-defence-league-be-banned-from-coming-to-bradford/ Yesterday the local newspaper Telegraph and Argus launched a campaign to stop the English Defence League coming to Bradford for a demonstration. EDL supporters plan to demonstrate in the city on Saturday 28th August. But will they be allowed? http://www.counterpoint-online.org/could-the-human-rights-commission-bankrupt-the-bnp/ In 2009 the Equalities and Human Rights Commission decided to take the British National Party to court over its whites-only membership policy. The EHRC was also criticised by minority groups, saying the win was "hollow" because there was no clamour at all among minorities to join the BNP. Earlier this year the BNP finally voted to change its membership rules to allow non-whites into the party, after sufficiently squeezing publicity from the court case. http://www.counterpoint-online.org/will-muslims-against-the-crusades-be-banned/ As I said recently, various people have called for the new Muslim fundamentalist group Muslims Against the Crusades to be banned. But under what pretense? http://www.counterpoint-online.org/government-bans-hate-preacher-from-entering-uk-justified/ An Indian Muslim preacher has been banned from entering the UK for his "unacceptable behaviour", the home secretary told the BBC today. The move is significant because it is the first ban by the new government and it signals that their approach is going to remain broadly similar to that of the previous administration. http://www.counterpoint-online.org/muslims-against-the-crusades-new-islamist-group-springs-up/ A new radical Muslim group has sprung up on the scene calling themselves 'Muslims Against the Crusades' or MAC, as they sometimes refer to themselves. It's likely that MAC are the latest incarnation of Anjem Choudhary's 'Islam4UK' which was banned under the previous government. This time however, he is nowhere to be seen. http://www.counterpoint-online.org/with-nick-griffin-going-will-the-bnp-start-serious-in-fighting/ With an air of inevitablity, Nick Griffin today posted a statement to the British National Party's website saying that he was planning to step down... in 2013. There's no doubt that the BNP leader was under pressure to leave: the party had a disastrous showing at the General Election. This is infact contrary to the mainland European experience where increased immigration and recession has led to more support for the far-right. http://www.counterpoint-online.org/campus-radicalism-conversations/ In this series of interviews, Nehal Panchamia talks to a range of Education and Youth experts, both UK and International, to explore the nature and character of student “radicalism” today. http://www.counterpoint-online.org/campus-radicalism/ The actions of the Christmas Day bomber, supposedly ‘radicalised’ while studying at the University of London, have renewed debate about the relationship between education, radicalisation and security. Through mass student surveys, expert interviews, and focus groups this Counterpoint project will seek to analyse what “radicalism on campus” across the UK looks like today. The study will be one of the first to specifically look at student perspectives, and will broaden current debate about Islamic Radicalism on campus, by looking at radical activity in all its forms.