"We have to make it clear that one, two or even three BNP MEPs elected to Brussels will have very little effect on the workings of the Parliament and the Commission"
About this Quote
Steve Blake’s line has the clipped pragmatism of someone used to game plans: don’t get distracted by a flashy play that doesn’t change the scoreboard. Talking about “one, two or even three” BNP MEPs in Brussels, he shrinks the headline into a statistic, the way a coach dismisses a hot streak as noise. The specific intent is deflationary. He’s not debating the BNP’s ideas head-on; he’s trying to starve them of the oxygen that comes from treating any electoral foothold as an earthquake.
The subtext is a warning about perception. Institutions like the European Parliament and Commission are vast, procedural machines; a tiny extremist delegation can’t steer them. But elections aren’t only about steering. They’re about signaling, fundraising, legitimacy, and media time. By insisting these seats will have “very little effect,” Blake attempts to short-circuit the symbolic victory before it can be packaged as proof of momentum. It’s a rhetorical containment strategy: if the impact is minimal, the panic should be minimal, and the protest vote should feel pointless.
Context matters: “Brussels” is doing double duty as a place and a punchline. In UK political culture, it often stands in for remote bureaucracy, which populist parties exploit. Blake leans into that reality while trying to neutralize it: yes, Brussels is big and hard to budge, so don’t mistake presence for power. The risk is baked in. Downplaying influence can sound like complacency, and complacency is exactly what fringe movements thrive on when they’re trying to turn “just a few seats” into the start of a story.
The subtext is a warning about perception. Institutions like the European Parliament and Commission are vast, procedural machines; a tiny extremist delegation can’t steer them. But elections aren’t only about steering. They’re about signaling, fundraising, legitimacy, and media time. By insisting these seats will have “very little effect,” Blake attempts to short-circuit the symbolic victory before it can be packaged as proof of momentum. It’s a rhetorical containment strategy: if the impact is minimal, the panic should be minimal, and the protest vote should feel pointless.
Context matters: “Brussels” is doing double duty as a place and a punchline. In UK political culture, it often stands in for remote bureaucracy, which populist parties exploit. Blake leans into that reality while trying to neutralize it: yes, Brussels is big and hard to budge, so don’t mistake presence for power. The risk is baked in. Downplaying influence can sound like complacency, and complacency is exactly what fringe movements thrive on when they’re trying to turn “just a few seats” into the start of a story.
Quote Details
| Topic | Justice |
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