Normally I'm inclined to sceptical about voting - as the old sayings go, "Whoever you vote for, the Government always gets in" and "If voting really changed anything, they'd abolish it" - but in this particular European election I think the danger of the BNP getting in means that abstaining or spoiling a vote is a luxury too far.

The two-fold danger is that, with most people feeling really pissed off about all the big parties, large numbers are just going to stay home - and that at the same time there will be a fair number who are taken in by the lie that the BNP is not in reality a British Nazi Party and who cast a protest vote their way.

The combination of a greatly reduced vote overall, and a rise in the BNP vote could mean that they get candidates elected, and this means sizeable financial resources being paid to them, which they will help them build a more dangerous organisation.

So the important thing this time is to vote, no matter for whom (no shortage of alternatives), so long as it's not the BNP.

Here's a link explaining how the election process works for the European elections European Parliament elections in England, Scotland and Wales. It's worth reading it, because it's not at all like any other elections.