news
17th April 2009
Unite to stop the BNP and fascism in Europe
John Campbell, Chair, Yorkshire & the Humber Unite Against Fascism
The advance of the BNP can be stopped, but it will require a massive and united effort, and most importantly an effective strategy.
The lesson of history is that unity is essential in the fight against fascism. Within that unity, it is both possible and necessary to discuss the most effective strategy and tactics in the light of experience.
The major lesson from Europe is that defeating the far right will require a consistent campaign that unites all those who will be harmed by its advance. Such alliances can win new support to those parties who take up this fight, by defending multiculturalism, opposing racism and the far right.
The BNP can be defeated and driven back by an anti fascist movement and leadership which encompasses all those threatened by the fascists – trade unions, Asian, black and minority ethnic communities, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Jewish, Sikh and other faith communities, lesbian and gay organisations, students, young and disabled people and the anti racist movement, irrespective of their differing views on other matters.
The BNP is attempting to raise the legitimacy of neo fascist politics in Britain to the level of its co thinkers in Europe.
The present reincarnation of British fascism is modelled on the success of the French National Front. The greeting of the BNP Deputy Leader by straight-armed salutes at his recent meeting with Forza Nuova highlighted the BNP’s fascist roots. The BNP openly boasts that one of its Yorkshire Euro candidates writes for the neo Nazi German NPD’s magazine.
A breakthrough by the fascist BNP in the June 2009 Euro elections would represent a major step forward in its attempt to become a legitimate, mainstream political party.
We must remind people that in none of the European countries where a far right party has made a major political breakthrough has this subsequently been reversed. Even when their electoral support falls they are not forced back to the periphery.
We must also remind people that the far right’s advance in Europe since the 1980’s has been helped by a number of European governments making concessions to its racist agenda on the issues of immigration, asylum, nationality and religious identity, thereby helping to increase the legitimacy of the far right’s policies.
Consequently, with its platforms in national, regional and municipal governments and the European Parliament, the far right now exerts an influence that is pushing the whole political framework further to the right. This results in social democratic and left parties being dislodged from government and, in some cases, the erosion of their traditional voting base.
History tells us that one cannot defeat the fascists without taking on, and defeating their political arguments.
The key issue on which the BNP is making its advance is racism – particularly directed against Muslims, immigrants, asylum seekers and Black and Asian communities.
The BNP’s major breakthroughs in Britain – in Bradford, Barking and Stoke- have been when racism and racist myths have been given credibility by mainstream public figures and the local media.
It is vital that the BNP is identified as a fascist organisation. It continues to be a key task of the anti-fascist movement is to explain and educate people about real nature of the BNP beneath its 'respectable' veneer.
The growing economic crisis poses fresh challenges for the anti fascist movement. Rising unemployment will also encourage the BNP to increase its attempt to ‘scapegoat’ ethnic minority communities.
The BNP can be defeated in the Euro elections and beyond. However, it will require the mass mobilisation of the great majority of society who are threatened by the rise of the far right, behind a campaign that consistently opposes racism, Islamophobia and xenophobia.
Our aim must be to defeat the BNP before it comes anywhere near influencing the national political agenda let alone achieving political power.
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