|
news
1st October 2005
Activists plan strategy to stop BNP councils threat
By Mohammed Azam, Coalition Against Racism
With just eight months to go until the 2006 local election, where the fascist British National Party are threatening to make a further attempt to spread their electoral support, Unite Against Fascism is launching our united response, bringing together the trade unions and communities under attack in a national conference on 5 November at the TUC.
The campaign to stop the BNP in next year’s local elections must begin now. Currently the BNP has 21 councillors and wants to substantially increase that next year. In London they are targeting areas including Barking, Dagenham, Bexley, Thamesmead, Upminster, Horn-church, Enfield, Hayes and Har-lington, where they only need to finish third in order to get elected. Other parts of the county targetted include Stoke-on-Trent, the black country, Bradford, Kirklees, Calderdale, Burnley, Oldham, Epping Forest, Broxbourne, Basildon and Thurrock.
The BNP saved 34 deposits this year, compared to only 5 in 2001. They previously only narrowly missed getting seats on the London Assembly and in the European Parliament. They will be using these high votes to extend their local government base.
One important discussion at the conference will be on strategies to challenge racism and islamophobia, supporting the Muslim and other communities after the London bombings. This was highlighted by Bren-dan Barber at the TUC’s anti-racism rally, with reference to the TUC report on Poverty, exclusion and British people of Pakistani and Bangladeshi origin. He stressed the need for trade unions to challenge islamophobia and racism and work with the Muslim communities. Speaking at the UAF fringe meeting at the TUC, Ken Livingstone also underlined this point and warned of how the BNP was in a similar position to Le Pen’s National Front in France 20 years ago, before their subsequent breakthrough. Unless the BNP’s vote trend is halted — starting with 2006 — they could be on course for a national breakthrough.
The campaign waged in Oldham — where the BNP had their highest vote in 2001, yet failed to win a single council seat — showed that it is possible to stop the BNP with the right strategy. This year’s Labour Party conference will be a timely opportunity to discuss the strategies and alliances we need, building a movement which unites the different sections of society opposed to the fascists, including the trade unions, Muslim, Jewish, and other faiths, lesbian and gay communities and disabled people. A contemporary motion has been circulated, and a series of fringe meetings — including UAF’s — will address this.
Trade unions and Labour Party members are encouraged to attend the conference on 5 November, to discuss our campaign over the coming months.
From Campaign Group News, October 2005.
|
|
» download the join form here
