Turning the Tide

Alliance demands tough curbs on far-right influence in national politics

Lee Jasper

In a rare show of political camaraderie, Black rights groups and their allies have called for tougher controls after startling electoral gains by the far-right British National Party. Fears are growing that local race-hate victories may adversely influence national politics, said Lee Jasper, an organiser of "anti-racism in the media" conferences in London and Manchester.

Normally separated by their own special interests, civil rights activists, politicians, social reformers, union chiefs, faith leaders and community representatives showed their unity against the growing threat of racism and neo-fascism, said Milena Buyum, of the National Assembly against Racism.

The alarm bells sounded after BNP victories in the riot-prone, cash strapped northern town of Burnley. Fuelled by local poverty, widespread prejudice against Asian workers and hostility towards asylum seekers, the BNP was catapulted into position as the second largest party on the elected council.

Tougher controls
The result was roundly denounced at the London meeting by Lee Jasper, senior policy advisor on Race to the Mayor of London. The Commission for Racial Equality, the nation's watchdog on race relations, should closely monitor the situation on the Burnley Council using its legal powers to prevent race hatred, said Jasper.

He warned of the BNP threat in the nation's capital and said that Mayor Ken Livingstone will fight next year's London mayoral election on an anti-racist platform.

(Jasper's words carry some weight by virtue of his membership in the Labour party and Black pressure groups and campaigning organisations - the National Black Alliance, National Black Caucus and Operation Black Vote.)

Effects on national and European politics
The biggest danger now, said Claude Moraes, an experienced Labour Party member of the European Parliament, is that the toehold gained by the BNP at a local level would be used to put pressure on national policies of the mainstream political parties.

This threat of far-right prominence respects no national boundaries, it is now acknowledged. European parliamentarians have watched with dismay as far-right parties and neo-nazi groups exploit voters' fears of immigrants and asylum seekers to overwhelm established parties

(Europe's "drift toward illiberality" is a potent fact. Angus Roxburgh, author of Preachers of Hate: the rise of the far-right, condemns the mainstreaming of far-right politics and calls on Europe to be on guard.)

It is this concern, that overtly racist parties will move beyond local power to national prominence, that prompted Black groups, anti-racists, trade unions, churches and faiths and many other organisations to unite.

Recurrent themes
But there were other calls for unity and vigilance as well. Celebrating Britain's multicultural diversity was a recurrent theme at the Manchester media conference. Bishop of Burnley Rt Revd John Goddard said: "We have crossed a dangerous line. We must persuade people to celebrate multi- cultural society and support the interplay of cultures in such a way that all receive the honour and respect with resources that they deserve."

Peter Pike MP for Burnley said: "It is a disaster that the BNP are now the opposition party in Burnley. The BNP are a racist, divisive party and an evil in society we must collectively fight against."

Brendan Barber, general secretary of the powerful organisation of workers, the Trades Union Congress, said: "The Burnley result puts the importance of these elections into sharp perspective. Trade unions must redouble their efforts to encourage people to engage in democracy and oppose fascism."

Countering the rise of the politics of hatred and its mainstreaming is a challenge to us all, concludes veteran anti-racist campaigner Lord Dholakia, President of the Liberal Democratic party. "We must ensure that we continue to expose the racist BNP beyond these local elections. We want the British public to know that the BNP stands for everything that works against our diverse society. A vote for them demeans our democracy,"he said.

Among the organisers were the Coalition against Racism - Unite to Stop the BNP, a tripartite coalition with the National Assembly against Racism, the TUC and local community organisations. Contact details from: Milena Buyum on 020 7247 9907 or 07879 612 234

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