now that the right-wing philosophy of new labour and the conservatives has been shown to be bankrupt, it's legitimate to ask where all those ex right-wing voters put their X at the next election. if the daily mail is anything to go by, i'd say they're all about to vote libdem. hysterical raving about kennedy's law and order policies are a certain sign of fear at britain's most conservative rag.

Unite Against Fascism conference calls national fight against BNP



by Anindya Bhattacharyya

Over 450 activists met at the TUC headquarters in central London last Saturday for the largest anti-fascist conference in a decade.

The meeting, organised by Unite Against Fascism, was called to discuss strategies for defeating the British National Party (BNP) at the next general election.

Speaker after speaker stressed their determination to build a united national campaign against the BNP that brought together black and white activists on a principled anti-racist stand.

Union leaders such as Kevin Curran, general secretary of the GMB, Paul Mackney, general secretary of Natfhe, and Barry Camfield, assistant general secretary of the T&G, all threw their weight behind Unite’s campaign.

A key theme emerging throughout the day was the need to expose the BNP as a fascist and racist organisation.

“We identify the BNP as fascist,” said Paul Scarrott from Yorkshire Unite Against Fascism in a session on campaigning against the BNP. It is not enough to describe them simply as ‘extremists’ or ‘outsiders’ — which are ambiguous terms anyway.”

The need for a united national campaign was questioned by a small minority of those attending the conference.

But most people agreed with the strategy. Many speakers criticised the media for spreading racism and granting platforms to fascist organisations. Unite has launched a “Pull the Plugs” campaign calling on TV stations not to give airtime to the BNP.

Significantly, this campaign is backed by the NUJ and Bectu, the two main media workers’ unions. Both have recently toughened up their anti-fascist policies.

The conference drew together activists from across the labour movement, but also heard strong criticism, including from Labour Party members, of those who are capitulating to racist arguments.

Mohammed Azam, a Labour councillor from Oldham, noted that BNP leader Nick Griffin was standing against Labour MP Ann Cryer.

“The BNP sees Ann Cryer as a weak link,” he said. “Why? Because when you make concessions to racism, the BNP grows. We must challenge the racists head on. We will not pander to racism at all.”

Many Labour activists at the conference expressed their anger and dismay at the government for pandering to racism over asylum seekers.

Tony Blair’s recently announced election pledge to “protect our country’s borders” came under particular attack.

“I was at the Labour spring conference when Blair announced the pledge,” said one speaker from the floor, a black woman from Southwark, south London. “I could feel the discomfort in the audience.”

Fascists were organising in her constituency, she added, and Blair’s pledge was undermining the campaign against them. “What do we say to our people when Labour’s fifth pledge is about ‘protecting borders’?” she asked.

Her anger was echoed by speakers on the platform. “I agree absolutely,” said Barry Camfield. “This is pandering for all the wrong reasons to the view that we somehow need to show how ‘tough’ we are.”

Jennette Arnold, a Labour member of the London Assembly, called the pledge “disgusting”. A determination to undermine the BNP and its arguments ran through the day.

The conference ended with a moving speech from Leon Greenman, who survived the Nazi’s Auschwitz concentration camp and has devoted his life to campaigning against fascism.


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A session by Love Music Hate Racism (LMHR) was addressed by R&B star Estelle and others. The NUM mineworkers’ union pledged to help pay for major LMHR/Unite events in Keighley in April and Durham in August.

I also notice that, like the BNP National Student leader who stood in Salford to be editor of the University Student Newspaper, this year Joe Finnon (UAF/SWP/STWC infiltrator) is standing in the Manchester Uni elections this year.

After a successful anti-fascist campaign the Student Union has already banned him from access onto Union property. I'm sure there will be an effort to show how unpopular the BNP is on campus.

 http://www.umsu.manchester.ac.uk/pdf/FINNON_sdo.pdf

THAT THE BNP IS NOTHING BUT A MIXTURE OF RACIST BIGOTS, EX -COMBAT,NATIONAL FRONT MEMBERS DRESSED UP IN SUITS....NICK GRIFFIN HAS BEEN ARESSTED FOR AND HAS ALREADY BEEN CONVCITED OF INCITING RACIAL HATRED IN THE PAST.

NICK ...YOU RACIST LITTLE TO**ER IF U EVER DARE TO SHOW YOUR FACE ROUND ROCHDALE+ MIDDLETON(OR THE WHOLE OF BLEEDING MANCHESTER)..YOU WILL BE KICKED OUT FASTER THAN YOU CAN SAY ASYLUM SEEKER.

JOE FINNON..I MET YOU ONCE ON A ANTI WAR DEMO WHEN U ENCOURAGED ME TO JOIN RESPECT....THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT.

BUT NOW YOU HAVE COME OUT TO BE THE VERY KIND OF GUY IVE ALWAYS DESPISED

IM GONNA RECOMEND THAT IF U HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH STOP THE WAR..THAT YOU ARE KICKED OUT OF THAT COALITION AS WELL.

THE BNP SHOULD BE OUTLAWED AS THEY DO NOT REPRESENT TRUE BRITISH NATIONALS AND THEIR VALUES.

PROPER BRITISH NATIONALS WELCOME IMMIGRANTS OVER HERE AS THEY PROVIDE AND CONTRIBUTE TO SOCIETY WHEN THEY ARE ABLE TO DO SO...WHERE WOULD WE BE WITHOUT ALL THE RESTRAUNTS AND TAKEAWAYS..

WHAT THE NHS BE LIKE IF NO FOREIGN DOCTORS CAME OVER TO BRITAIN

IF THE BNP EVER GET ANYWHERE IN POLITICS.....IL EMMIGRATE MYSELF OF THIS PLANET

In fact I suspect that's a list of where they stood last time round.

One place missing from the list where they're definitely standing is Keighley in West Yorkshire, against Labour MP Ann Cryer. They see Cryer as a weak target because she's pandered to racism in the past by criticising Asians for, well, basically for being Asian.

The list is defintely not a complete list. They are planning on standing in over 100 constituences, and many Yorkshire towns.

Soz if the list isn't that accurate, any updates could be posted along with local 'anti' groups if possible. on the run up to the election upto date info is vital, post any meetings of 'anti' groups or knuckle draggers.

Im too am sick of all this scare politics bullshit that the parties are using. I don't think any of the main parties offer much hope to those that want to vote.

But, don't be swayed by the 'what's the option?' question - fight bogotry 'cos it's bigotry - you don't need another reason and you certainly don't need those who put tony 'broken promise' blair in power.

Interestingly Leeds Student have run an interview with Nick Griffin: "to give him enough rope to hang himself" being the justification for breaching the Union's (somewhat useless)
"No Platform" policy. Except they have edited many of his comments for "being too offensive" (i.e. scared of libel no doubt), somewhat defeating their own "justification" of giving him space to spout his crap.

Does anyone actually have any examples of the BNP doing or saying anything racist to any ethnic groups?

No? Didn't think so.

The Judge - search on Indymedia (or wider on the internet if you like) for the countless examples of BNP racism and BNP candidates/members/leaders/councillors' criminal convictions for racist (& other) offences.

Or if you don't care to, or continue saying they're not racist, you must be a racist fuckwit yourself. Hope not.

'Thought not' because you are incapable of thought?

Try the BBC web site they did an undercover piece on them which showed them to be real tough guys, you know the sort who boast about beating people up with odds of 6/1? And putting shit through peoples letter boxes?

What was more thought provoking for me was Prick Griffin was interviewed afterwards and signifiantly did not do two things.

1. Distance himself or BNP from the opinions or actions put in the programme.
2. Suggest that the film was a fake.


- the courts seem to believe that they have some other examples as your leader Prick Griffin is up on charges relating to hate crimes.

Is it right that if it wasn't for infiltrators the BNP could hold it's meetings in 'phone boxes? You can be 'the Judge'