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uaf conference report 2006

Packed conference gears up for campaign to stop the BNP in 2006

Over 600 anti-fascist activists, trade unionists and young people from around the country met in London on Saturday 18 February for the national conference organised by Unite Against Fascism, SERTUC and supported by UNISON, AMICUS, CWU, NATFHE and PCS as well as the National Assembly Against Racism and Love Music Hate Racism on stopping the British National Party (BNP) at the 4 May local elections. The conference highlighted the surge in electoral support for the BNP over the last decade, culminating in the largest vote for a fascist party in British history at last year’s general election. Throughout the day, speakers urged activists to raise awareness around this threat and urged everyone opposed to the BNP to register to vote, and turn out to vote in the local elections on May 4th, as this is the only effective way of stopping them making a breakthrough with many more council seats that they seek to gain.

Speakers and participants outlined the worrying growth of the BNP’s vote and effective strategies to stop them before they make a major national breakthrough. The key theme of the conference was the critical need for unity in the face of one of the greatest threats in history: the threat of the physical annihilation of millions of people at the hands of fascists. It is clear that, while this threat is not yet equivalent to that of the 1930s, the last twenty years have seen the growth across Europe of fascist parties, gaining electoral ground and influencing mainstream politics. In Britain, such advances have not yet occurred but should the BNP’s electoral trajectory continue, such a breakthrough could also happen here. It is therefore crucial that the anti-fascist movement grasps what is at stake and implements the best and most effective strategy to stop the BNP.

Speakers at the conference reflected the breadth of support for Unite Against Fascism, including the trade union movement, Muslim, Jewish, Sikh, Hindu and other faith communities, Black and Asian communities, lesbian and gay organisations and the disability rights groups, students and young people, MPs and MEPs, artists and many more. Several speakers pointed out that the vast majority of British society is opposed to, and united against the mortal threat that the growth of fascism represents. Speakers included Ken Livingstone, trade unionists Keith Sonnet (Deputy General Secretary of UNISON), Billy Hayes (Communications Workers Union General Secretary), Barry Camfield (TGWU Assistant General Secretary), Mark Serwotka (PCS General Secretary), Paul Mackney (NATFHE General Secretary) MPs Michael Meacher, Sadiq Khan and Linda Riordan, Dr Daud Abdullah Assistant Secretary General Muslim Council of Britain, Dabinderjit Singh from the Sikh Federation and Sikh Secretariat UK, LGBT rights organisations such as Ben Summerskill Chief Executive of Stonewall, Kirsten Hearne from REGARD and representatives from Muslim LGBT group IMAAN, Kat Fletcher (NUS President) and Glyn Ford MEP, as well as Holocaust survivor Henry Guterman MBE and Auschwitz survivor Leon Greenman OBE.

The conference highlighted how the BNP was seeking to exploit the current climate of Islamophobia, especially in the wake of the publication of the anti-Muslim cartoons and the recent acquittal of BNP leader Nick Griffin on six incitement to racial hatred charges. Participants were called on to ensure a big turnout at the date of the retrial on May 15 in Leeds on the remainder of the charges.

The attempt by the BNP to turn the May elections into a “referendum on Islam”, in order to exploit the current wave of Islamophobia that is sweeping across Europe was raised by several speakers.

Ken Livingstone chair of Unite Against Fascism spoke of the BNP attacks on Islam and Muslims as the theme of their campaign for the local elections. He said: “Their aim is to use Islamophobia to try to make the kind of breakthrough which the far right has achieved elsewhere in Europe. This conference will unite all of those threatened by the rise of the far right - trade unions, religious faiths, diverse communities, lesbian and gay groups, disabled people, students, and many others - in a broad alliance to stop the BNP.” He highlighted the importance of mainstream parties to confront racism and oppose the BNP, referring to past experiences in Tower Hamlets and other parts of London, where policies of main parties laid the ground for advances by the fascists.

The conference was the largest of its kind for over many decades. Significantly, there was a large turnout of young people and students.

Dominique Walker, the sister of teenager Anthony Walker who was murdered by racists in Liverpool last July, gave a moving speech to the conference which highlighted the ultimate price paid for the rise of racism and received a standing ovation. She paid tribute to anti-fascists who had helped organise a concert in Liverpool for black and white unity in the wake of Anthony’s murder. “Love Music Hate Racism would have been really special to Anthony,” she said. “It’s something the family are behind in a big way.”

'Bend it Like Beckham' and 'Bride and Prejudice' film Director Gurinder Chadha, TUC also gave a moving speech, saying: “I was a teenager in London when Rock Against Racism was formed. I had heard about it and really wanted to go on the first big march and concert in Victoria Park, but my Dad wouldn’t let me. I told him I was going shopping instead and left the house Of course I headed for Hackney and arrived at the park just as the march was arriving. I stood there amongst thousands of people wide-eyed with my mouth open and my brain buzzing. It was a day that changed my life. We cannot stand back and let people be killed because of their skin colour. We cannot allow a younger generation to feel scared that they cannot stand up, protest and be counted. It is all our responsibility to fight and protect our Britain, a Britain for all of us. I would urge everyone to get involved with LMHR and UAF, and use their voice and be counted.”

Ben Summerskill Chief Executive of Stonewall called for unity against the rise of fascism and Kirsten Hearne, from the LGBT disability rights organisation Regard reminded us that the far right target the vulnerable – today it is asylum seekers and Muslims, but during the Holocaust this was also people with disabilities. She also highlighted the dangerous legitimisation that far right gay Dutch leader Pym Fortuyn gave to fascism. Imaan the LGBT Muslim group also addressed the conference.

95 year old Leon Greenman OBE spoke of his promise 60 years ago when he survived Auschwitz to tell everyone about what the Nazis did, so the systematic extermination program of the Nazis would never happen again, closing the conference to rousing applause.

Packed seminars on the role of music in stopping racism and fascism, the rise of racism since the London bombings, the lessons of the Holocaust, the trade unions’ role in the fight against fascism and challenging the homophobia of the BNP brought new layers of activists into the campaign and highlighted important issues and ways of campaigning against the BNP.

What you can do

• Days of action – 25 February, 25 March, 29 April
• Register to vote – the deadline is 13th March – without a vote, you cannot play your part in stopping the BNP in the forthcoming local elections
• Go out and vote on May 4th – this is the only way that the BNP will be driven back
• Contact UAF to set up a local group
• Join our email list
• Join UAF and make a donation