HOPE NOT HATE

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: april 2011 :: RMTnews 27 In last year’s general and local elections Hope not Hate, RMT and other unions and the wider Labour movement joined forces to halt the march of the British National Party. Before those elections Nick Griffin had bragged how he was on his way to Westminster, and how his party was set to seize control of councils up and down the land. By the end, he had suffered a national humiliation, with his personal dreams of becoming an MP shattered, and his hopes of his party’s town hall take over laying in ruins. In next month’s local and regional assembly elections we have another opportunity to challenge Griffin and his fascists. And this time, instead of simply stopping him in his tracks, we have the chance of finishing off him and his extremist party for good. The BNP is in meltdown. Griffin has squandered the money his party receives from the Europe and its other shadowy financiers. It’s been estimated that the BNP is over £500,000 in debt, and the bailiffs are already knocking on Griffin’s door. The party is also split down the middle, with Griffin now facing a leadership challenge from his own grassroots. One key former Griffin aide, Eddie Butler, who still works in his taxpayer-funded role as a BNP advisor in the European parliament in Brussels, said BNP members have, “no chance to vote on anything, no chance to decide anything. “He [Griffin] will never allow anyone any the chance to vote on anything,” he said. Butler has become so disillusioned with Griffin’s leadership he has even called on BNP members not to renew their membership in a desperate bid to withhold funds, and in his words, “starve out” his former boss. Indeed, the BNP is now in such disarray that even the party’s own former communications officer, Paul Golding, described their image as “completely toxic”. Former friends of Griffin have described him as a “jealous personality”, a “sinking tyrant” and a “curse”. But though fatally wounded, Griffin and his party still represent a threat. Hope not Hate has identified 11 battleground seats that the BNP will be defending this May, seats that with the right organization and mobilisation we can snatch from under their noses. If we take out those seats, we take out Griffin and smash the BNP. It won’t be an easy fight. Griffin is fighting for his political life. We all know how vicious and violent the BNP and their supporters can be at the best of times. Now they are facing annihilation we can expect them try every dirty trick in the book as they try to defend their agenda of division and hate. But they are weaker than ever before. And those of us who oppose them are stronger. At Hope not Hate we have learnt from the successful campaign we mounted 12 months ago, and we’re prepared to deploy those tactics to the same devastating effect. We’ll be organizing mass leaflet drops, canvassing, targeted days of action, a local media offensive and targeted mail shots. The bulk of activity will be focused on those 11 battleground seats. But everywhere the BNP is standing will be there to confront them. Everyone knows this is a challenging time for the trade unions. You face competing priorities, from employment protection to fighting the cuts. But the fight against the BNP remains a vital one. If we can seize this moment, and sweep away Griffin and his dwindling band of followers, then we will have purged their poison from our politics and our communities for good. This May we have an historic opportunity to demonstrate that whatever the challenges, hope will always conquer hate. Let’s seize that opportunity together. For more information go to www.hopenothate.org.uk BRINGING HOPE NOT HATE Nick Lowles of Hope Not Hate looks ahead to next month’s local elections on May 5 and calls for a vote against the far right