Opposing the BNP


Steve Faulkner, Yorkshire Socialist Party

A successful campaign has been launched to oppose the racist British National Party in South Elmsall, West Yorkshire. SESKU Against the BNP (South Elmsall, South Kirkby and Upton) is a local organisation set up by trade unionists and anti-racists.

For the past four weeks, we have been running a stall in the centre of South Elmsall, in the spot where the BNP had been campaigning.

The decision to organise was taken after the BNP began running its own stall in the centre of South Elmsall in March. Despite opposition to this from individuals, no organised campaign took place and so I took it on myself to do this.

Following a small number of phone calls, word spread quickly of the campaign, and in our first week, around 15 people joined us. Over the past two weeks, the number has swelled to over 30 people.

As well as Socialist Party members, other left groups have stood alongside us and trade union banners from the NUT teachers’ union, Unison public sector union and the old Frickley Colliery National Union of Miners (NUM) banner stood proudly behind us.

The response from the general public has been overwhelmingly supportive, whilst the local BNP organiser, who drove down for a look himself, merely turned his car around and drove away!