SOCIALIST PARTY members should move resolutions against the BNP through their trade union organisations.
RAPH PARKINSON, a member of UNISON’s national executive council has moved a similar resolution to the one below through the union’s north-west Black Members’ committee to the north west regional council, which will debate it on 11 May.
This calls on UNISON to implement national policy and organise a demonstration in Greater Manchester as well as calling for support for members who refuse to co-operate with elected BNP councillors.
“THIS BRANCH/conference believes that the election of BNP councillors in Burnley is a major setback for workers. The vote is primarily an expression of desperation at the social conditions facing workers and the lack of any alternative from the established political parties in those areas.
The New Labour government, continuing the pro-capitalist policies of the Tories, has alienated workers and young people from politics with policies like the privatisation of and cuts in public services, the ending of council house building and repair and the de-industrialisation of major areas of Britain, leading to job cuts and poverty pay.
However recent comments by the Home Secretary, David Blunkett, for example those on schools being ‘swamped’ by asylum seekers has served to legitimise racist points of view. We condemn any move by the established politicians to legitimise racist scapegoating for social problems.
We note that in some areas where a socialist alternative to the established parties has been posed by campaigning candidates, this has prevented the development of support for neo-Nazi parties.
We condemn the inaction of the leadership of the TUC who failed to organise a mass mobilisation against the BNP since the warning in the general election when the BNP polled a total of 16,000 votes.
This conference agrees to organise a mass demonstration in the Greater Manchester area under the slogan of ‘Jobs and Homes not Racism’ for an alternative to the pro-big business approach of the mainstream political parties.”