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Racist BNP have no solutions!
ISR mounts London protest
Around 70 International Socialist Resistance (ISR) members and supporters joined the first protest against the BNP's newly-won seat on the London Assembly.
Ben Robinson, ISR national organiser
This is their most prominent position nationally and from the word go they were met with angry opposition. Further protests have been called outside the first meeting of the Greater London Assembly (GLA) on 9 May, starting at 9am outside the City Hall.
We want to build a serious campaign to mobilise those opposed to this far-right, racist party, and expose their lies to the small minority of Londoners who voted for them.
The British National Party (BNP) are racist. They claim to be a party for white British people and they constantly demonise Muslims and Black and Asian minorities, setting different groups of workers against each other.
After the BNP gained some council seats in Halifax in 2003, racist incidents increased by 21% according to the police. In Huddersfield, BNP councillors proposed specific cuts to council services, which would not save large quantities of money, but particularly affected the Black and Asian population.
Ex-London BNP organiser Erikson commented on his blog that "rape is simply sex" so rape is not such a terrible ordeal. He also said women need to be hit more to keep them under control. What was the BNP's response to these vile, disgusting remarks? To refuse to condemn them, saying they had been taken out of context!
The BNP claim to stand up for white workers. But when groups of workers stand up to fight for their rights, they are met with horror from the BNP leadership. Teachers, taking strike action on 24 April, together with college lecturers, civil service union PCS members and others, were slammed for being greedy for opposing what was in reality a pay cut! They also condemned the firefighters' strike in 2002, and the over one million local government workers who took action over pensions in 2006.
The BNP have benefited from an anti-Labour mood. This is as a result of many government attacks on workers' and young peoples' living standards, including the abolition of the 10p tax rate. However, BNP councillors have voted through cuts and closures.
In Stoke in 2004, they voted to raise council tax by almost double the then rate of inflation. When socialists put forward a budget for no cuts, no increase in council tax and no privatisation, these BNP councillors voted with the main political parties against this budget.
The BNP's core leadership are anti-working class reactionaries. But in these qualities, they are not alone in the GLA or in politics. Boris Johnson, the new Mayor of London, has a proven record of racism and attacking workers. Tory leader David Cameron and members of the Labour cabinet are attacking a woman's right to choose to have an abortion.
All the main parties offer cuts, closures and privatisation. To offer an alternative to the BNP, trade unions, workers and campaigners need to build a new party that represents our interests, not the interests of big business.
For more information about ISR ring: 020 8558 7947 or see:, www.anticapitalism.org.uk
London youth against racism meeting: 20 May, 7pm, ULU, Room 2A, Malet Street, London WC1. (Nearest tube: Euston).
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