Speech to Unite Against Fascism National Conference

Below is a speech I gave at the UAF National Conference in Manchester on Saturday July 18th.

Speeches dont neccessarily translate to the written form, but it is unedited apart from the removed nicities at the start and end.

I’ve only a short time and among the things I was asked to mention was The Green Party position on the BNP. Well, they’re beneath vermin, and I think I can move on.

There are probably some of the twisted misfits in the hall today, and it’s as well they know that they are the traitors to this country. They despise freedom and the true diverse character of British people and history.

Not all their voters are racist, but a fair number are. We may as well accept that. We also have to accept that fascism has a mandate now, and this brings many new challenges. If anti-fascists can’t be candid about strategic shortcommings now then we are failing in our duty to oppose the menace as well as we can.

Here in the Northwest, the Green Party lost out to the BNP in the race for the last seat by 0.3%. With just 5 more votes in every ward we simply would not be dealing with this sense of urgency today.

A key part of The Green Party campaign was based around keeping the fascists out. This was partly due to the anti-racist background of our number 1 candidate. I think I’m typical in the party for being far more gutted that they got in than that we didn’t.

We are deeply grateful for local support from Respect and faith communities like The Sikhs who recognised that The Greens had a better chance than larger parties of keeping Griffin out.

Respect members worked hard with us as well as UAF, as our members worked with UAF beyond our own campaigning.

In areas like Lancaster with a strong Green presence the BNP didn’t do very well. In Manchester the Greens came 3rd in the city, the fascists a poor 6th. That makes me a lot happier about living here.

But the region is now contaminated by these filth. The curse arrived via the ballot box and whatever anti-fascist actions take place over the next 5 years, it will only be lifted via the ballot box. The playing field will be very different 5 years from now, but aside from our other strong issues I expect The Green Party will present ourselves as the chance to boot Griffin out, and that will be a well founded claim.

If Greens can win a seat at the general election, most likely Caroline Lucas in Brighton, it will hopefully balance the propaganda effect of 2 fascist MEPs.

The main electoral threat now is clearly at local level.

I will speak to the Greater Manchester area, knowing less of the region beyond. In bye-elections shortly before the Euros the BNP had mixed results. Horrifyingly 2nd in Moston, 10 minutes on a bus north of here; But less well in Salford Riverside and only as expected in Newton and Hyde.

Things have changed now. With much more resources than they used to have, and wind in their sails, the fascists will be after a breakthrough seat and there are a disturbing amount of wards that fit the profile.

The difficulty is that the BNP have to be beaten by another single party. If they do the groundwork then at least 2 other parties should to be properly active in that ward, so that there is a non-fascist alternative to any unpopular incumbent.

If the fascists get 2^nd place in a ward then that is way too dangerous, they’ll be the protest vote and will plough resources and activists in.

It is consistent community work that will hold off these people. The fascists are in at the grassroots in quite a few areas.

But the truth is that even big parties don’t sustain the kind of necessary activity across every danger ward. Not nearly.

Every person here who lives in or near an area of fascist activity needs to be aware of what alternative grass-roots groups exist, and assist where they can. This could be based on politics, culture, environment, faith and more.

Anyone who lives in or near a ward with such a threat needs to constantly badger ALL of their councillors to be doing the job properly. Complacency is a great aid to menace.

A foundation of community work means that the hugely impressive mass UAF leafleting actions at bye-elections are building on something.

I want to raise one common concern and critique. I trust it can be accepted in the constructive spirit with which it is meant: UAF is definitively non-partisan, that is understandable. But the electoral system is definitively partisan. If we tell people not to vote fascist and to use their vote, it isn’t really saying enough to say “anyone” when asked who to vote for instead. To make things worse, the best anti-fascist bet is often an unpopular incumbent party.

It’s a circle we have to try and square. For example, during the Euros there could have been more positive information available to people on what other parties stood for, especially the huge range of non mainstream parties.

There are other questions about strategy that must be faced up to. I hope we do that today, but I don’t have the time for them now and I don’t want to be perceived as negative in any way.

That said, we’re all gutted. Political reality is harsh, and no matter how well anti-fascists did, we didn’t do well enough in these parts.

But without the UAF, things could easily have been a lot worse, as in East Midlands where many thousands came out for Hope Not Hate in the fascist stronghold of Stoke, and the BNP failed to take a seat.

The Green Party can augment the struggle against fascism through helping at community level, as well as presenting an alternative programme and analysis which is critical of the economic insanity and political corruption that have aided the fascist so much in recent times.

We all know the credibility of establishment parties is in a mess. It’s notable that the BNP made a lot of the bankers having politicians in their pockets. They have always indulged in left rhetoric when it suits them. The threat will continue to grow as hardship mounts, caused by the unsustainable casino and debt economics of mainstream parties.

Beyond our activism we all have to challenge the acceptability of fascism anywhere it rears it’s vile head. This could be among neighbours, colleagues and family. But the media has a huge part to play.

The BBC certainly played up the chances of the BNP and gave The Greens much less mention even though we got more votes nationwide. I have strong suspicions that there was a specific high level decision that the BNP were a good story and worthy of hype.

When the establishment is in crisis, a reactionary or a progressive narrative can fill the vacuum. History shows the establishment tend to prefer the former.

All the more reason why progressives must be devoid of sectarianism. We can disagree but we must unite in common cause against the menace. We have had a wake-up call, the anti-fascist movement needs to be broader and stronger than ever. I think activists across many issues at least realise that now.