Ukip is now a racist party
Dan Hodges is a former Labour Party and GMB trade union official, and has managed numerous independent political campaigns. He writes about Labour with tribal loyalty and without reservation. He is on Twitter at @dpjhodges. Nigel Farage at the Ukip spring conference. (Photo: Getty) About a year ago I was having a chat with a … Continue reading
Halton union and BNP leader clash over ‘Holocaust denial’ claim
BNP chairman and Halton MEP Nick Griffin has denied claiming that the ‘Holocaust’ did not happen. Paula Barker, Halton Unison branch secretary, had accused Mr Griffin of calling the infamous Nazi genocide as the ‘hoax of the 20th century’. Halton Unison is affiliated to the Hope Not Hate diversity campaign, and Mrs Barker made the … Continue reading
UKIP’s Scottish BNP Member ?
Andy Lovie Some people may be asking why did UKIP pass a motion at their national conference that would see the party ban Hope not Hate supporters from joining UKIP along with installing a policy of “No Platform” against our organisation? UKIP supporters would claim incorrectly that it was a measure to protect their freedom … Continue reading
Beyond the BNP?
At the start of this month, Nick Lowles of Hope not Hate / Searchlight wrote an essay titled Beyond the BNP, The future of HOPE not hate1. In it, he talks about how the group’s “targets and vision have expanded” in the wake of “some fantastic successes” against the far-right. It reads as a stark revision … Continue reading
The state and the “extremists”
On Friday, the police arrested twenty two people who were protesting outside the US Embassy. The group were protesting under the banner “United Ummah,” but were arrested on suspicion of being part of the banned Muslims Against Crusades. The demonstration was against the use of US drones in Pakistan. However it is clear that United Ummah … Continue reading
The repercussions of a ban on the EDL
Recently, I made the case yet again against using the state to fight fascism. One key point in this was that by calling on the state to stop a protest taking place because those marching are fascists you set a precedent for them to do so when those marching aren’t fascists. Thus, the only thing … Continue reading
Calling for state repression will not beat fascism
Today’s Daily Star carries the story that “The English Defence League will carry out a Norway-style massacre in Britain unless the Government cracks down on the racist organisation.” Aside from the irony of a paper which previously supported these fascists carrying this story, the idea that it offers is a dangerous one. The state’s “crack … Continue reading
Searchlight and “bolstering the mainstream middle”
The Searchlight Educational Trust (SET) has just released a report called Fear & Hope. It has gained a lot of headlines, and claims that “There is a new political spectrum and dynamic that explains attitudes to culture, identity and nation.” It is interesting reading. SET is, of course, closely connected to Searchlight Magazine and to … Continue reading
Hope not Hate declares victory as history threatens to repeat itself in Bradford
Earlier this month, I laid out the argument for militant working class resistance against the English Defence League in Bradford. Specifically, I explained why both a state ban and a “unity event” which refused to directly confront the fascists were the wrong approaches to take. Nonetheless, Hope not Hate reports that its campaign for a … Continue reading
Militant, working class self-organisation: a response to Hope not Hate and Unite Against Fascism
Editorial note: although Liverpool Antifascists agrees with the overall thrust of the following article, it should be read as the opinion of its author and not of LiverAF as a whole. It is now three weeks until the English Defence League (EDL) descend upon Bradford, and the debate continues about how antifascists should oppose them. … Continue reading
