Maintaining Activism Against the BNP

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Conference
2009 National LGBT Conference
Date
30 July 2009
Decision
Carried as Amended

Conference notes the recent shocking rise in candidates and actual election success’ of the BNP. The BNP stands against everything that we as trade unionists have fought and died for since our inception. The BNP is a fascist organisation, which particularly targets Black people, Muslims, migrant workers and asylum seekers. However trade unionists, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people, disabled people and women also feature on their hate list. Conference it is our responsibility to ensure that this rise is stopped in its tracks. In the South West we had candidates standing in what used to be safe Labour or Lib Dem seats and appallingly the BNP managed to erode these leads in some city wards quite considerably. In Bristol alone the BNP fielded candidates in eight wards and managed a 35.7% mean total of the vote! In the whole of Bristol they have 3%, but in those wards where they did stand they were averaging around 10% of the vote. Fortunately this was not replicated all over the South West, so they did not get a MEP in our area, However, this fight is not over, and in fact it is just starting.

Conference we instruct the National LGBT Committee to:

1,Circulate fact sheets to the regions and to branches highlighting the huge diversity of the BNP’s hatred of civil society, i.e. that the BNP is not only a racist party, but that people who identify as LGBT are equally targeted.


2.Provide guidelines and reminders to regions and to branches about how they can become involved in the fight – i.e. by affiliating to Searchlight, subscribing to Unite Against Fascism, sending out e-bulletins to their members, articles in branch newsletter etc.

3.Work with Labour Link, the National Executive Council and the Service Groups to raise awareness of each and every one of our responsibilities in ensuring that Britain is a safe and equality proofed place to live.