- Conference
- 2009 National LGBT Conference
- Date
- 31 July 2009
- Decision
- Carried
Conference notes the alarming results of the 2009 County Council and European Parliamentary elections.
The British National Party (BNP) gained three county council seats. The BNP also had its first success in the European Elections, winning two seats, giving access to funding of more than a million pounds to spread their fascist propaganda. The BNP led a campaign built on myths and lies targeted against Muslims and migrant workers.
BNP leader Nick Griffin recently said there is no such thing as Black or Asian British people but only “racial foreigners” who should be “repatriated” and his response to immigration was the “boats should be sunk”, “throw them a life raft and they can go back to Libya”.
The BNP is also hostile to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) community: its campaign claimed that it upholds British traditional family values.
2010 will see local elections and a general election – we must do everything to make sure that the BNP does not get elected.
Conference welcomes the work the National LGBT Committee, regional and branch LGBT Groups undertook, in partnership with anti-fascist groups, UNISON Labour Link and the General Political Fund (GPF), in the lead up to the elections and acknowledges that, because of this broad based campaign, the BNP did not achieve any significant increase in their vote. Conference notes that their electoral success came as a result of low turn out due to a collapse in support for mainstream political parties.
2008 National LGBT Conference agreed to develop a comprehensive long-term strategy to fight the far right. Conference notes that:
1.Fighting the far right is a standing item on regional reports at all National LGBT Committee meetings;
2.Regional groups have been asked to include fighting the far right as a standing item on their agendas and in their work plans;
3.The regional convenors day included a session on fighting the far right;
4.A reference to National Labour Link Committee requested joint discussions with the GPF and the national self organised group committees on how anti-far right campaigning and education can be mainstreamed;
5.Work continues with Labour Link, the GPF, the Trades Union Congresses (TUCs), Unite Against Fascism (UAF) and Searchlight. UK Black Pride continues to be supported by UNISON.
Conference welcomes the strategy produced by the National LGBT Committee, which focuses on:
A.Increasing LGBT voter registration and turn out;
B.Challenging the myths and lies spread by the BNP and the far right;
C.Continuing work with the TUCs, UAF, Searchlight, UNISON Labour Link and the GPF.
Conference instructs the National LGBT Committee to:
I.Publicise the strategy to regional groups as an urgent priority and strongly encourage regional groups to participate in delivering the actions;
II.Seek feedback on the strategy from regional groups;
III.Report back in the annual report to next year’s conference on what has been achieved and areas for improvement.