- Conference
- 2025 National Delegate Conference
- Date
- 1 January 2025
- Decision
- Carried
Conference notes with deep alarm an upsurge in activity by the far right, aided by the growing normalisation of far right ideas and rhetoric in politics. These range from increasing permission given to racist, homophobic, transphobic, ableist, antisemitic, misogynistic as well as violent language targeting political opponents on social media and in real life. Conference notes the alarming rise of far right violence and hate crimes in the UK, particularly targeting Black communities, migrants, and asylum seekers and the increasingly hostile environment, particularly in the summer 2024 perpetuated by far right violence and ideology, fuelled by divisive rhetoric, misinformation, Islamophobia and hate speech across social media and other platforms.
Anti-immigrant and Islamophobic rhetoric has risen to a new level with extreme language targeting particular communities being voiced by mainstream politicians. Reports from independent bodies, and government statistics highlighted that the growth of racially motivated attacks have had a detrimental impact on the safety, mental health, and overall wellbeing of Black members across the UK. Additionally, far right organisations have capitalised on economic and social hardships, exacerbating racial tensions, and fostering division. Conference notes that these ideas and language are no longer confined to the fringes of society or street violence by fringe groups but are being articulated by powerful and influential voices in mainstream politics.
Rhetoric about ‘small boats’ from both Tory and Labour politicians have further put the rights of vulnerable refugees at risk. Eugenicist ideas targeting disabled people, Black communities and LGBT+ people has gained greater currency. This has gone hand in hand with deeply misogynistic ideas about women, their place in society, control of their bodies and their right to choose.
The traction these populist right-wing movements have gained at the ballot box is more alarming when placed against the background of existing right-wing national governments in other European states.
Conference expresses profound concern over the disturbing rise of far right movements worldwide. While espousing nationalist politics, the far right across Europe have found common cause across national borders. Internationally, we are confronted by the threat of a growing and emboldened far right. In 2024, Europe saw a clear shift to the right, with both the European elections and national polls in France, Belgium, Germany, Italy and Austria showing a move towards right-wing and extreme-right politics. In the 2024 European Parliament elections, the far right won 150 of the 720 seats. A new and emboldened far right politics is unapologetically promoting an alarming vision of an all-white Europe with promotion of racist, antisemitic conspiracy theories about ‘the great replacement’. The European far right as a movement have also gained a powerful new ally in Donald Trump and his allies in the world of business and media. The UK and its democracy has come under sustained attack by the far right, corroding our politics and endangering communities and individuals.
The specific threats in the UK include the intimidatory demonstrations targeting asylum seekers, street demonstrations, including the appalling riots in summer 2024 and the proliferation of an online post-organisational far-right. These movements, which thrive on division and conflict, pose a serious threat to the principles of democracy, equality, and workers’ rights that form the cornerstone of our union values.
Yet more insidious is the rightward movement of electoral politics, spearheaded by the leadership of Reform UK, exploiting divisive narratives, whilst the Conservative Party desperately tries to keep them at bay by moving itself further rightwards.
We also face increasingly ill-informed hostility to our cohesion from ‘global influencers’ such as multi-billionaire Elon Musk and a range of other social media giants who seek to impose their world view via new methods of communication. Elon Musk plans to cut a third of all US government jobs under the Trump administration.
Conference unequivocally condemns public figures like Elon Musk who fuel tensions and division by engaging in inflammatory rhetoric and demonstrating support for far right figures such as Tommy Robinson. Such endorsements seek to legitimise far right ideologies, contributing to a climate ripe for division and undermining the efforts to foster community cohesion and solidarity.
Conference recalls the horrific attacks on the community in Southport, in the North West Region, in July 2024 when an individual stabbed a total of eleven children (three fatally) and two adults – an event which came to have national resonance. Conference condemns the horrific violence in Southport where three little girls were murdered and eight other children were left grievously harmed by Axel Rudakubana. Their families and their community have been left irreparably wounded. The actions of the far right, exploiting this tragedy, attacking communities and attacks on public service workers including police and healthcare workers are unforgiveable. Violence erupted in a manner that many thought consigned to history. Black people were physically attacked in public spaces. Houses where Muslim people were suspected to be residing were attacked street by street. Shops and community spaces were looted and attacked. Public service workers were assaulted. Most alarmingly of all there were attempts to burn down accommodations housing asylum seeker families who were terrified and trapped as attackers laughed and joked about killing them. The violence raged like wildfire, racing across cities and towns, organised online but emerging in the most brutal ways on our streets. HOPE not Hate research helped expose a key ring leader of the riots, a dangerous neo-Nazi who made racist and violent threats against Jews and Muslim people and attempted further escalations in local communities. Racists were emboldened, racial slurs came thick and fast on videos and graffitied on walls. Violence against “foreigners”, Black people, and migrants, were not only threatened, but enacted.
Conference welcomes the unequivocal responses by communities across the UK to challenge the far-right, rebuild public spaces and express anti-racist solidarity. Conference acknowledges the spirit shown by communities supporting each other in the aftermath of terrible violence, proving that extremist beliefs are unwelcome and not representative of the unity and success of multiculturalism in the United Kingdom. Conference welcomes the initiatives led by Stand Up To Racism to oppose these riots and prevent their planned repeat the following week.
Conference further recalls that, following this event, deliberate misrepresentation and false information provoked widespread violent disorder orchestrated by far right actors which targeted asylum seekers and minoritised communities across our nations. The victims, their families and the impacted communities of our nations were supported and sustained during these events by an active, responsive, and dedicated range of UNISON members across all our service groups.
Conference is proud at the role played by UNISON at every level in supporting our members and challenging the rhetoric of hate and division. Whether it was picking up the pieces in the aftermath of the riots, supporting our members who feared being targeted by violence, taking part in rallies to defend public spaces and communities against threatened mobilisations by the far right, or strongly speaking out to challenge those who sought to defend or excuse racist violence, UNISON and its members led the way.
Conference believes the state has a crucial role to play in counteracting this trend through the provision of strong fully funded public services. Education, health care, social welfare, and housing are essential for building strong, cohesive communities that can withstand the forces of division and hate. These services not only meet basic human needs but also promote a sense of unity and common purpose among diverse populations.
Conference notes that Reform, as well as Far Right and Fascist groups have benefited from fourteen years of Conservative government, which created the conditions for right wing extremism and Fascism to grow. These conditions include: at home, multiple crises, exacerbated by the failure of the 40 year experiment in neo-liberalism and 14 years of Tory austerity; a cost-of-living crisis; a housing crisis; a crisis in health and care; a crisis in public services; and a climate crisis, widespread and growing economic hardship; a general sense of unfairness; an almost complete break in trust with a political class that is increasingly seen as out of touch with millions of people; the constant demonisation and scapegoating of minorities, including trans people, asylum seekers and Muslims; and, maybe above all, a lack of hope. All reinforce the economic pessimism that undermines trust in politics and hope for the future.
Against this backdrop, UNISON’s ongoing commitment to equality, social justice and a fairer world at work and beyond faces greater challenges.
Into this void, the populist far right seeks to sow fear and division by turning worker against worker, neighbour against neighbour. They are driven by ideological hatred or cynically seeking to gain political support or distract from the real causes of problems and their clear common, and deliberately divisive, threats of racism, misogyny, homophobia, discrimination, climate denialism and fascism.
Against this backdrop, UNISON’s ongoing commitment to equality, social justice and a fairer world at work and beyond faces greater challenges.
Conference is deeply concerned at the success enjoyed by Reform in the General Election. Its attempts to divide communities, attack migrants and other vulnerable groups and claims to champion working class people obscure how its policies stand counter to the interests of working people of all backgrounds and benefit no one but those who want to slash and burn UK regulations for private profit.
Reform’s hateful rhetoric especially towards immigrants and LGBT+ people will leave communities divided. The Reform manifesto’s attacks on benefits and on disabled people’s rights include a call for all job seekers and “those fit to work” will have to find employment within four months or accept a job after two offers or face benefit withdrawal. Reform’s manifesto also calls for all assessments for PIP and work capability assessment to take place face to face.
While Farage, leader of Reform has called himself, “anti-establishment”, his party seeks to attack the rights of women, Black, disabled and LGBT+ people and voted with the Tory party against the Employment Rights Bill. Rather than seeking to strengthen the rights of working people in the UK, they attack them.
Reform’s manifesto said, “scrap thousands of laws that hold back British business and damage productivity including employment laws. We must make it easier to hire and fire”. It also called for the cutting of “unnecessary regulations” from the EU calling them “nanny state regulations” including Health and Safety and anti-discrimination laws. Reform also intends to scrap net zero targets leaving our future at risk. Reform would damage the NHS, with policies for vouchers for private healthcare treatment, tax relief for private insurance and job cuts for “back room” staff. Its economic policies will cost us all. Its call to leave the European Convention of Human Rights will diminish all our rights.
Conference notes with concern that Reform UK uses racist scapegoating, blaming migrants and Muslims for problems in society; proposed massive cuts to the public sector during its 2024 general election manifesto; and Reform UK’s neo-liberal economic policies desire a much smaller state which would mean even deeper cuts than those made after 14 years of Tory austerity.
Reform UK’s leader, Nigel Farage, stated that the Liz Truss budget that crashed the economy was “the best Conservative budget since 1986 and Reform UK is receiving serious financial support from millionaires and billionaires.
Conference believes that Reform UK is using racism to gain popularity so that it can pursue neo-liberal economic policies that are essentially anti-working class by rolling back the welfare state, destroying the NHS, and pushing ‘free market’ policies into other areas of the public sector; Reform UK is a threat to anyone who works in the public sector; Reform UK in government would be a massive set back for all equality policies; and hat defeating the electoral threat of far right parties has been achieved in previous decades by campaigning directly against them and that the rise of Reform UK can be reversed.
The electoral growth of Reform has been mirrored by growth on the streets of Stephen Yaxley-Lennon (aka Tommy Robinson). Twice last year he mobilised thousands to march through central London. He called for his supporters to vote Reform and used blatantly Islamophobic language. Trade unions and anti-racist campaigners were central to organising counter protests to challenge these marches.
Conference asserts that the struggle for equality and social justice is at the core of our work. It is the foundation of a public service ethos built on the labour of workers of all backgrounds serving all communities. This has been at the heart of our commitment to tackling the far-right and the politics of hate whether at the ballot box, in our public spaces or in the workplace. As trade unionists it is in our DNA to challenge the politics of division and hate, as it threatens the interests and wellbeing of public service workers everywhere and the unity and cohesion of the communities we serve. UNISON membership is 75 percent female, more diverse than the United Kingdom (UK) as a whole, provides public services for everyone everywhere in Britain and is at the heart of sustaining functioning inclusive communities.
Conference believes that far right violence is a direct threat to the values of equality, diversity, and human rights that UNISON upholds; that the rise of far right extremism has deep roots in systemic racism, discrimination, climate denialism, and economic inequalities, which disproportionately affect Black communities; and that Black members have the right to live free from the fear of violence, discrimination, and harassment.
Trade unions, as international movements, have always stood at the forefront of the struggle to unite working class people across all divides, be it national, ethnic, or economic. In the face of rising far right ideologies, it is imperative that UNISON not only continue this tradition but also intensify efforts. We are uniquely positioned to educate, mobilise, and support our members, advocating for policies and practices that foster social inclusion and justice.
Conference believes that UNISON and all other affiliated trade unions, must be at the forefront of challenging racism, extremism, and discrimination in all its forms.
Conference believes that it is our job to take on this threat in partnership with others. Our members pay the price when hate comes to town and bear the brunt of pulling things back together. We have a legitimate stake and a unique insight to bring to this challenge.
Our experience of public services and campaigning against the far right tells us:
1) Essential to defeating the politics of hate is to provide more hopeful answers and support more hopeful solutions;
2) The best way to truly call out the far right is to accurately identify each threat posed and continually adapt to the ever-changing milieu to respond appropriately in each case;
3) Defeating the far right involves not just showing they are morally wrong, but that they have no answers, and their proposals will make things worse;
4) The electoral threat is posed not by most people being supportive of the far right, far from it, but by the far right building a critical mass that can give them an electoral base to build upon. ‘Zero tolerance’ implies securing voting patterns whereby they cannot win elections. We must mobilise those who oppose them, convince those who are unsure, and draw away those that support them by better answers and exposing the inadequacy and irrelevance of the far right to their daily problems;
5) More importantly, we do not dismiss people who agree with the views promoted by the far right. We draw away their support and isolate the extremists. We do this by addressing concerns and reassuring fears in one-to-one conversations;
6) Solving our problems is about planning for and treating people fairly (whether there are more or fewer) rather than refusing to plan for those the far-right wish were not there and thereby creating chaos for us all;
7) UNISON activists are especially well placed to have difficult conversations with members and others to bring reassurance, hope, and alternatives. We are trusted more than politicians or other media sources.
Conference asserts that our commitment to tackling discrimination and fighting for a fairer and more equal world will not waver but instead grow stronger. This commitment includes fighting the far right and its ideas at the ballot box, in the workplace, on the streets, and in society.
Conference further asserts that strong and active trade unions bargaining and negotiating to raise pay and standards for all members at workplace level is the most effective response to the attempts by the far right to make in-roads into our communities. Linked to this has to be the clear and unequivocal demand for an end to anti-immigrant sentiment from all those connected to the labour movement. Fighting racism at the ballot box cannot be limited to supporting the least objectionable candidate. It needs to be based on support for genuinely anti-racist candidates as well as support for genuine demands that unite all workers, including measures which make it easier for trade unions to organise to win. Unity of working people in struggle, both industrially and politically, is the key to undermining the backward ideas of the right.
Conference notes that UNISON has consistently stood up against the far right. We continue to work with partners like Hope not Hate, Show Racism the Red Card and Stand Up to Racism and have actively challenged the British National Party (BNP), the English Defence League (EDL), Tommy Robinson, and the UK Independence Party (UKIP).
This proud record of partnership working to combat racism, fascism and extremism is underpinned by our commitment to continuous training, development, awareness raising and capacity building towards forging a strong, resilient and responsive anti-racist movement within our UNISON membership.
Now, more than ever, we must continue to provide that leadership and develop those partnerships with organisations and grass-roots movements which seek to combat hatred, division and the scapegoating of already marginalised communities.
Conference therefore calls upon the National Executive Council to:
a) Work with the TUC, STUC, ICTU and TUC Cymru and affiliated unions to renew the trade union struggle against the far right wherever they organise;
b) Adopt and develop a proactive strategy to tackle the far right, wrapped around UNISON’s core objectives and by nurturing solidarity among workers worldwide and advocating for public policies that build cohesive, resilient communities;
c) Campaign within our membership to raise awareness of the dangers posed by far right movements and the importance of community solidarity;
d) Have a renewed focus on collective bargaining and trade union activity, working with self-organised groups to challenge racism, LGBT+ phobia,and xenophobia in the workplace and beyond;
e) Campaign for robust public funding in essential services such as education, housing and health care to ensure they remain strong and accessible to all, reinforcing the fabric of our communities;
f) Challenge Reform’s policies for the workplace and society, raise awareness of their risks, hold to account Reform’s elected representatives and actively support campaigns against Reform UK in any forthcoming local or national elections;
g) Expose the anti-public sector policies of Reform UK to all UNISON members through producing publicity and communications to all members;
h) Oppose the racist scapegoating from Reform UK and work with the wider trade union and labour movement to expose both the racism and anti-working class nature of Reform UK;
i) Work with Labour Link to encourage the Labour Party to consistently and unequivocally reject the hateful narratives promoted by Reform and others, and to commit to providing progressive and inclusive solutions to the problems faced by our communities;
j) Explore with Labour Link how action can be taken to address the long term causes in far right violence and hate crimes are being discussed in the Labour Link Forum ensuring adequate resources for policing, community support, and educational initiatives aimed at tackling racism and extremism;
k) Continue our work with a wide coalition of anti racist groups at national and local level to support local community organising against racism and xenophobia. This includes branches affiliating and working with HOPE not Hate, Show Racism the Red Card, Tell Mama, Runnymede Trust, Stand up to Racism and local communities and faith groups who actively work within our communities to counter extreme ideologies; and promote unity, solidarity, and inclusion;
l) Continue to develop, promote and implement training materials and campaigning resources to challenge the politics of hate, discrimination and prejudice;
m) Highlight and promote successful training initiatives which can be utilised by UNISON structures to combat racism, fascism and the arguments advanced by the far-right, working in partnership with affiliate organisations;
n) Commit to raising awareness among UNISON members of the dangers of far right extremism, providing resources to empower members to stand against racism, hate speech, and violence in the workplace and communities;
o) Signpost activists to mental health support services tailored for Black members affected by racial trauma and harassment, and demand employers take their duty of care seriously in creating safe and inclusive workplaces;
p) Encourage UNISON to support campaigns and initiatives aimed at strengthening Black communities, promoting civic engagement, and addressing the systemic inequalities that contribute to the rise of far right movements;
q) Reaffirm UNISON’s commitment to being an anti-racist union by ensuring that all its structures, policies, and activities reflect this commitment and work toward the eradication of racism in all its forms;
r) Share good practice across all regions to encourage use of the UNISON North West pamphlet on Tackling Hate: Advice for Branches, produced in October 2024;
s) Continue to support TUC activity to mark UN anti-racism day and engage with regions and branches to work with organisations who have signed UNISON’s Anti-Racism Charter to follow up on the methodology used to implement the commitments in the charter and share best practice;
t) Working with the International Committee, support the work of trade unions and affiliated organisations such as ILGA Europe across Europe and the world as they face the challenge of the far right;
u) Strengthen ties with other trade unions and international workers’ organisations to share resources, strategies, and support, reinforcing the global labour movement’s response to these divisive forces.