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5,000 'HOPE NOT HATE' LEAFLETS DELIVERED IN BRIDGWATER NORTH & CENTRAL
Bridgwater Anti-Fascists have united in a bid to smash the racist BNP in their first ever bid to get a councillor elected in the town. 5,000 leaflets revealing the truth about the Far Right Party have been put through every letterbox in the ward by members of the newly formed 'Bridgwater Against the BNP'.
'Bridgwater Against the BNP' quickly ammassed some 450 supporters on Facebook. At the launch event at the Unity Club more people signed up and offered their support against the BNP.
SOLIDARITY GIGS AGAINST THE BNP
CAMPAIGN UPDATE
The battle is on Nationally to stop the BNP being seen as a legitimate protest vote against the general state of British politics. While the main parties put their houses in order the smaller parties could reap the rewards.
In Bridgwater North & Central, the sitting Labour Councillor Dave Loveridge, has put out his election leaflet plus an extra Euro leaflet warning of the BNP threat.
Labour MEP Glyn Ford has also visited Sydenham estate to support Dave and condemned the BNP.
"The recent election of the first BNP member to the London Assembly must be a serious warning for everybody. Anti BNP campaigners must redouble their efforts to ensure that in next months European elections the BNP do not for the first time ever win a parliamentary seat and the public needs to take note that a slightly higher turn out in the recent London election would have stopped the BNP getting elected."
Bridgwater bands 'The Infirm' and 'Silent Empathy' played live at the Unity club on Thursday 21st May to further the case for Solidarity against the Fascist BNP. Also performing were singer Danny Knight and rap artist Leon - both roundly condemned the BNP's message of hate.
Ska,Reggae and Blue beat sounds were provided by RED SHADOW and speeches were made by Cllr Brian Smedley (Bridgwater Labour Party) Dave Chapple (Bridgwater Trades Union Council) and Bruno Santos (a Portuguese migrant worker who had settled in Bridgwater with his family).
Two further anti BNP gigs will be held at the club. On Thursday 28th May Tribal Crew and 51st State will be playing, while on Wednesday June 3rd it'll be Cut Nancy and Herb'an Music.
ANTI BNP GROUP FOUNDED IN CHARD
Alarmed at the two BNP candidates standing in Chard, and the previous history of racial disturbance in Chard, with its population of Polish and Portuguese workers, concerned citizens in Chard, with Unison and SREC [Somerset Racial Equality Council] are mounting demonstrations to oppose the BNP under the banner of HOPE NOT HATE.
The people of Chard are signing up to the campaign, leafleting, and circulating information on the real nature of BNP, and racist influences, especially in the present state of politics.
David Onamade of SREC said “it is frightening that the BNP are standing six candidates in Somerset , in an area where racial harmony has been better than many other areas, and where we need to maintain racial unity.”
The BNP are standing for the Somerset County Council Elections in the following 6 wards.
BRIDGWATER NORTH & CENTRAL (Labour seat)
YEOVIL NORTH & CENTRAL (Lib Dem seat)
CHARD NORTH (Lib Dem seat)
CHARD SOUTH (Lib Dem seat)
WELLS (Conservative seat)
STREET (Lib Dem seat)
THE EURO ELECTION..the BNP Threat
There are 6 MEP seats available in the South West Region. After the elections these will be allocated proportionally. The Tories are currently the largest party by a long way with UKIP in 2nd place. Labour and Lib Dem cling on to 1 MEP each.
At these elections 17 parties are standing. Most have no chance of a seat but a vote for any would raise the percentage the BNP would need to gain a seat at all.
The real dilemma for 'progressives' will be whether to cast their vote with direct effect - ie to keep Labour or Lib Dem with their MEP place or to switch to Green to try to get them onto the winners sheet. Any of these votes could deny the BNP of a seat .
UKIP TRICKSTERS
The UK Independence Party (UKIP) are one of the parties thought likely to benefit from the turmoil in Westminster - however, people are beggining to see through them. Far from being squeaky clean, UKIP have an extremely poor record on expenses - with MEPs currently in jail or under investigation and some £2m worth of Euro expenses claimed by the 'euro sceptic' party.
It's also clear that the Far Right UKIP are onLy a step away from being beyond the pale themlselves. Locally , they are the only party to have refused to join our campaign against the BNP and at the same time they have launched a xenophobic billboard front targeting 'unrestricted immigration' (which, of course, doesn't exist).
UKIP's billboards will ,however,be clashing for space with BNP billboards this week - which have already angered church groups with their claim that 'Jesus would have voted BNP'
Follow the elections by clicking on the map of Somerset above
