Anti-racists mobilise to stop Britain First electoral threat

Get ready to confront Britain First picture: Guy Smallman

Anti-racists in the north west of England are mobilising because fascist Britain First is standing a candidate in the council elections in May in the Walkden North ward in Salford. Last May in the local elections their candidate Ashlea Simon polled over 500 votes, ahead of the Lib Dems, with twice the Tory vote.

Campaigners are determined to halt any further advances for fascists in Salford. Recently anti-racists and anti‑fascists, students and trades unionists, were joined by local residents and councillors. The united mobilisation delivered a leaflet to every doorstep in the ward with a clear message—use your vote to stop the fascist Britain First. And it clearly upset the fascists.

They immediately released a response leaflet attacking Stand Up To Racism as “maniacs” and claiming that the “word ‘racist’ has been weaponised to stop debate on multiculturalism and mass immigration”. But Britain First’s record is clear. It was set up by former members of the British National Party, a Nazi organisation.

Paul Golding, the leader of Britain First, was a former BNP councillor and a BNP communications officer. Golding has criminal convictions for race hate crimes. Golding launched the Britain First election campaign from a protest against refugees living in hotels in Altrincham.

After England’s football team “took the knee” to highlight and to oppose racist murder and racial discrimination Simon said that “English people can’t be black, English blood is white.” Any promises made by Britain First to make lives better for people in Salford cannot hide that fact that racism is the only thing they want to deliver.

Further days of action are planned by Manchester Stand Up To Racism and Salford Trades Council.

Mark Krantz

Manchester

SNP is on the slide

The shine has certainly come off the Scottish National Party. When the voting ends to replace Nicola Sturgeon as leader, the victor will undoubtedly represent a step backwards. Humza Yousaf, the continuity candidate and bookmakers’ favourite, is as pro-business and anti-militancy as Sturgeon. But worse. He will be a thoroughly mainstream neoliberal.

Kate Forbes says she would have voted against gay marriage, opposes the SNP-backed gender recognition reforms and thinks having children outside of marriage is “wrong”. Yet there is a chance she might win.

Ash Reagan, the third candidate who is well behind the other two in polls, also opposes gender reform. Last week the contest degenerated into farce with candidates threatening legal action and hinting at murky manoeuvres designed to influence the outcome.

But the biggest outcome may be an end to the SNP’s dominance of Scottish politics. Its record is coming under scrutiny like never before. People are saying after decades of SNP control why aren’t health and education better?

And independence supporters don’t believe any of the leadership candidates have a way to override a Tory veto. Roll on the debate about the politics we need.

Anna Lewis

Perth

Strikes, not uniforms are key issue in schools

Neha and Hanna (Socialist Worker, 15 March) make important points about the class differences and elements of social control that lie behind school uniform.

I have been a teacher for nearly 30 years in schools with and without uniforms. I have spent hours enforcing uniform rules. Sometimes, when it is part of a successful behaviour management system, it is not a problem. But in other cases it can be racist and punitive. But the key point is that uniform is not the main issue in schools. The funding crisis is far more important.

We need to see students taking action in support of teacher strikes. Some of the TikTok protests in schools have ended up being “anti-teacher”. A fight against uniform risks diverting energy. The most urgent task is for education workers and students to unite around the NEU union’s fight for education.

Alasdair Smith

East London

We were right to oppose the war in Iraq

Twenty years since the invasion of Iraq it’s important to say that those of us who marched against it were right. I was on the anti-war demonstration of two million in London, and we were bitterly opposed to the actions of Tony Blair and George Bush.

But probably few of us could have realised the appalling potential cost of the war. Not only did it devastate Iraq, it tore up the whole Middle East and laid the basis for the emergence of Islamic State. It saw torture, mass imprisonment and ever-more grisly methods of imperialist control.

It entrenched sectarianism and hatred which still play out today. But it also triggered the biggest anti-war movement in history. That is sadly lacking in opposition to the war taking place now in Ukraine.

In 20 years time we may well look back and see that this war is equally as disastrous. It may clear the way for Western confrontation with China. Although it is not easy, there has to be continuing action against Nato’s role as well as opposing the Russian invasion.

Mary Hannigan

North London

Lumps that do not last

workers who are offered lump sums to end strikes should beware. A  bit of money can feel very welcome in these difficult times. But the cash is there for only one year. The percentage rise you get the year after doesn’t include the lump sum, and it often doesn’t count towards a pension.

Janet Threadgold

Birmingham

Is this 2008 crash Mark 2?

After the financial crisis in 2008 we were told that there would never be a repeat. Measures were supposedly put in place to regulate the banks.

But after the Silicon Valley Bank collapse, and the spreading chaos, it feels very much to me that we still have the same old system.

Jim Matthews

Peterborough

Taking away voting rights

There should be more attention on the introduction of photo ID for elections in Britain. More than a million voters could have their democratic choice taken away in May’s elections because they don’t have photo ID such as a passport or driving licence.

They will find out too late to apply for a voter authority certificate which will be accepted as a substitute.

Helen Dunwoodie

Bristol

Free childcare much too late

I have a one year old child and was excited to hear that free childcare was being expanded by the budget. At the moment I can only afford to send her to nursery two days a week, although I would love to increase this.

But the changes aren’t coming in until  2025, by which time she will be entitled to 30 hours free care anyway. Why can’t it be done now? It’s not working for me and I don’t think it will help lots of other parents either.

Fiona O’Regan

Newcastle