In case you were unaware, 2010 is an election year. Local politicians are going all out for re-election to councils in England and Wales, while Brown and Cameron will battle it out for the keys to number ten.
The British National Party has set its sights on winning control of Barking and Dagenham council and even the Barking parliamentary seat, where its leader Nick Griffin is standing. While Griffin’s campaign in Barking will receive the bulk of the publicity, at much greater risk is the council, where the BNP could easily emerge either in overall control or as the largest single party.
And it’s not just in London and Essex where the BNP poses a very real threat. Across the country the BNP is preparing for an assault on this country and its people, running campaigns of lies, vilification and hatred, scapegoating and scaremongering at a time of real financial uncertainty and job insecurity.
No election campaign would be complete without the timely intervention of one of Britain’s finest singer songwriters, Billy Bragg. For Bragg is the most trusted troubadour of the progressive forces in Britain (and indeed around the world) who agitate, articulate and educate on behalf of those who may just prefer to stay in bed rather than get out to vote. Billy Bragg is also, proudly, from Barking.
The non-partisan HOPE Not Hate campaign are the proud beneficiaries of Bragg’s ULU performance on 6 March to raise funds and awareness to help stop the electoral rise of the racist BNP. It is Billy Bragg’s badge of honour that his inclusive patriotism, social conscience and outspoken defence of a multicultural Britain has made him the target of so much hatred and bile from the BNP.
In last year’s European election the BNP’s 19.5% vote might seem a long way off the Labour and Tory votes, but since the election of two BNP MEPs to the European parliament, the BNP has continued its assault on the sensibilities of all decent people. Its racism, Islamophobia and insistence that there is no global warming raise new challenges. As Billy himself sang so prophetically, “wearing badges and t-shirts is not enough on days like these”.
To beat them, voting is the key, as is activism. To kick start those ideals and the campaign against fascism, Billy Bragg is the first port of call for anyone wanting to hear the progressives’ clarion call.
HOPE Not Hate is proud to present a walking, talking, singing, breathing, living national treasure to start the campaign against the BNP.