ON THE SAME day that racist Tower Hamlets Liberal Councillors met to discuss their latest leaflet, the nazi National Front was soundly defeated in a local council by-election in Feltham.
Predictions of a repeat of the BP's victory in Tower Hamlets were seen to be groundless when late in the evening on November 11 the returning officer declared a paltry 263 votes for the fascist candidate Raymond O'Conner.
But we must not forget these were 263 votes for racism and fascism. The fight to get fascism off the streets of West London has only just begun with the campaign in the weeks preceding the election.
This campaign, fought by the West London Alliance of antiracist and anti-fascist groups was a model for future activities.
It was united, bereft of the sectarian politics that has been so prominent in the anti racist movement recently.
It was also a local campaign that focused not just on fighting the fascists but also linked up with existing campaigns against racist attacks in the area.
It is the dual purpose of the West London Alliance - fighting both fascism and racism -which best equips it with the ability to mobilise people on the ground. And this crucially has to include those who are the victims of racism.
Labour defeat
It is ironic that it was the Liberals who actually won the Feltham election while their counterparts on the Isle of Dogs continued to purvey racist ideas and tail the BNP.
But where was the Labour Party on the issue of racism? Clintonising the party to be bedfellows with the Liberals is no answer to racism or to any of the problems that ordinary people face.
On losing the Feltham election by 15 votes local Labour Party activist Laurie Lopez said, 'The reasons why we lost are complex. Extensive media coverage didn't help as it concentrated entirely on the NF candidate.
Dirty work
'This brought up racism as an issue and attracted and unhealthy element from the Labour vote. The Tory vote collapsing resulted in the Liberals pushing their vote up. The Labour council has been doing the Tories' dirty work in terms of cuts.' Another Labour supporter commented that 'the racism issue distracted us from the real issues'.
What is more real than being beaten up by racist thugs in the streets of your home town? What is more frightening than Nazis selling newspapers on your high street calling for forced repatriation?
In hiding from the issue of racism and refusing to fight it, Labour are effectively letting the right off the hook. And they still lost the election. Sounds depressingly familiar doesn't it?