MAY 1990: Three Labour councillors elected in Millwall ward.
1990-1992: Liberal Democrats pump out racist propaganda and launch community mobilisations on racist demands. National party leaders ignore Labour complaints.
BNP begin to organise covertly. Key activists infiltrate appropriate community groups and forums, raising racist propaganda and mobilising around racist demands.
October 1992: Millwall by-election called. Millwall antiracist/anti-racist committee formed between Bengali organisations and other anti-racists.
Liberal Democrats fight viciously racist campaign.
Labour councillor Ted Johns elected, with BP candidate winning 20 per cent of poll.
Labour Party ward right wing, including sub-agent James Hunt, say BNP vote was a good thing: it reduced the Liberal vote and allowed Labour to win.
SWP pack meeting of Millwall anti-racist anti-fascist committee, and change its name to 'Island Against the Nazis'.
May 1993: Millwall selects three candidates for next May's elections, deselecting sitting "left wing' councillor. Selections include Ted Johns and James Hunt.
Summer frustrated by SWP wrecking tactics, Island Against the Nazis ceases to function.
September 1993: Millwall by-election. Local Liberal Democrats spontaneously tone down racism (but are picked up for racist history afterwards). SWP issue leaflets in name of 'Island Against the Nazis.
Labour campaign for James Hunt picks up some of the intrinsically racist demands of previous Liberal Democrat campaigns. The left is comprehensively excluded from any involvement from the campaign.
Eve-of-poll local paper carries alleged *leaked Labour canvass returns' showing possible BNP victory, which fuels confidence to vote BNP. Derek Beackon wins surprise (even for him) victory for BNP by 7 voles.
National press says it is a protest vote about housing. They are a year too late; by now the racist ideology has taken hold and some white voters vote openly to scapegoat local Bengali population (established in Millwall since 1988) for all social ills. BNP election propaganda clearly advocates race-nate.
Labour vote is decreased by incompetent, uninspiring cam• paign which also drives some Bengalis to vote Liberal Demorave music. SWP/ANL appear at Labour Party canvass points and go door to door petitioning, carrying Socialist Worker and reinforcing BNP propaganda that the ANL undertake 'rent-amob' tactics.
The Labour canvassers meet resistance to voting Labour because of ANL doorstep tactics.
After two weeks, a mediator from Militant Labour brokers a peace agreement; when the two groups meet, the Labour Party will say 'we're going this way, you go that way. It works, preempting reformist demands for UN intervention.
Some white voters admit they are voting BNP with as little emotion as if they had said 'No Vernon's, I'm with Littlewoods'. Others go purple and shout a lot. Scary incident with BNP supporters surrounding three Labour canvassers who have become separated from main team persuades Labour to stick closer together in future. Dog bites 'comrade' Black voter's dog bites slightly dodgy Labour candidate in hand. Left activists deplore canine's political sophistication in face of the over-riding need to unite to beat the fascists.
Labour campaign defends non-racist housing policy and says the BNP victory would end any investment in the area by business or in social housing by public or private sector. BNP bring out another issue of 'British Nationalist refuting these claims in detail and carrying the full text of the ex-ward chair's resignation letter with a catalogue of bizarre allegations against Labour. FIGHTING FASCISM "London Stop the Fascists' network organise counterdemo on the Saturday before the poll at a local supermarket to protest at Beackon's public appearances. BNP feel obliged to organise counter-counterdemo.
Thugs
Massive police demo keeps forces far apart: local population can't move for police vans and helicopters. Labour insistence that the BNP are bringing thugs on to the street thus ironically proven.
Police ship in van loads of riot shields ready for polling day.
Sunday's Labour campaign day sees over 100 activists leave their local campaigns and come to Millwall - fully half of them are from the organised left, and at least 5 per cent are Labour Party full timers.
May 5, Polling day: Labour wins all three seats, more than doubling its previous highest vote. BNP vote increases (Beackon's by 50% in six months), Liberal Democrat vote down to pre-86 levels. Record turnout for a council election in the UK.