NEXT MONTH the British government is host to Antonio Martino, the new Italian foreign minister. Martino is a leader of the National Alliance, formerly known as the Italian Social Movement, an openly fascist organisation which numbers among its members Benito Mussolini's grand-daughter.
Foreign secretary Douglas Hurd says that opposition to Martino's visit is 'patronising', an attempt by British people to tell Italians what to do.
Hurd is either an idiot or knows nothing about Italy, or both. Martino's organisation is the first fascist movement to get into government in a major country since 1945.
The governing coalition in which the National Alliance participates, headed up by media magnate Silvio Berlusconi, is the most right-wing government in Europe, put into place to launch major attacks on workers' rights.
More than that, the election of a government including fascists has led to a wave of attacks on immigrants and foreigners. Three weeks ago tens of thousands of Italian skinheads, giving Hitler salutes, marched through the town of Vicenza. The election of Berlusconi's government was greeted with a giant fascist demonstration through Rome. Open fascism is on the march again in Italy.
The National Alliance's accession to government has given heart to fascists throughout Europe; it was greeted enthusiastically by German Republicans' leader Franz Schoenhuber and by ultra-right-wing nationalist leader Zhirinovsky in Russia.
But the visit of Martino offers us the opportunity to build demonstrations which will hearten workers and anti-fascists throughout Europe. Antonio Martino - not welcome here!
For details of pickets against Martino ring Jim on 081-800-7460