Since the rise of Thatcherism in the late seventies. British fascism has been in decline. The National Front had the rug pulled from beneath them when the Tory Party adopted many of the central points of their policies, from racist immigration policies and jingoistic national chauvinism to saturation policing in poorer inner city areas and the hated "sus" laws.
The BNP have virtually abandoned organising public demonstrations since they have simply provoked mass opposition and huOver the last couple of years the BNP has been largely paralysed by internal feuding, banning its members from joining the paramilitary style Combat 18 and a split within the leadership of C18 over money raised through the "Blood and Honour" Nazi music network.
Shortly before the general clection was called, the fascist British National Party declared that they would stand in at least 50 seats, hoping that this would enable them to have their own party political broadcasts on V. T'heir aim was to stand around 35 candidates, with several contesting more than one scat cach.
This plan was scuppered when both Channel 4 and the BBC stated that they would only allow broadcasts for parties that fielded at least SO separate candidates. As we go to press the BNP are reportedly trying urgently to scrape together the extra candidates needed.
In the forthcoming General Blection the BNP have no base of support whatsoever, and are likely in most of the seats they contest.
It would be distrastrous, though, for the left to assume that this decline will continue and that fascists will simply go away if we ignore them. The far right are likely to reemerge under a Labour government and we must be prepared to combat this.
The BNP's electoral aim is not to win scats at this clection, but rather, to lay down a marker for the widespread disillusionment that may occur if a Labour government is elected which continues or escalates the offensive against the work. ing class that the Tories began.
To prevent fascists from growing requires organising against them now • building anti-fascist campaigns that oppose fascists politicallv, drawing in all sections of the labour movement, the trade unganisations in opposition to racist acas toat may kain kround amonk some sections of the working class.
i ne struxxic apainst rascism will also require organising against fascist meetings and demos, including physical opposition where needed. Communities have to organise to defend themselves against fascist and racist attacks.
2nC1000830500 ise publicly in recent years has their cadre and preventing them from making any significant breakthroughs.
Alternative
Finally, the left must start to put forward a political alternative. In many impoverished areas, Labour councils have been in office for years, presiding over massive cuts They have implemented Tory policies, using the iustilication that if they didn't the Tories would this, most impoverished working massive vote for Labour at the general clection in the hope that they will soc a change from the last 18 ycars. With a Labour government councils will no longer have any excusc.
A failure to deliver anything under a Labour government will creCosuSonieecDOiSe could be to look either to the left or If the left fails to put forward a can give nope to working class com sive growth of the far right and a bour in their traditional strongholds in the 1998 council elections.