ronalist" BRITAIN As long as the crisis lasts, fascist groups will feed off frustration Mark Jason SEVERAL recent surveys have shown that most black people do not intend to vote. This is a cause for concern to some politicians, as according to the 1994 Labour force survey, nearly six per cent of the population define themselves as Black BritIsu, (uis Fiscs to Brac pcr CCas of those under 16).
In response, the 1990 Trust has launched "Operation Black Vote" to encourage Black people to regis. ter and vote. Its posters argue that the one million black people shouldy telephone the Conservative and Labour Party leaders to make their voices heard.
We should support the campaign's aims - abstention can lead to demoralisation and atomisation of black communities. At the same time, though, it reflects an astute political understanding amongst the black working class that none much to change the situation they live in.
It is not enough to urge people to voie when incy are convincco that voting will not change a thing. Indeed the Labour leadership, anxious to please big business and "middle England", has spent the last few years trying to dampen working class aspirations in the arrogant assumption that working class people will automatically vote Labour anvway Nationally unemployment amongst black people is twice that Youth vote vital Chance to wipe off that grin of whites. In London a staggering 60 per cent of black youth are unemploved compared to 20 per cent of whites. All the Labour leadership has to sav on unemployment is that they will review the Jobseckers wow nce anu cy nasc #iuicude introducing their own forced laAt every level of the criminal justice system blacks face discrimination. Black people are far more likely to be stopped by the police and arrested. Once arrested they are more likely to be charged than whites for the same offence, and more likely to be sent to prison.
Again, Labour's response is confined to an attempt to out-Tory the Conservatives on who is tougher on The Labour leadership's opposition to the Immigration and Asylum Act was pitiful. Their partial opposition to some aspects of the bill was "balanced out" with assurances from party leaders that Labour will be The current Labour policy document outlines plans to bring British legislation into line with the 1951 UN convention on refugees and with international law. It then states that not enough asylum seekers who have their appeals turned down are currently being deported, and supports fast-tracking asylum appeals, which give little time to prepare or collect the necessary documentation.
It is not enough to encourage black people to put their cross on a bit of pa. per every five years while all parties give cquat suppor to tac systear tat oppresses black people. To encourage the participation of black people in politics, it is necessary to offer a way out of the enormous level of incqualities within society.
If the current direction of the Labour Party goes unchallenged, we are likely to witness wider and wider sections of the working class becoming demoralised and atomised. Only a consistent struggle against racisi and for a massive investment in the nove sace neCe Ca Su offer such a way forward.