Lessons of Oldham vote
Mobilise to fight racist threat
Many labour movement activists were shocked by the strong showing made by the fascist British National Party particularly in Oldham.- an average of 15% across two constituencies.
The major responsibility for this appalling situation lies with the vicious racism, particularly aimed against asylum seekers, promoted by both the Tory and New Labour Parties throughout the election campaign
Both Blair and Hague claimed that asylum was a legitimate subject for debate and had nothing to do with racism. This is a complete nonsense – their policies and rhetoric not only give succour to the fascists electorally, but also lead to the rise in racist attacks that we have also seen in recent weeks.
Phil Woolas, who retained Oldham East and Saddleworth for Labour claimed that the BNP were able to exploit a situation where none of the political parties "wanted to make race the issue". In fact it was Labour and the Tories who created the space that the fascists were able to fill.
Against the background of this racist rhetoric from the two major parties, which the media also promoted, attacks on the right of black communities to organise and defend themselves also came to the fore. When the Asian community in Lidget Green in Bradford responded to racist attacks on Easter Sunday, they were portrayed as the culprits.
In Oldham, when a white man was attacked by Asian youths, this was claimed as ‘racist’, by both the press and police chiefs, despite the fact that the victim’s family said they didn’t believe there was any such motive. Headlines about supposed "no go" areas for white people predominated.
When Combat 18 thugs attacked anti-fascist campaigners in Oldham and the Asian community organised to defend themselves, it was the community not the fascists that were criticised.
In both Oldham and Bradford – as in many other places - there is a deep issue of police racism. Eyewitness reports from Oldham give graphic examples of racist abuse aimed at black youth on the streets from officers.
Segregated
The long standing housing policy of Oldham council has also led to one of the most deeply segregated communities in Britain
We need to challenge the trivialising of racism that is taking place in these reports. Racism, like sexism and homophobia is based on the power structures and material privileges that exist in capitalist society. Black people can be prejudiced – but they can’t be racist.
The left needs to find ways to promote these discussions and to argue for the right of communities to defend themselves
Long before these events In Oldham, the BNP had adopted a different strategy in this election from the one both they and the National Front have generally adopted.
They stood in fewer seats in this election than in 1997, hoping that fewer would mean better results. The BNP and National Front (NF) contested 38 seats and got 49,669 votes. The number of seats four years ago was 84, with 49,377 votes.
The did not make a national breakthrough. They have retreated in places where they had put huge effort, and where they had met organised opposition.
The NF got only 0.9 percent and 0.6 percent in seats around Margate in Kent, where it has repeatedly marched against asylum seekers. And the BNP has been pushed back in Tower Hamlets and South Newham in east London.
Its total vote and percentage share were down in the two constituencies where they did best in 1997 – Bethnal Green & Bow, and Poplar & Canning Town.
It would be wrong to draw the conclusion that those who voted for the BNP in Oldham and elsewhere are all committed fascists. In a situation where working class voters feel abandoned by the major parties, the possibility of fascist parties gaining credibility is strong.
Many Socialist Alliance activists pointed this out in arguing for a strong general election challenge – if the left did not put forward an alternative, the right would.
More than that however, there is clearly a need to step up both antifascist and anti-racist campaigning. At MSF’s recent conference, there was no doubt that the size of the BNP vote in Oldham was a key factor in determining delegates’ strong support for affiliation to the Anti-Nazi League.
But it was also the reason behind the call made by Dave Nellist, and supported by the platform, to call on the TUC to organise a major anti-racist demonstration in Oldham. This demand will also be taken up at UNISON’s forthcoming conference, and should be raised by every trade unionist, antiracist campaigner and socialist.