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BNP and Black History


John Simkin

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During the recent local election in Redbridge, the BNP published a leaflet attacking Andrew Beaumont, head of Woodford Green High School, for supporting Black History Month. The leaflet claimed that the head was a “dripping wet liberal” and the school was guilty of “brainwashing” pupils with a “factually incorrect” syllabus. The BNP leaflet claimed that the content of Black History Month was “factually incorrect, wrong, brainwashing at its worst (mental child-molestation) and needs to be dropped forthwith”.

The seat was in a high-income area and the BNP got 800 votes compared to the Conservatives 1,014. The real problem is in working-class areas where the Labour Party virtually does not exist as a result of Blair’s right-wing policies. My mother lives in a council flat in Basildon. It has always returned a Labour candidate. In the local elections in May, the Labour Party was unable to find a candidate willing to stand. I expect the seat will go to the BNP at the next election.

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The seat was in a high-income area and the BNP got 800 votes compared to the Conservatives 1,014. The real problem is in working-class areas where the Labour Party virtually does not exist as a result of Blair’s right-wing policies. My mother lives in a council flat in Basildon. It has always returned a Labour candidate. In the local elections in May, the Labour Party was unable to find a candidate willing to stand. I expect the seat will go to the BNP at the next election.

Whilst there always has been an element amongst the working class stupid enough to support fascism its core support has usually been from the petty bourgeosie - shopkeepers, small businessmen, middle income earners and the like with a paranoid fear of proletarianisation and/or any other perceived external threat to their "status". This will be why the BNP fields candidates in leafy suburbs. When they start winning in those sort of areas it is time to really start worrying.

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Whilst there always has been an element amongst the working class stupid enough to support fascism its core support has usually been from the petty bourgeosie - shopkeepers, small businessmen, middle income earners and the like with a paranoid fear of proletarianisation and/or any other perceived external threat to their "status". This will be why the BNP fields candidates in leafy suburbs. When they start winning in those sort of areas it is time to really start worrying.

Much of current support for the BNP comes from skilled workers who claim that they have seen a full in income because of the arrival of skilled workers from Eastern Europe. The other main factor is the shortage of council housing. People on low-wages are finding it extremely difficult to find homes. They believe, probably wrongly, that recent immigrants stand a better chance of getting council housing.

One of the problems for teachers is that BNP members are getting themselves elected to school governing bodies. In Dagenham they are now having a say in how schools are run. This could mean it will be more difficult for teachers to run “Black History Month” in the future.

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I have noticed that the BNP online forum 'Stormfront' has been linked to my blackhistory4schools website. When the site first went up I got a very nasty email from a BNP supporter against the website, but fortunately I have not heard anything since. Last month there were 18 hits from Stormfront, do I need to be concerned?

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I have noticed that the BNP online forum 'Stormfront' has been linked to my blackhistory4schools website. When the site first went up I got a very nasty email from a BNP supporter against the website, but fortunately I have not heard anything since. Last month there were 18 hits from Stormfront, do I need to be concerned?

They are clearly more frightened of you than you need be of them

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I have noticed that the BNP online forum 'Stormfront' has been linked to my blackhistory4schools website. When the site first went up I got a very nasty email from a BNP supporter against the website, but fortunately I have not heard anything since. Last month there were 18 hits from Stormfront, do I need to be concerned?

Only if the BNP members join the school governors.

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I have noticed that the BNP online forum 'Stormfront' has been linked to my blackhistory4schools website. When the site first went up I got a very nasty email from a BNP supporter against the website, but fortunately I have not heard anything since. Last month there were 18 hits from Stormfront, do I need to be concerned?

Only if the BNP members join the school governors.

Not sure whether our governors are actually paid up members of the BNP but on balance they're certainly pretty right wing and anti-union :(

I suppose a few more irrational prejudices would not be too much of a surprise :rolleyes:

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Not sure whether our governors are actually paid up members of the BNP but on balance they're certainly pretty right wing and anti-union :(

I suppose a few more irrational prejudices would not be too much of a surprise :rolleyes:

Likewise for many governors. Most socialists are too busy (a ) building working class struggle or (b ) working or (c ) both that it is logistically impossible for them to become governors. So they tend to be restricted to those with nothing better to do because others are being paid a pittance to earn their (or their spouse's) money for them. They can have no interest in making the lives of the 'workers' any easier, and lots of interest in dividing the solidarity of the staff by any means available.

Maybe I'm just being cynical :P

(edited to make the (b ) make sense!)

Edited by Ed Waller
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