Lancashire workers urged to vote against BNP

PUBLIC sector workers in Lancashire are being urged to vote in the European elections amid fears that the BNP could win a seat.

Employees of councils, health trusts and non-teaching staff at schools are being targeted by the campaign being led by public sector workers union Unison.

It is urging the workers to use their vote in the June 4 elections.

The European Parliament plays a role in making European Union laws and also has a say over the EU's annual budget.

The eight MEPs who are elected will represent the region on issues including environmental protection, consumer rights, energy policy and transport.

The BNP is standing in June’s polls.

Katherine Johnson, branch secretary of Unison which has 2,500 members, said: “We have worked hard to develop community cohesion and we are con-cerned this will be undermined if the BNP are elected.

“The BNP will get £1million worth of funding over five years which we fear will be put into the party not the community.”

In Blackburn with Darwen, the council is joining forces with Unison to make sure all its workers are registered to vote in the elections on June 4.

Unison, is working with Searchlight's Hope Not Hate campaign, to increase voter registration and turnout.

Ms Johnson added: “Unison in Blackburn, and Blackburn with Darwen United Against Racism, have joined forces in an anti-BNP campaign.

"We are working extremely closely.

On Friday, May 15, the council has agreed to allow its workers to wear a t-shirt in support of Unison’s anti-BNP stance.

Graham Burgess, returning officer for Blackburn with Darwen, urged people to use their vote.

Blackpool Citizen
Thursday 7th May 2009

BNP leader could set up office in Lancashire

LANCASHIRE could become the North West headquarters of the British National Party if Nick Griffin is elected at next month’s European elections.

Mr Griffin, the BNP’s leader, is standing for a North West seat at the elections, and has confirmed it is “quite likely” they would open an office somewhere “between Colne and Preston”, if elected.

More than 90 candidates, representing 12 political parties and an Independent, are set to stand for the eight North West MEP seats.

Over five million people will be eligible to go to the polls on Thursday June 4, to choose the region’s representatives in Europe.

Mr Griffin said: “It would be wrong to second guess the electorate, but we would probably be looking at two offices.

“One is likely to be in the major conurbations of Manchester or Liverpool and the other in the central belt, somewhere between Colne and Preston is quite likely.”

As well as the BNP, candidates representing the Christian party, the Conservatives, English Democrats, Jury Team, Liberal Democrats, No2EU: Yes to Democracy, Pro Democracy, Socialist Labour party, the Green party, Labour and the United Kingdom Independence party are standing for elections.

Chris Davies MEP, who represents the Liberal Democrats, is standing again next month.

He said: “This year’s list is thick with Eurosceptic candidates and we are proud to represent a pro-European party, we think it is positive for the UK to be in the European Union.

“It is important people use their vote as it is people who vote who make the difference.

“If you don’t make the effort to vote for someone who you think reflects you then you will almost certainly end up with someone who doesn’t reflect you.

“The BNP stood five years ago and there was lots of talk of them winning seats but they didn’t get anything.

“UKIP ended up with 12 seats but look at the sorry mess they have become.”

Preston Citizen
Monday 11th May 2009

Day of Action in Blackpool - Leafleting against the fascist BNP

In less than 30 days, Britain will be going to the polls.

If the BNP win a seat in the European Parliament they'll be catapulted from the fringes into the political mainstream and given access to unprecedented media coverage and state funding.

But we can stop this happening. We simply need to tell people the truth about the BNP and the threat that they pose.

To do this, a tool has been launched on the HOPE not hate website that lets you find campaign events in your area. We're asking for two hours of your time. At present there are over 100 events across the country and in the coming weeks we'll be adding to this substantially - rolling out the largest ever campaign to stop the BNP. Will you sign up to an event in your area?
http://action.hopenothate.org.uk/eventsnearme

We will be leafleting on Saturday, 9th May. The meeting point is:
UNISON Portocabin (Blackpool, United Kingdom)
Progress House
Clifton Road
Blackpool, United Kingdom FY4 4US

Please let us know your coming via the Hote Not Hate site or via Facebook on http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=90890433120

Please come along and help even if its just for an hour during the day.

Labour division 'could boost BNP'

Former Labour leader Neil Kinnock has issued a warning to the party that continued in-fighting risks handing seats to the far-right BNP in next month's European elections.

After a weekend of turmoil at the top of the party, Lord Kinnock urged members to unite behind Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

In an interview with The Guardian, he said that talk among discontented MPs of a possible leadership challenge to oust Mr Brown from No 10 was "ludicrous and damaging".

The latest blow to Mr Brown's authority came from Communities Secretary Hazel Blears who slammed the Government's "lamentable failure" to connect with voters in a weekend newspaper article.

She even took a sideswipe at the Prime Minister's notorious YouTube appearance, saying: "YouTube if you want to. But it is no substitute for knocking on doors."

Although she was said to be "horrified" that her comments have been seen as an attack on Mr Brown - and swiftly pledged her "100% support" for his leadership - they fuelled speculation of a possible move against him.

Rebel MPs, such as former ministers Frank Field and Kate Hoey, were already talking openly of a possible challenge if Labour fares badly in the European and local government elections on June 4.

Lord Kinnock, however, said that such talk simply played into the hands of the party's enemies.

"In order to maintain Labour advances like Surestart and investment in health and education we have all got to get behind Gordon. We need to present a united front and not keep in-fighting which will hand victories to the BNP. Discussions of leadership challenges are ludicrous and damaging."

Mr Brown's position had been damaged by a bruising week which saw him suffer his first Commons defeat since becoming Prime Minister in an emotive vote on Gurkha rights, and a further climbdown on reform of MPs' expenses.

Blackpool Gazette
Monday, 4th May 2009