Anti-fascists in the North West claimed victory today after reports from the count in the region indicate former EDL leader Tommy Robinson (real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon) has failed to win an MEP seat in the region, a year after he returned to prominence with a series of violent far-right demonstrations
As the count took place, demonstrators outside the count expressed their opposition to Robinson’s attempt to spread hatred the North West. They were joined by speakers including Theresa Griffin MEP – link to tweet here.
Speaking as the North West result came in, Nahella Ashraf, Manchester Stand Up To Racism said:
“We have shown that there is no place in mainstream politics for a fascist. I’d like to thank the hundreds of activists that came out across the North West to make this happen.
“The campaign Stand Up To Racism ran shows that we can pull people together regardless of how they voted in the referendum.
“However, we cannot be complacent. We know that all the candidates running for the Tory leadership campaign will use racism to score political points. We also know that the Tory austerity agenda gives the far right space to grow. We will continue to stand up to racism wherever it rears it’s ugly head.”
Robinson’s allies in UKIP, now widely recognised as a far-right party, also look set for serious setbacks with polls predicting their leader Gerard Batten may lose his seat in the London region.
Notorious misogynist Carl Benjamin, who had publicly speculated about raping MP Jess Phillips was second on the UKIP list in the South West, where the party also appears to have failed to win a seat.
However, the success of Nigel Farage’s new vehicle and with it Farage’s return to the centre stage of British politics, anti-racists are warning that the coming period will be crucial for those who do not want to see a Trump-like movement gain momentum in Britain.
Sabby Dhalu, Stand Up To Racism Co-Convenor said:
“The failure of UKIP & Tommy Robinson in these elections shows the effectiveness of exposing and confronting the far-right and their racist, Islamophobic and misogynistic agenda.
“The return of Nigel Farage to centre-stage is of serious concern. Stunts such as the racist ‘Breaking Point’ billboard, and the outrageous demand that no HIV positive migrants should be allowed into Britain were a major factor in the rise in hate crime over the last few years.
“As hatemonger-in-chief Donald Trump is set to be given a state visit, and candidates such as Boris Johnson compete for far-right votes in the Tory leadership contest, it is vital that anti-racists redouble our efforts to challenge and turn back the continued rise in racism.”
Exit polls across Europe also show alarming gains for far-right parties in several countries. In France, an IPSOS poll predicts Marine Le Pen’s National Rally finished top. Far-right Hungarian PM Victor Orban’s Fidesz Party is set for further gains after a vicious campaign targeting migrants and minorities. Germany’s far-right AfD also looks set for further gains, with polls predicting around 10% of vote share. The far-right flemish Nationalist Vlaams Belang is predicted to have gained seats in the Belgian National parliament.
Weyman Bennett, Stand Up To Racism Co-Convenor said:
“Tommy Robinson is a racist and fascist. He has been defeated like his former party leader Nick Griffin and the British National Party were defeated before – as a result of mass anti-racist and anti-fascist activity. France though is a warning to us.
“The success of fascist, racist populist Marine Le Pen shows what happens when a fascist party starts to normalise itself and embed its ideas in mainstream political discourse. Le Pen and her party have always been apologists for the Petain regime, which collaborated with the Nazis during World War 2 and was deeply involved in the deportation of French Jews to the Nazi gas chambers.
“The example of Hungary, where far-right president Orban tightens his grip on power by relentlessly persecuting and scapegoating migrants, Muslims, Roma and Jews, is a chilling reminder we have to do everything we can to stop such forces gaining a foothold in Britain.”