BNP frozen out in Glasgow Central

Following Labour candidate Anas Sarwar agreeing to boycott the BNP, the SNP candidate has also confirmed he will not share a platform with them either.

In response to my Letter to SNP and Labour candidates, Osama Saeed commented:

Thank you for your email. I have always refused to share a platform
with the BNP. Fro example, there was a proposed debate last year with
them that I was invited to, but I made clear I and the SNP would not
be represented and it was then cancelled.

Also today, I was invited to attend a PCS hustings event on Wednesday in the City Halls. I spoke to Cheryl Gedling, who is Parliamentary, Campaigns, Media and Research Officer for the civil servants’ union. When I stated that we had a policy of not sharing a platform with the BNP, I was reassured to hear that PCS would never invite a fascist onto their platform. Good to hear the anti-nazi spirit of the trade union movement is still alive and kicking.

Hopefully this is part of a new consensus across society that the BNP are not a legitimate political party. They are a threat to public safety for anyone who doesn’t fit their idea of ‘British’ and they are a  menace to democracy.

Allowing them access to the open debates which would not exist if they were in power is wrong. What we are witnessing now is positive actions to stop their growth, in stark contrast to the dangerous laissez-faire attitude adopted by some in civil society, e.g. the BBC’s error in allowing them a space on Question Time.

The BNP’s campaign in Glasgow Central is now looking more and more shambolic, with them selecting a candidate who does not even live in Scotland!

Fingers crossed that with continued anti-fascist action, the BNP’s attempts to cause divisions in multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, multi-coloured Glasgow Central will be a miserable failure.

The people united will never be defeated!