In the 1970s, the far-right were a phenomenon that the first leader of the CRE, David Lane,
hoped to eradicate.
They have this evil racial violence now and it is that that is most urgent to stamp out.
Thirty years on, the far-right have become a slick political machine. The British National
Party fielded 357 candidates at this year's council elections, more than ever before. In
the 80% white constituency of Wagonham and Barkin, a government minister claimed that
80% of the voters here considered supporting the BMP, that's more than anywhere else in
the country. In this area, the race relations industry is losing the battle against the
far-right. The people answering the race relations questions here are the BMP.
I believe that the disillusionment of this whole setup on the race relations is actually
making people here in Britain feel they're left out and consequently this is sending
people to us that normally wouldn't vote for us. They're actually feeding people towards
us because they're political correct madness.
The race relations industry has never reached out to the white working classes, but it is
they who mostly share neighbourhoods with minorities. There's no sign of any community
cohesion programmes here and the only white community groups I can see are the pubs.
The BMP used this one for meetings.
I've got to admit, I do feel a little bit apprehensive about going into this pub. I feel
like Daniel, going into the lion's den and searching around for divine protection. But
as I've said all along, we've got to listen to white working class communities, even
if they've got views which we don't like or feel are unpalatable because good race relations
is about dialogue and that's what I'm here to do, to listen.
I'm not sure how I'll be received. Is even a gollywag behind the bar.
Do you feel you can talk about race as freely as I can?
No. If another ethnic minority come up and start laughing at me and I was to laugh back
at them, I'll get down at the racism and that's not fair. If you're a white working
class boy, you'll get an undercut. You have got no option but to vote for the MP.
If race relations bots came down to pubs like this, then the BMP would not be able to get
away with spreading misinformation to those who feel they have no voice, such as the Africans
for Essex myth, that Africans have paid £32,000 to move into the area by Hackney Council.
With all respect to you, the influx of colour people around this area has gone tenfold within
the last 18 months for two years. What bugs me is the fact that I've got a 32-year-old
daughter that's still living at home and when she's been on a counsellor's list and
trying to get a counsellor's house and you get other people that are being offered money.
Where did you find out about the council giving money to people to move into the area?
It's either in the press or it's being paid bits and pieces and whatever may be.
This is not true and I see this as part of an orchestrated campaign that breeds racism
and is spread through leaflets like this, that pander to people's fear of change. Where's
the race relations industry when you need them?
I feel really good about the conversations I've had for people to change their minds.
I'm not sure but that isn't really my issue. What is an issue is that if you're going
to do race relations in this country it needs to be hammered out and dealt with in these
places as well as in the lofty places of power.
No race relations experts are nailing the BMP. I think I've done enough of listening.
It's now time for me to do the talking.
Is it true that Hackney council is giving £30,000 to Africans to buy houses?
Is that true?
It's true. What it was is that Hackney, Tower Hamlets and Neum are giving people financing
on the right to buy.
But Hackney, all of those councils have categorically denied that this is true. They say it's complete
lies. There's no evidence that there's any housing policy based on ethnicity and that
you're completely wrong. Isn't that the case?
We may have got Hackney slightly wrong in that particular stage.
So you've got Hackney wrong. So Hackney was wrong. Hackney has said it's wrong. The other
councillors have said it's completely wrong and that it's peddling lies. We know that
it's very easy to make people who don't necessarily have a great deal of information feel that
things are blue when they're really green. It's a brilliant spin but it's dangerous,
isn't it?
Despite this falsehood, the BMP totally deny being in any way racist. But I think they're
polarising people and deliberately stirring division.
Why are you masking being a racist? Why not be honest about it?
Because we're not. Again, what is racism mean?
No, no, no, no. What is racism mean to all of us?
Let's do a black-eyed piece on you. Where's the love? Where's the love in your policies,
man?
There's no love. It's in that... No, no, it's not. That ain't love. That ain't love.
No, you're not.
Where's the love?
That's got to stop.
That's got to stop.
OK.
I'm running right to be behind that.
I think my mother would be incredibly shocked to see me speak to the BMP. My approach is
at the end of the day, if you don't hear these people, you can't deal with their lies. You
can't build policies and ideas and practices that are going to truly engage people. And
I think that's what race relations has to be about.
Many people think that anti-racism initiatives aren't as necessary as they used to be.
My view is we'll probably get five or six elected.
But I think 13 far-right candidates standing at your local elections is a good cause.
If we get eight this time round, next time, four years' time, we'll have the ability to
stand 40 candidates. If that's the case, then we will take the council.
Three days later, the BMP took a record number of seats.
The result here makes the BMP the opposition on Barking and Dagenham Council, taking 11
of the 13 seats they contested.
What really bugs me is the race relations industry complacency that allows dangerous
and divisive myth-makers to get into power. When will the ambassadors of race equality
wake up? And what ever happened to mass black political demos? I think the race relations
industry have a role in raising awareness. I'm going to finish my manifesto and take
it to the CRE.
