A view from the Lords every Monday, with LORD GREAVES
IT'S almost a year to the day when the BNP won seven seats on Burnley Council. The accolade "BNP Capital of Britain" was splashed across the front pages of this newspaper.
For the second time in three years Burnley became notorious not for its struggling football team but for issues of race and what New Labour-speak calls "community cohesion." Or not enough of it.
People keep asking me, 'Is it going to happen again this year? And will this nasty political virus spread to Pendle?'
Last week, I took part in a meeting of a group called Pendle United Against Fascism here in Colne. Like similar groups in other places, it brings together people from a number of parties, various faith groups, trade unions and concerned individuals.
We are united on three things: we believe that the BNP represents a real threat to local communities and to local people and their families - or community cohesion, if you like that kind of language. We believe they have to be stopped.
And we believe that for this to happen we have to stand up and be counted, to go out and tell people what is wrong with the BNP and their like and why they must be beaten.
Ignoring them is not longer an option - that at least is a lesson from Burnley.
Of course, the past year has seen several set-backs for the BNP in its own "capital town." One of their councillors, Luke Smith, had to resign after a bottle-fight with a fascist comrade at their "family festival" in Sawley.
In two by-elections, including the one caused by Luke Smith's departure, Burnley's Liberal Democrats led the way in beating them at the polls where - in a democracy - it has to be done.
Then Coun Maureen Stowe took her courage and her convictions into her hands and not only split from the BNP but went on anti-fascist platforms to explain why. If nothing else, Maureen has exposed them as bullies.
But we can't write them off. Reliable rumours tell us they are standing at least 10 candidates in Pendle, as well as in most wards in Burnley. The battle is on, first for hearts and minds, and then for the votes in the box.
A year ago it seemed that only the Anti-Nazi League had seen the threat. But they made mistakes. Noisy demos and even flour-throwing played into the hands of the BNP and gained sympathy for councillors who had, after all, been elected by the people.
Nor is there any sense in "calling" people who voted BNP - often simply as a protest against years of neglect by the other parties and the council. You don't win hearts and minds by shouting at people.
Make no mistake, this year is the crunch. All the parties will fight their own corners and rightly so. Here in Pendle the anti-fascist group will concentrate on winning those hearts and minds with leaflets, petitions and talking to people.
It's down to all the democratic parties to follow this up, take on the BNP at the polls and beat them where it matters.
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