Mobilising to stop Griffin

THE RMT transport trade union, at short notice, called a protest outside Upney tube station in east London against BNP leader Nick Griffin. The far right racist MEP was planning a press stunt in Barking where he recently announced he would stand in next year's general election.

Suzanne Beishon, Hackney Socialist Party

Around 40 protesters gathered outside to stop him and succeeded in keeping him away for at least the duration of the protest.

The Socialist Party's slogan of 'jobs, homes and services, not racism' went down well amongst people passing by. One old lady who stopped to ask what the protest was about made it clear that she didn't want Griffin and the BNP in her borough and was pleased to see the protest organised by the RMT, but added that 'Margaret Hodge [the current MP] and the Labour Party have ruined Barking'.

Trade unions have a vital role to play in combating the BNP, and the RMT has been at the forefront of this battle, fielding candidates in the euro-elections. Now, leading RMT members are involved in discussions for a trade union and socialist general election coalition with the Socialist Party and other left organisations.

Such a coalition could put forward a left-wing political alternative for working class people in the general election. This is the most effective way of cutting across the BNP's support which seeks to exploit the vacuum in working class representation by falsely posing as an alternative to the parties of big business.

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In The Socialist 25 November 2009:

'We wont pay for the crisis'