It seems that everyday another Tory defects to Reform UK. Former Tory leadership challenger Robert Jenrick, ex Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi & Andrew Rosindell are just the latest high profile figures to go.
While strengthening Reform in parliament the defections expose a simple fact: Reform is simply going to do the same job for the rich that the Tories have done – and they are going to do it with most of the same faces.
The racism & scapegoating by Nigel Farage & Reform is all about dividing our side in the face of the massive cuts & tax cuts for the wealthy they want to make.
That’s why it’s great to see opposition to Reform UK – and the rest of the far right growing.
This week protests in Exeter against the fascists of UKIP & their leader Nick Tenconi & in Preston against cuts by Reform UK to services for the elderly both show the potential to build a powerful movement against the far right.
The demo called by the Together Allianec on Saturday 28 March gives us a fantastic chance to show that potential on a UK wide stage ahead of the May elections – and fascist Tommy Robinson’s next ‘Unite the Kingdoms’ demo in London on Saturday 16 May.
We can stop the far right – but we need to build a mass movement in every town and city to do it.
We start with two excellent mobilisations.
Exeter
At just ten days’ notice, Exeter SUTR and ‘Exeter is for Everyone’ produced and distributed 5000 leaflets calling for a counter-demonstration against the far right. Contacts were made with all of the organisations involved in the December counter-protest, the last time the far right tried
to March in Exeter.
Despite the “attraction” of Nick Tenconi, leader of UKIP, the far right achieved a turn-out of only about 60. While at the same time the counter-protest and demonstration peaked at 1000, the demonstration grew as it marched.
About 100 new sign-ups for SUTR on the day means that the SUTR email and WhatsApp groups now have @350 members. Speakers at the rally included conveyors of SUTR and Exeter is for Everyone, a YP CEC candidate, and the local RMT branch chair.
Next steps will be building for the largest possible delegation for March 28th.
P.S. Tenconi was seen to attack a lone antifascist protester who merely shouted his opposition. Tenconi’s “security” then beat the man to the ground. Tenconi of course hid behind his thugs.
Preston
Several hundred people marched in Preston on Saturday 17 January against the closure of and cuts to elderly provision and day care that are being carried through by the Reform majority Lancashire county council. The march and rally was attended by trade unionists; campaign groups; local councillors & residents of Lancashire.
Bristol
About 250 turned out in Bristol on Saturday 10 January against a ragtag of about 35 fascists, largely from the Bristol Patriots. An overwhelming police presence allowed the fascists to march but they were completely surrounded by police and pursued by anti racists. Speeches from NEU, PCS, UCI. Unison C4C STW, PSC, student activists and more.
Our Unity demo on February 14th was pushed and there was widespread support for March 28th – a real opportunity for the anti racists to get on the front foot.
Perth
On 10 January, far-right protesters attempted to storm the Radisson Blu Hotel in Perth, where asylum seekers are being housed, and attacked anti-racist activists who stood in solidarity with residents.
This is part of a wider rise in far-right organising across Scotland and the UK. But we know what works: strong numbers, collective action, and clear anti-racist solidarity.
Refugees are welcome here. We are stronger together.
Oxford
Packed house for the Oxford LMHR relaunch on Sunday 11 Jan. We contacted our local refugee hotel to extend a free invite to refugees. At least 5 came. The Together demo and fighting the far right was a theme throughout. Meryl Streek has agreed to do a personalised video for students at the Oxford secondary school we are visiting in Feb.
Image: Meryl Streek and Olivia Freud promoting the M28 Together alliance demo at the Oxford Love Music Hate Racism relaunch event
Oxford update: We have 3 gigs lined up for – January, February and March with a view to giving the Together Alliance demo a big push.
We are also part of a secondary school visit in February. Oxford SUTR has been invited in to do 4 school assemblies (30 mins per assembly) in one day (years 7 – 10). There has been a serious problem of racist online bullying in the school. We’re taking in a team of SUTR and LMHR peeps to speak (and rap) on the dangers of unchecked racism, who is TR and the far right, why refugees are not to blame etc. Oxford LMHR is reaching out to well known artists to see if they’ll do a personalised video message for students at the school.
York
York By Election Result. SUTR leafleted the whole ward with a local leaflet. Reform have polled 10% lower than polling suggested for York.
This was in a heavily flagged area of the city, Local residents have worked together to take down the flags. SUTR pressure on the council and a large unity demonstration in the city finally got them to also act and take the flags down.
In York SUTR we are taking this as a win with much work to be done!
Newcastle
Around 60 trade unionists, community and anti-racist activists met on Tuesday night at the TUC office in Newcastle to discuss how to build support for the 28 March Together Against The Rar Right demonstration in London.
The meeting was jointly organised by Stand Up To Racism North East and the North East Region TUC, it was chaired by North East TUC Secretary Dave Pike. Dave told the meeting that the NE TUC represented over 800,000 workers across the North East, Yorkshire and Humberside who all have an interest in coming together to reject the politics of despair, hate and division peddled by the far right and that the trade unions are in a unique position to persuade people to reject them.
The meeting unanimously agreed to set up a mobilising committee to build support for the 28 March Together demonstration in London, to take a request for provision of transport to London on 28 March to the NE TUC Regional Committee and to support a Unity Rally in the centre of Newcastle on 14 February.
As well as representatives from trade unions such as FBU/PCS/NEU/UCU/Unison there were others from Your Party, local Trades Council, students, Show Racism the Red Card, the Muslim Community, Friends of Al Aqsa and more in the room. The meeting agreed to approach a broad range of organisations and individuals to join us in building the maximum support for 28 March and to meet as soon as possible to begin to turn the tide against the far right.
At the Blue Carpet on Saturday 17 January there was 30-40 far right and at its peak about 60 on our side.
The far right continued to play AI produced racist music which was highly offensive. On our side we continued to counter protest in a respectful way. As always, we got lots of support from the wider Newcastle community who pass the demo on the way to the metro. Sometimes it is a thumbs up or a “well done” or they stop to chat.
This shows how important our counter demo is not only to show solidarity with those in the hotel but to the wider community of Newcastle.
Portsmouth
Only a pitiful handful of fascists turned up on Saturday. We expected this and had decided not to mount a counter. We were correct! Our consistent opposition to hatred has ground them down.
Bournemouth
The far-right in Bournemouth were down to 20 on Friday 16 January with no Portsmouth or Basingstoke to boost their numbers. We had 30, loud & proud with the XR drummers.
Crowborough
Anti-asylum seeker protests continue every Sunday. Because of the big numbers attending, it poses significant risk to counter (there’s already been vandalism, intimidation and assault by them).
We had a meeting in Crowborough on Thursday discussing strategy. We’re carefully building an anti-racist presence by starting off with a SUTR organised Holocaust Memorial Day event at the end of the month, then moving into action on the streets and then we hope to have a huge unity event in spring, which we hope lots of people from all over will support!
Upcoming Events
- 31 January Whitechapel UKIP
- 7 February North London Unity demo
- 7 February, Horley Patriots, a far right group from Surrey, are threatening to protest outside a Haywards Heath Humanist meeting
- 14 February Sheffield Unity demo
- 14 February Bristol Unity demo
- 21 February Trade union conference, Manchester Britain First
- 7 or 8 March Birmingham Unity demo
Monitoring Group Overview
Exeter are obviously the model this week. Turning out over 800 against a 60-80 far right mobilisation that included Tenconi. So far this year that is the pattern. Far right numbers are down. A derisory 10 or so in Braintree and around twenty in Cheshunt and the same at Epping. Not only that but the far right are falling out amongst themselves in a big way.
Tommy Robinson’s sidekick Danny Tommo has been accused by Raise The Colour’s Ryan Bridge of scamming the money from their trips over to France to intimidate asylum seekers. Both are engaged in a war of words claiming each is threatening the other.
The Guardian newspaper has done an excellent expose of these far right activists. “The reason why they’re coming out and doing this stuff is because they’re emboldened,” said Lachlan Macrae, of the group Calais Food Collective. He said his group had found water containers stabbed, or with soap poured in to render the water undrinkable. “They come with bulletproof vests and they go on to the beaches. They’ve been harassing people and streaming this content. As the ground is ceded to the far right, the far right has grown in response. Far-right groups in Calais are the norm now.”
Meanwhile right wing “Auditor” Anthony Barnes, AKA AY Audits, one of those right wing agitator with cameras, posted a video where he claims he was attacked in Coventry by people he says are “ethno-nationalists”. DP Audits, the far rightist Paul Dunbar from Coventry, also posted a video allegedly showing Barnes attacking him and his brother Daryl.
On Friday at Cheshunt right-wing streamer Stripey Audits was forced to leave the protest early after being allegedly threatened by others on the demo. There was also big arguments at the small Epping protest on Sunday that led to one arrest. We are also hearing of other arguments going on for instance in Falkirk.
Obviously this should not breed complacency on our part. Crowbourough as outlined above is still a challenge. There is a potential flashpoint developing at Rhosllanerchrugog near Wrexham in Wales. Several hundred residents turned out at a local meeting about the possible housing of asylum seekers in the village.
We have to remember that Robinson mobilised 100,000 and is set to repeat in May. Reform is still riding high in the polls. The Together march on 28 March is absolutely necessary and should be a focus for us all. There is a level of contradiction around the far right at the moment, they appear strong due to Trump, Farage, and Robinson. Starmer’s capitulation to their ideas boosts them too, however on the ground they are rarely breaking out from the usual suspects. Partly this is down to the hard graft put in by SUTR groups up and down the country some, such as Portsmouth, counter protesting week after week.
Our persistent mobilisation has ground them down. We need to keep up the work in order that the contradiction resolves itself in the favour of antiracists, antifascists and all decent people everywhere.