Don’t Vote Nazi 2003

• Are the Nazis targeting your area? Check out our Nazi Candidates 2003 list

JUMP TO >>> Key election results • It's time to fight the Nazis • Organise to stop the BNP • Urgent appeal for funds • Nazi target areas across Britain • Anti-Nazi campaigning materials

MAY COUNCIL ELECTIONS: KEY RESULTS

The 13 Nazi gains at the May local elections last week demonstrate the scale of the threat posed by the BNP. We have to get active and drive the Nazis out of our town halls. Contact us to find out more about the campaign. Download an ANL membership form and fill it out today.

Here are the key local election results received by the Anti Nazi League so far. A full breakdown and analysis of the Nazi vote across the country will be posted here shortly.

• BURNLEY – Nazi BNP wins seven seats – Briercliffe, Brunshaw, Cliviger, Gannow, Hapton, Lanehead, Whittlefield wards – Nazis are now the second largest party on Burnley Borough Council

• SANDWELL – Nazi BNP wins two seats – Princes End and Great Bridge wards

• DUDLEY – Nazi BNP wins a seat – Simon Darby in Castle & Priory ward

• CALDERDALE – Nazi BNP wins a seat – Richard Mulhall in Illingworth ward

• STOKE-ON-TRENT – Nazi BNP wins a seat – Steve Batkin in Longton North

• BROXBOURNE – Nazi BNP wins a seat – Ramon Paul John in Crosedale ward

• OLDHAM – Nazis fail to win any of 12 seats. Nick Griffin, leader of the Nazi BNP, was beaten in Chadderton North: Lab 1684, BNP 993, Tory 601, LD 192, Green 131

• SUNDERLAND – Nazis fail to win any seats despite standing a full slate of 26 candidates – average Nazi vote across Sunderland was 13 per cent

• KIRKLEES – Nazi BNP comes second in Thornhill ward (1456 votes, beaten by Tories on 1821) and Mirfield ward (1361 votes, beaten by Tories on 1802)

IT’S TIME TO FIGHT THE NAZIS

The British National Party is contesting 217 council seats around the country on Thursday 1 May, 2003. It has already conned its way into three council chambers: in Burnley, in Blackburn and in Calderdale. It does this by posing as 'respectable' and pretending to be democratic.

But the BNP is neither respectable nor democratic. It is a Nazi race hate organisation that is lying and bullying its way into our political life. And just like Hitler's Nazis, we have to fight them – and smash them.

The BNP lies to people to win votes – and it lies to the media to grab coverage. It tells the media it's changed, it claims to have "moderated" its policies, it pretends to distance itself from its Nazi roots. None of this is true – the BNP's political practice demonstrates that it is Nazi:

• The BNP exploits and exacerbates the racist hysteria against asylum seekers and Muslims being whipped up by the government and sections of the press. Hitler's Nazis similarly exploited and exacerbated racist hysteria against Jews in the 1930s.

• The BNP poses as a "respectable alternative" to the mainstream political parties. Hitler similarly put on a smart suit and posed as a "respectable alternative" to win support from disgruntled Tories.

• The BNP pretends to champion the rights of "ordinary working people" and campaign against poor housing, low pay etc. It even describes itself "socialist". Hitler also pretended to be the champion of ordinary working people. He even called his party the "National Socialist German Workers Party".

We can stop Britain's Nazi Party – if we campaign against them and fight them wherever they organise. We smashed Mosely's blackshirts in 1930s, we smashed National Front in the 1970s, and we smashed the BNP once before in the early 1990s. We can and must do it again.

• We need a massive Don't Vote Nazi campaign that pushes back the BNP and rips off its mask of "respectability". We must leaflet every ward where the Nazis are standing. We must expose them as liars and racist thugs.

• We must stop the Nazis from organising in their neighbourhoods and workplaces. BNP activists are trying to infiltrate local tenants associations, trade unions and community organisations. We have to expose them as Nazis and confront anyone attracted to them with the brutal facts about the BNP.

• We have to convince people that no matter what problems we face, the Nazis can never be part of the solution. All they do is make life worse – they bring more racism, more violence and more divisions wherever they appear.

• We have to drive the BNP out of the political mainstream. By telling people the truth about what they really stand for, we can cut down any support they might gain and boost the confidence of those who want to end racism and smash the Nazis for good.

ORGANISE TO STOP THE BNP

1 >>> Get active against the BNP. Do not let the Nazis meet or organise in your area. Let people know that being involved with the BNP, attending their meetings or openly sympathising with them is not acceptable. If BNP members get active, picket their meetings, drive them out of your area and expel them from local organisations.

2 >>> Racist attacks always accompany Nazi activity. Organise immediately anyone is attacked. Hold vigils or demos, take collections for the victim around your workplace and estate and get people to sign cards. Get local footballers, celebrities, trade union officials and politicians to speak out against racist attacks in the local media.

3 >>> Help out with anti-BNP leafleting. If the Nazis leaflet your area, organise a counter-leafleting immediately. Ring the ANL on 020 7924 0333 for details, or check the activity list below. You can download anti-Nazi leaflets from our resources page.

4 >>> Write letters to the local press telling the truth about the BNP. The Nazis are spread fear and race hatred by bombarding newspapers with pro-BNP letters. Write back exposing their lies – and complain to the editor.

5 >>> Get your union branch affiliated to the ANL. Download our model resolution and affiliation form. Contact us to get an ANL speaker at your branch meeting. Trade unionists must get active against the Nazis at every level!

6 >>> Organise a Love Music Hate Racism gig in your area. A successful gig raises awareness, boosts the confidence of anti-racists and gets young people involved in the campaign against the BNP. Visit the LMHR website for information, support and ideas.

7 >>> We need information on BNP candidates and activity. Keep an eye on local papers. Ring the ANL office with any information you get on 020 7924 0333, or email anl@anl.org.uk. Send us press cuttings, or fax them to us on 020 7924 0313.

URGENT APPEAL FOR FUNDS!

The Anti Nazi League needs to raise £50,000 for the Don't Vote Nazi 2003 campaign. We need the money to produce leaflets, stickers and posters. We don't have any rich fairy godmothers – we rely entirely on voluntary contributions from ordinary people like you and our trade union affiliates.

• Download a Don't Vote Nazi collection sheet and use it to get donations from your workmates, classmates, neighbours and friends.

• Make cheques payable to "Anti Nazi League" and send them to us at the Anti Nazi League, PO Box 2566, London, N4 1WJ

• Pay a monthly contribution to the Anti Nazi League by filling out a standing order form. Monthly standing orders allow us to focus our time and energy on campaigning. Even a couple of quid a month helps.

NAZI TARGET AREAS ACROSS BRITAIN

Here is a full list of councils where the BNP and other Nazi organisations stood candidates on 1 May. See our Nazi Candidates 2003 page for details of wards and candidate names. Contact the ANL if you have any more information.

Don’t Vote Nazi campaigning materials

Here are some campaigning materials you can use to fight the BNP in your area. Download them, print them off and distribute them! You can find more materials on our resources page. If you need bulk supplies, contact the ANL office.

• 'Man behind the BNP mask' poster
• 'Don't Vote Nazi' local elections leaflet
• 'It's time to fight the Nazis' general leaflet
• 'Kick the Nazis off our terraces' football leaflet
• Don't Vote Nazi collection sheet
• Anti Nazi League membership form

BBC Panorama – BNP: Under the Skin

This excellent documentary was made by the BBC's Panorama team. It explodes the BNP's pretence to be a "respectable" democratic party and exposes them as unrepentant Nazis. The BBC website on the programme includes a wealth of useful material and resources for anti-Nazis. The ANL has a few copies of the documentary on video – contact us if you want to organise a local screening.

• BBC 'BNP: Under the Skin' website
• Transcript of the documentary

Last year's May local elections results

Last year's local elections saw over 70 Nazis stand as councillors across the country. Three were elected in Burnley. The ANL has compiled a table of results detailing the Nazi vote in each area, together with links to relevant council pages.

• Nazi Vote 2002 results table