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War on Right-wing racism launched in ‘vulnerable’ areas
Martin Bentham, Home Affairs Editor14.10.09
Ministers today launched a £12 million scheme to combat the spread of Right-wing extremism. The move comes amid fears that the recession could create rising social tensions.
Under the plans, each of more than 100 areas across the country judged to be vulnerable to extremism will be given extra help to boost job opportunities, education and living conditions available to residents.
Special community forums will be set up to allow local people to air grievances, while further measures will aim to ensure that council leaders and other officials "speak out" more effectively for those they represent.
The unprecedented initiative - which in London will initially be implemented in parts of Barking and Dagenham, Bexley and Bromley - has been prompted by concern within the Government about a potential spread of Right-wing extremism caused by increasing unemployment, immigration and deprivation in some communities.
Such fears have been heightened by the success of the BNP in this year's European elections, and the party leader Nick Griffin's appearance on BBC1's Question Time next week, as well as the recent spate of violent demonstrations involving the newly formed English Defence League.
Communities Secretary John Denham said that to prevent such groups from exploiting discontent within deprived areas, ministers wanted to ensure that the key concerns of people living there were not ignored.
These, he said, included the decline in traditional jobs in some white working-class areas, change and competition for jobs caused by migration, and problems with anti-social behaviour.He added that the Government would seek to address such problems by improving residents' access to jobs, housing, education, health and other key services, but stressed that the new plans for "giving people a voice" and improving local leadership were essential if the fight against extremism was to succeed.
"None of this will work unless on the doorstep, in pubs and community centres local people know that someone is speaking up for them and fighting their corner," Mr Denham added.
"They need to know that the jobs being created are jobs they can get, the houses being built are homes they can live in, and that the library, the school and the hospitals are being built for them, their families and their community."
Reader views (14)
So, presumably this is to stop Nick Griffin promising the electorate things that he won't deliver on? Like a referendum on Europe perchance?
- Bob, Cheam
Denham to fight our corner? What a joke. Don't bother! Your corrupt bunch had its chance. We're going to do it ourselves thanks - lost trust in all you chattering shower years ago, and now the right are going to correct what has gone wrong in England.
- Don'T Believe A Word Of It, London
Jon, London, what part of this article's headline could you not understand? "War on Right-wing racism launched in 'vulnerable' areas". "Ministers today launched a £12m scheme to combat the spread of Right-wing extremism".
- Dan, London
The purest protest possible in a true democracy is the vote we all have. To deny people the choice of who they can vote for is the antithesis of democracy. It means you're not allowed to protest against the Left, but only those deemed by them to be beyond the pale. Seems pretty simple to me. The Left don't want democracy.
So the Left, who cry 'democracy' according to convenience want to suppress that choice? (This is the same Left that describes even centre-right thinkers like me as Nazis?) - even my disagreeing with their vitriolic and undemocratic efforts to suppress the BNP will be all they need to label me as a BNP supporter. To these people that old adage - "I may not agree with you, but will fight to the death for your right to have an opinion" (or whatever the exact wording is) is a meaningless jumble of words only.
The sad part? The people that deny others the right to an opinion are the same people that the 'Right' say have a right to their own opinion. Kinda says it all, doesn't it?
- Rogan, Irving
Quote from Denham in the above article "ministers wanted to ensure that the key concerns of people living there were not ignored" !!!
What, pray tell, are the local MPS for ??
If you Denham, and your crooked, lying, thieving, corrupt colleagues were really concerned about REAL people's problems AND DID something about them then the BNP would not get any votes.
Your words are an admission that you have totally ignored white, Christian, working class concerns for the last TWELVE years.
- Roger, ENGLAND
If the BNP are extreme then the Labour party are no different, but in the other direction.
- Porkie Pies, New Addington, Croyden
The Labour party are TRAITORS to the UK. They have ignored the people who voted them in, the MAJORITY of Britian and now those people are going to cast their vote elsewhere. This party no longer has the interests of the Indiginous British folk and it is clear they are more concerned with promoting multi culturism and political correctness than common sense.
- Jabba The Hut, Bromley, London
David of Golders Green, are we really supposed to determine our politics based on unsupported innuendo by Steven Fry and Eddie Izzard? Some people may question their (and your) objectivity on anything to do with homosexuality and or anti semitism. What is pathetic in this country is the way that all rational debate is essentially closed by minority groups crying racism/homophobia/anti semitism and of course climate change. I personally find many policies of the Labour party offensive, but is bribing the electorate an acceptable way to deal with this? As someone pointed out yesterday, if BNP are DEMOCRATICALLY elected, it is for the democracy to persuade the electorate that they are wrong not intimidation and mass protests etc. That is fascism in it's purist form. If you have a problem with a political party, don't vote for them.
- Jon, london
Labour have had 50 years to provide a voice for the white working class and have only decided to act when people have threatened to vote for the BNP! Pathetic
May 2010 cannot come quick enough so we can put these traitors into oblivion where they belong
- Lb, London
An election is on the horizon and a desperate Labour government decides its time to get up close and personal with dissafected working people who in despair at being marginalised by their pary of natural choice are reluctantly forced to vote bnp in a final attempt to have some influence on the political system we actually finance!
- Les, London
Polish MEP Michal Kaminski and another hard-right homophobic Latvian politician with neo-Nazi tendencies, have been seen to be backed and partnered by David Cameron in Europe. Among those alienated, are Jewish Boards across Europe as well as the Obama administration. The two politicians are so openly homophobic that Stephen Fry, Eddie Izzard and many top British showbiz names are signing and presenting a petition to David Cameron against any British association with these men and their far-right parties.
Fry was reported as stating that as recession and unemployment is spreading in Europe, there is a rising tide of the hard-right, with homophobia and racism coming to the fore again.
- David, Golders Green, London
SURELY IF THE VOTERS COULD TRUST THE SLEAZY TWO MAIN PARTIES THEY WOULD NOT LOOK FOR ALTERNATE PARTIES TO VOTE FOR AFTER ALL SAID AND DONE THE LIBERALS ARE ONLY A VOTE WHEN PEOPLE CANT TRUST THE OTHER TWO AND SPENDING £12,000,000 TRYING TO INDOCTERNATE PEOPLE TO THINK HOW YOU WANT THEM TO WONT WORK.SURELY HELPING PENSIONERS WITH THIS MONEY WOULD BE BETTER AND MIGHT HELP TRUST IN THESE SLEEZE BALLS TO BE RE ESTABLISHED
- Anon, leicestershire
Didn't they announce the other day an "asset sale" to help the economy which was expected to net only slightly more than this? So presumably we're selling off those assets to prevent Labour losing a few more local councillors to the BNP! And it is nearly always Labour wards they take.
- Kevin T, Beckenham, Kent
So, to get a grant, threaten to vote BNP seems to be his message!
- David H, East London
