Searchlight/Lowles proposals for future anti-BNP campaigning

[JimPage]

If the BNP decide to become martyrs, pull the festival, and print lying crap excuses that their followers will believe, they'll believe in the 'Holohoax' too.

I couldn't give a shit what their voters think in this instance The important thing we take from this is that the BNP back down to well organised mass campaigns. You may want to try them some day

Other than the minor point is their RWB festival goes on and hasnt been cancelled. They have far from backed down. What they dont have is an alcohol licence and live music licence, in summary, and thats it. The political aspect of this will continue.

 

[JimPage]

BNP election result yesterday,and , for purposes of comparison, a Left List result.

Waltham Forest - Forest ward

LD 977
Lab 927
Con 507
Gr 184
Left List 56 (2.1%)

Carlisle Upperby Ward- 2 vacancies

Lab 595
Lab 515
LD 428
Con 346
BNP 321 (18.8% average vote- up 7% from 2007 Local Elections)
BNP 278
Con 275

 

[The Black Hand]

A) It is the policies of the Labour Party that are keeping the BNP in sight and building their base of support. The BNP are filling a gap created by New Labour

B) There are no shortcuts - neither 'ultra-left' nor liberal nonsense will help

A) Yes, there are contradictory tendencies going on. The BNP are filling a small part of that gap in some areas. Obviously Stoke has its own particular problems...

B) I agree - there are no shortcuts, neither go it alone ultra left, liberal nonsense, or utopian drivel will help.

Rather, ever gowing class struggle(s) are the way out of this mess...

 

[The Black Hand]

Other than the minor point is their RWB festival goes on and hasnt been cancelled. They have far from backed down. What they dont have is an alcohol licence and live music licence, in summary, and thats it. The political aspect of this will continue.

Apologies, by the sound of it I thought they had backed down. With no alcohol licence or live music it is not going to be a big puller is it? I agree the BNP have not gone away and the political aspect continues...

 

[TremulousTetra]

not wasting my time on this website and talking to folk like you?

ie meaningless drivel like this:

so like the rest of them, you have nothing to offer!

No, I take that back, your comment about not wasting time on this website talking to folk is probably the most constructive comment in this thread,so feel free to fuck off!

 

[JHE]

Better fewer, but better - inshallah

BNP election result yesterday,and , for purposes of comparison, a Left List result.

Waltham Forest - Forest ward

LD 977
Lab 927
Con 507
Gr 184
Left List 56 (2.1%)

Carlisle Upperby Ward- 2 vacancies

Lab 595
Lab 515
LD 428
Con 346
BNP 321 (18.8% average vote- up 7% from 2007 Local Elections)
BNP 278
Con 275

Don't be downhearted. The 56 Lost List voters were vibrant, while the BNP voters in Carlisle were just scum from the estates.

 

[treelover]

I have just seen a flyer for a LMHR event in Rotherham, it reads like something out of the 80's and has certainly been written by someone from 'london', its also basically another recruiting exercise for the SWP.

 

[geoff64]

More from Nick Lowles:

describes the politics of the ANL and the Socialist Alliance as "distant and abstract"; and a planned anti-racist march through Oldham as " counter productive".

describes going to a town centre and getting a "few middle class shoppers to sign a petition" as "easy work". "Key work", meanwhile, he opines is the "day to day graft in white areas"; before which it has to be recognised that the "left must accept that the white workers in those areas do have real problems" and that anti-fascists must be in a position "to undercut the racist message by answering the real problems people face".

He argues that telling people "not to vote BNP because they are racists" is "plainly inadequate"; because people "vote BNP for various reasons - yes for racist reasons, but also as a protest against the mainstream parties which ignore or patronize them, and because they have been let down by other parties".

Interestingly these remarks by Lowles were made in an interview with the AWL published in a pamphlet "How to beat the racists" in 2001!

(And discovered in the December 2001/January 2002 edition of Red Action)

Plus ca change ...

 

[geoff64]

The Red Action analysis of Searchlight's "turn" in 2001 was as follows:

"It can be assumed that ths belated concession to reality by Lowles is [ ] no more than a strategem by Searchlight to cover their own analytic backs. Ironicelly, in stretching their remit away from the type of state-friendly cross-class alliances enthusiastically promoted by them for two decades, the community-orientated strategy they now recommend as an alternative, is in itself an admission that a class free approach to anti-fascism, if not already downright counterproductive is certainly defunct.

"... fascism as re-packaged by the BNP cannot be defeated by an anti-fascism presented in the abstract as a single issue particularly when 'detailed answers' to the problems faced by the local working class are being provided by the right rather than the left.

"... All of which means that if Searchlight judge it opportune to covertly appropriate the AFA analysis today, then in a post May 2 [2002] landscape how long will it be before they are forced, through gritted teeth admittedly, to openly endorse the IWCA strategy, in order, if for no more principled reason, to have a credible political future as anti-fascists themselves?"


History repeated second as farce in 2008 ...?

 

[durruti02]

More from Nick Lowles:

describes the politics of the ANL and the Socialist Alliance as "distant and abstract"; and a planned anti-racist march through Oldham as " counter productive".

describes going to a town centre and getting a "few middle class shoppers to sign a petition" as "easy work". "Key work", meanwhile, he opines is the "day to day graft in white areas"; before which it has to be recognised that the "left must accept that the white workers in those areas do have real problems" and that anti-fascists must be in a position "to undercut the racist message by answering the real problems people face".

He argues that telling people "not to vote BNP because they are racists" is "plainly inadequate"; because people "vote BNP for various reasons - yes for racist reasons, but also as a protest against the mainstream parties which ignore or patronize them, and because they have been let down by other parties".

Interestingly these remarks by Lowles were made in an interview with the AWL published in a pamphlet "How to beat the racists" in 2001!

(And discovered in the December 2001/January 2002 edition of Red Action)

Plus ca change ...

he is clearly a state asset

p.s. though eta it does beg the question where gable is in all this .. Lowles statements do not sound like what he would agree with ..

 

[durruti02]

The Red Action analysis of Searchlight's "turn" in 2001 was as follows:

"It can be assumed that ths belated concession to reality by Lowles is [ ] no more than a strategem by Searchlight to cover their own analytic backs. Ironicelly, in stretching their remit away from the type of state-friendly cross-class alliances enthusiastically promoted by them for two decades, the community-orientated strategy they now recommend as an alternative, is in itself an admission that a class free approach to anti-fascism, if not already downright counterproductive is certainly defunct.

"... fascism as re-packaged by the BNP cannot be defeated by an anti-fascism presented in the abstract as a single issue particularly when 'detailed answers' to the problems faced by the local working class are being provided by the right rather than the left.

"... All of which means that if Searchlight judge it opportune to covertly appropriate the AFA analysis today, then in a post May 2 [2002] landscape how long will it be before they are forced, through gritted teeth admittedly, to openly endorse the IWCA strategy, in order, if for no more principled reason, to have a credible political future as anti-fascists themselves?"

pretty sharp hey??!!

 

[cockneyrebel]

As always with these kind of threads a lot of energy is put into saying what is wrong with other approaches (and I agree with the criticisms of the UAF strategy), but very little is said about what can be done in a positive way.

This includes posters on here failing to say what they're actually doing themselves (with a couple of exceptions), and also hardly anything on what can be done to building up a working class alternative to the BNP.

There are some people on here despite being able to achieve fuck all themselves think they should be taken as the be all and end all on what is going wrong.

Also don't see why building the Labour Party has to be mixed up with rebuilding the unions. The first is a total dead end, the second is a necessity and can go hand in hand with community organisations and local campaigns (like with stuff with my union branch).

 

[cockneyrebel]

'detailed answers' to the problems faced by the local working class are being provided by the right rather than the left.

"... All of which means that if Searchlight judge it opportune to covertly appropriate the AFA analysis today, then in a post May 2 [2002] landscape how long will it be before they are forced, through gritted teeth admittedly, to openly endorse the IWCA strategy, in order, if for no more principled reason, to have a credible political future as anti-fascists themselves?"

Firstly the far right aren't actually providing any real answers for working class communities. But also I don't see the IWCA method doing brilliantly either. It's all good and well the IWCA saying the above but considering they've just lost two councillors to new labour and have failed to spread after years of trying they're not exactly providing all the answers either. Maybe a tad less arrogance would be better.

 

[The Black Hand]

Firstly the far right aren't actually providing any real answers for working class communities. But also I don't see the IWCA method doing brilliantly either. It's all good and well the IWCA saying the above but considering they've just lost two councillors to new labour and have failed to spread after years of trying they're not exactly providing all the answers either. Maybe a tad less arrogance would be better.

RA/IWCA said that years ago cockney, it has just been seen as opportune to reproduce by Geoff. I agree, the iwca have to broaden out (but then i've said that for years), theoretically they are expedient empiricists - fetishising one struggle at the expense of all others and refusing to work with other groups. I have also said far more humility and open organising seminars/meetings/conferences/networking/struggles are necessary.

btw Duruti - Lowles will never adopt 'IWCA policy' - they are not that desperate or in that deep a crisis. Infact I find it hard to say that Searchlight are in any crisis at all.

 

[geoff64]

btw Duruti - Lowles will never adopt 'IWCA policy' - they are not that desperate or in that deep a crisis. Infact I find it hard to say that Searchlight are in any crisis at all.

It is interesting tho that what Lowles said in 2001 he repeats again in 2008, and the fact of the matter is that noone to the left of the labour party has, in the meantime, even attempted to put into practice what he acknowledges is a sensible strategy except the iwca (especially not his own organisation or his allies). It's difficult to assess the correctness of this strategy w/out empirical evidence - and of course the iwca has not gone head-to-head with the BNP - but it still seems intuitively correct to me (and to Lowles as well, apparently).

 

[The Black Hand]

Other than the minor point is their RWB festival goes on and hasnt been cancelled. They have far from backed down. What they dont have is an alcohol licence and live music licence, in summary, and thats it. The political aspect of this will continue.

Having read the below from Indymedia they are clearly having to totally reconsider what they are going to do. To go ahead without a licence would invite clampdown which the filth would prefer as it stops a potentially far greater public disorder if the massed ranks of the left turn up.

TheBNP are in more shit with this one than you indicated Jim.

BNP Withdraw Festival Licence Application in the Face of Protests
12-06-2008 13:41
On Tuesday June 10, Amber Valley Borough Council met at the Town Hall, Market Place, Ripley to hear the premises licence application for the BNP's Red, White and Blue Festival, scheduled to take place on land owned by party member and former Tory-councillor Alan Warner at Denby, Derbyshire from the 15th to the 17th August 2008.

Security at the meeting was tight. Protesters gathering outside were greeted by several van loads of Derbyshire's finest, evidence gatherers and a FIT Team. Inside, the police, who had initially raised no objection to the licence, claimed to have received "significant intelligence" which had forced them to reconsider their position. Fearing conflict between the BNP and anti-fascists they wished to see the imposition of new conditions including the erection of a seven-foot high fence around the site and the installation of temporary security lighting. When invited to sum-up their position the BNP representatives withdrew their application and stormed out of the meeting, insisting they would go ahead without the licence.

Upcoming Event: Notts Stop the BNP Public Meeting, Tuesday June 17, 7.30pm. See article for more info.

 

[The Black Hand]

It is interesting tho that what Lowles said in 2001 he repeats again in 2008, and the fact of the matter is that noone to the left of the labour party has, in the meantime, even attempted to put into practice what he acknowledges is a sensible strategy except the iwca (especially not his own organisation or his allies). It's difficult to assess the correctness of this strategy w/out empirical evidence - and of course the iwca has not gone head-to-head with the BNP - but it still seems intuitively correct to me (and to Lowles as well, apparently).

The IWCA went head to head with the BNP for 2 years running in Thurrock. The BNP won by miles both times, second time increasing their margin over the IWCA while decreasing their own vote, cos the IWCA vote collapsed far more - down to 98 or so.

What you have to consider with the IWCA is that they are effectively a very very small and totally marginal irrelevance, while the BNP are a national party with national presence. Thus they have to do less work per vote than the 'go it alone purism' of the IWCA, whose extreme localism doesn't help. 15 years of evidence says the IWCA is irrelevant merde. I could be polite about it but i have more fun being IYF.

As for Lowles he doesn't care, he is only 'doing his job'. Which means he has to say something, consistency is not a prerequisite of his employment I think...

 

[cockneyrebel]

It is interesting tho that what Lowles said in 2001 he repeats again in 2008, and the fact of the matter is that noone to the left of the labour party has, in the meantime, even attempted to put into practice what he acknowledges is a sensible strategy except the iwca (especially not his own organisation or his allies). It's difficult to assess the correctness of this strategy w/out empirical evidence - and of course the iwca has not gone head-to-head with the BNP - but it still seems intuitively correct to me (and to Lowles as well, apparently).

This isn't true. Left organisations and union branches and community groups are doing this kind of thing all over the country. Where I work being one example.

 

[The Black Hand]

This isn't true. Left organisations and union branches and community groups are doing this kind of thing all over the country. Where I work being one example.

Yes, all sorts of different groups are doing stuff - collecting money for families/local charities, up to big Cancer ones.

The country is covered by cooperatives still, more are being set up too. They range from the small local town one or the estate credit scheme, to big ones like the Co-op and John Lewis.

What there is, is a lack of politics (small p) as opposed to the bigger established parties. We really need to manifest our movement and work together to create more effective oppositional politics.

 

[geoff64]

a. The IWCA went head to head with the BNP for 2 years running in Thurrock. The BNP won by miles both times, second time increasing their margin over the IWCA while decreasing their own vote, cos the IWCA vote collapsed far more - down to 98 or so.

b. What you have to consider with the IWCA is that they are effectively a very very small and totally marginal irrelevance, while the BNP are a national party with national presence. Thus they have to do less work per vote than the 'go it alone purism' of the IWCA, whose extreme localism doesn't help. 15 years of evidence says the IWCA is irrelevant merde. I could be polite about it but i have more fun being IYF.

.

b. i largely agree. I'm not sure about the extreme localism - it's bin a while since i looked at what the iwca are up to election-wise; and i'm not sure there's anything particularly wrong with localism so long as 1) there's something going on locally that can get people riled up and out to vote, and/or 2) your local candidate is very well known as a grafter. Localism in those circumstances may effectively under-cut the BNPs national-ism.

a. re Thurrock - completely forgot about Thurrock! Problem with this is i don't think enough work can have gone into Thurrock to prepare the ground. 2 elections in 2 years is clearly not enough time to establish a credible presence as local community activists let alone viable election candidates. The BNP can pretty much parachute into an area and get a sizable vote - even with a paper candidate - cos as you rightly say they have a national profile (and hence some, albeit misplaced, credibility).

the iwca project was supposed to be about long-term work (but then they stood a london mayoral candidate ). when i have refered in my posts to the "iwca strategy" i mean the original strategy of long-term consistent local community activism.

Then again, re Thurrock, even if you had just started an iwca branch and an election came along with a BNP candidate you'd be almost obliged to stand wouldn't you, even if you hadn't yet done the ground-work. I would like to think the iwca gave a lot of time to discussion of that situation - but i really don't know anymore ...

 

[geoff64]

This isn't true. Left organisations and union branches and community groups are doing this kind of thing all over the country. Where I work being one example.

I think you are misunderstanding the kind of activity I am talking about. I mean consistent long-term working-class community politics that challenges the mainstream parties electorally.

Eg The work we've been doing is getting stuck into local issues for the last nine years - for example, school closures, stock transfers, abandoned cars, benefits and repairs issues, occupying buildings, making links with local tra's, organising film events (political stuff for activists, non-p stuff for local kids) - as well as putting out a pro-w/c free newsletter every three or four months, and doing lots of door-knocking. And,of course, using the profile from this kind of campaigning to stand in the local elections. I admit we've not been very consistent the last year (mainly due to some demoralisation after losing our second election, although we still remain the only serious opposition to Labour in the area, and to personnel deficiencies). This is what the "iwca strategy" is about. (Although I have very little knowledge of whether the iwca are still pursuing this kind of thing so intensely as they were.)

I really know of nowhere where this kind of consistent approach is being implemented outside of some iwca areas, and perhaps by the BNP, although there may be some residents organisations doing something similar (I hear rumours...)



Of course I know that left groups and unions and charites and churches are engaged in community activism, but it's rarely overtly Political (ie outside of a single issue) or gets right into where people live at street level or then provides an electoral alternative. They all do one or some of these things but not all.

Serious Q, Rebel - what is going on where you work?

 

[cockneyrebel]

Here's a report from that latest stuff:

http://www.urban75.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=253641

And I agree with the need to do stuff long term. I don't think I was misunderstanding what you were saying.....

 

[JimPage]

btw Duruti - Lowles will never adopt 'IWCA policy' - they are not that desperate or in that deep a crisis. Infact I find it hard to say that Searchlight are in any crisis at all.

Well based on the navel gazing and introspection in the latest issue- which is welcome- they are going through a mid life crisis. They basically failed big time in London- and the message that the BNP is far from finished is nto being heeded by their acolytes, such as the increasingly deranged Lancaster Unity site- which is descending again into a " BNP on the point of collapse" fantasy world

Their financiers will eventually demand a return on their investment in Searchlight- and if their propganda is patently failing to connect as it is at present, how much longer can they continue?

 

[The Black Hand]

A) Well based on the navel gazing and introspection in the latest issue- which is welcome- they are going through a mid life crisis. They basically failed big time in London- and the message that the BNP is far from finished is nto being heeded by their acolytes, such as the increasingly deranged Lancaster Unity site- which is descending again into a " BNP on the point of collapse" fantasy world

B) Their financiers will eventually demand a return on their investment in Searchlight- and if their propganda is patently failing to connect as it is at present, how much longer can they continue?

A) I hear you, i understand, I just don't think that the BNP results/issue has made Searchlight redundant, they can continue for a long time yet. I think you underestimate the amount of publicity and connections they have made too.

B) Only if the financiers are particularly stupid - I do not think your identified 'crisis' is as serious as you present it.

 

[durruti02]

bump

 

[sihhi]

There is actually a profound difference. Saying vote Labour effectively blocks forming a united front with people who are LibDem, Green, Respect or any other party voters, it also doesn't cut much ice with people who are staging a protest vote against the mainstream parties.

A strong united front anti-BNP campaign with the Lib Dems has not necessarily succeeded.

The BNP vote has increased. The Lib Dems are unleashing BNP-lite policies on immigration and internal restrictions upon work/permit foreigners, whilst at the time cutting spending on services and support for settled working-class areas. The Labour frontrunners are saying we did not win because we didn't explain to C1&C2s that we would further restrict immigrant access to welfare services.

Infact I find it hard to say that Searchlight are in any crisis at all.

Searchlight are in a mini-crisis now because elections are finished, political activity is confusing for them, prompting the question what next?

http://action.hopenothate.org.uk/pa...whatnext&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=survey

Some explanation of HnH:

From Blue State Digital-supporting, Kurth-Lampe PR chief, Obama-nutcase Kevin Lampe

http://www.kurthlampe.com/Kurth_Lam...ic_Affairs_Litagtion_Support/Kevin_Lampe.html

http://www.chicagopublicradio.org/content.aspx?audioID=41984

An open admission (something someone else told me) that only 'black'/'ethnic' addresses were knocked up closer to and on election day.

More people distributed leaflets for HopeNotHate in Barking than for any other party in any other constituency.

 

[audiotech]

Not a "mini crisis" at all, but looking to build on the campaign and establish groups locally.

The Hope not Hate campaign played a major role in the BNP's defeat. We handed out over one million newspapers and leaflets across the country. Tens of thousands of voters were canvassed in our key target areas.

Thousands campaigned with us on the streets. And thousands more donated to the campaign.

Now to really defeat the BNP for good, we need to work within the communities in which they prey. That means embedding ourselves in with local people and winning their trust and support. It means understanding their concerns and grievances and working with them to solve their problems. This is hard work but it is essential if we are to persuade people away from the politics of hate.

http://action.hopenothate.org.uk/pa...whatnext&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=survey

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I've posted this in t'other forum, but I'll stick in here too for those who haven't seen it.

Who Shot the Sheriff?

"Directed by Alan Miles and featuring the 1978 Rock Against Racism Carnival in East London's Victoria Park, 'Who Shot The Sheriff?' tells the story of one of the most exciting mass movements in British history. The film features interviews and unseen footage from the Rock Against Racism movement of the 1970's including The Clash, X-Ray Spex, The Specials, Misty In Roots, and Sham 69. The documentary tracks the rise of racism and the National Front in Britain during the 70's and shows how a generation, black and white, fought back against the Nazi threat."




...

 

[sihhi]

Hope not Hate have run out of steam, perhaps purpose once the elections are over. They've been reduced to organising action in defence of Obama in Britain.

http://www.hopenothate.org.uk/action/us-right-against-obama-more.php