I received this e-mail in the Crawley UAF mailbox today. As the Crawley UAF is still not off the ground there is not a lot I can do with it…

I have reason to believe that the BNP are now operating in Horsham just down the road from Crawley. They have been spotted on occassion at the Carfax bandstand at lunchtime on saturday distributing propaganda. My name is Xxxx Xxxxxx, Im a member of the socialist party of England and Wales. I dont think we can underestimate the BNP, I believe the recent trial and its end result has given the BNP a green light that perhaps their views are gaining some ground, and what do you expect after 3 years of a moral panic created by the mainstream media, this being the immigrant and asylum seeker myth which they create. I am to follow up on the tip I recieved only in the last couple of days, but I think we should be concerned, especially in such a deprived city like town such as crawley, in perhaps the most economically flourishing area of the country- West Sussex. I have sent similar emails to other local left and anti-fascist groups and I think we should keep tabs. After all many people, even though they may not of actually voted BNP did very much well consider voting BNP if they had the chance.

Not sure I agree with Crawley being described as a deprived place, but its a reminder that the fascists are still trying to get a toe-hold in Sussex.

In 2004 a couple of us from Crawley CLP went up to Portcullis House for a meeting with Frank Dobson, which our MP arranged for us. The purpose was specifically how to campaign and organise against the BNP.

One thing I remember from that was the message that the BNP and other fascist groups thrive where there is a vacuum, where other parties are less active, especially the Labour party.

We might not be the most dynamic Labour party in the country, but we are better than many, which has helped to prevent the BNP getting too many votes here, but some wards are more active than others and the BNP have had most success in those wards which are not so active relatively – like Furnace Green, Three Bridges and Ifield.

So one way to keep the BNP away is for those who are interested in a more fair society than they are promoting to join a ‘proper’ party. Even joining the Tories or SWP helps, but obviously I see the Labour party as the one which is more effective in keeping the fascists out.

Back in 2004 I took time out from my own campaign to give out UAF leaflets in the town centre, and it was the best reception I have ever seen for a political leaflet. Shoppers were actually taking leaflets rather than having them forced on them, and after a few hours the town centre was not littered with discarded leaflets. That is unusual. Even non-political flyers tend to get taken and immediately thrown away, and it was so encouraging to see the UAF literature was taken seriously. Shoppers were also giving lots of positive comments.

I took this (and the fact that our political parties are all fairly active) as an indication that Crawley really is not going to be somewhere the BNP have any success – as long as we don’t get complacent about it.