No BNP on the licence fee! - in Wales

• Pull the plug on the BNP Party Political Broadcast in Wales
• Emergency picket outside BBC Wales, 6pm-7pm, Tuesday 24th April
• Complain to broadcasters
Pickett 6-7pm Tuesday 24th April,
BBC Wales Offices,
Broadcasting House,
Llantrisant Rd
Llandaff,
CF5 2YQ

For more information contact Unite Against Fascism on:
07790 022 472 / 07734 032 314
supported by NUJ and BECTU


Please complain to the stations below:
BBC Wales (Broadcasting on BBC Wales 1 and 2 Tuesday 24 April)
08700 100 222 / Textphone: 08700 100 212
online complaint form:

ITV Wales (Broadcasting on Monday 23rd April):
02920 590590 /
Email: dutyoffice@itv.com

S4C (Broadcasting on Tuesday 24th April) :
0870 600 4141 / Textphone: 01766 514410 /
Email: hotline@s4c.co.uk


PULL THE PLUG ON THE BNP STATEMENT

The fascist British National Party (BNP) is fielding 20 candidates for all seats in the 5 regions for Welsh Assembly. It is scheduled to have a party political broadcast on ITV Wales on 23 April 2007 and on BBC Wales 1 and 2 and on S4C on 24 April 2007.

By standing this number of candidates the fascist BNP aims to gain access to public funds, free distribution of election materials and media broadcasts. Such a platform for the BNP will bring its politics of hatred into people's living rooms, encourage division and help them in their aim to legitimise their politics of hatred. Racist attacks increase in areas that the BNP have targeted. The BNP’s broadcast in Scotland featured anti-immigrant racism, in the week that an asylum seeker and her baby were victims of a vicious racist attack and sexual assault in Glasgow. The broadcast also included homophobic messages. We believe it is inappropriate, irresponsible and dangerous for broadcasters to allow the BNP, with its history of racist violence, a party political broadcast.

The BNP's politics "incite racial hatred", which is outlawed by the Public Order Act. The BNP should be barred from such free circulation of material because the right of everyone to live free from such incitement to hatred is fundamental and must be safeguarded.

There is no legal obligation on the television and radio companies to broadcast the views of any political party simply on the grounds it is fielding a certain number of candidates. See examples below of what happened previously; broadcasters can either choose not to show the election broadcast or demand changes to them if they are likely to break the Programme Code.

History shows that fascism threatens the democratic liberties of every person in this country, and particularly those whom the fascists choose to scapegoat: the black and Asian communities, Jewish people, Muslims, lesbian and gay people, those with disabilities, trade unionists, Roma people and many others. In 1999, the bombings in Brixton, Brick Lane and Soho showed where the politics of racism and hatred can lead. We believe all broadcasting channels, particularly those that are publicly funded, have a responsibility to ensure views such as those of the BNP that can incite hatred should not be given uncritical coverage.

There are precedents to pulling the plug on the BNP:

- In 1997, parties needed to stand 50 candidates in the general election for a broadcast. The BNP stood 57 candidates. The broadcasters did not reach a unanimous view of the BNP broadcast and two versions were transmitted; in addition, the BNP was unable to make all the changes required by Channel 4 in the time available, so it was not transmitted by C4.

- In 2004, Channel 5 refused to show BNP film in the form supplied and finally showed a blanked out version of the broadcast. Some changes were also required to be made to the version shown in Scotland. Comprehensive editing was insisted on by S4C for the Welsh language version. The BNP's editing of their Party Election Broadcast for broadcast on S4C rendered most of it incomprehensible.

We invite all those who uphold the principles of equality and oppose the politics of race hate and fascism to call on:

• The BBC and independent television companies not to give uncritical air-time to the racist and fascist views of the British National Party in the course of the elections this year.

• The government to propose an amendment to the Representation of the People Act so that explicitly racist parties cannot have their election literature circulated free of charge.

• The government to strengthen Part 3 of the Public Order Act of 1986 so that prosecutions for incitement to racial hatred will be easier to bring and more likely to succeed.

UAF