If Britain Were a Village of 100 People

Thanks to andyminion for the heads-up. :-)
You can read our article on this subject here.

BNP, undercover in Essex

Video courtesy of Don't Panic Magazine, thanks.

Fury at new BBC ‘race battle’ Bradford drama

The BBC was today accused of deliberately provoking controversy as it announced two new programmes portraying Bradford as the front-line of a race war.

Unveiling details of its new season of dramas and documentaries entitled "White", the corporation described it as a "series of films that shine the spotlight on the white working class in Britain today "It examines why some feel increasingly marginalised and explores possible reasons behind the rise in popularity of far-right politics in some sections of this community".

But MPs and community leaders hit back and said that the publicly-funded BBC was stereotyping Bradford and that the programmes weren't helpful to social cohesion in the district.

Bradford West MP Marsha Singh said: "I am disappointed with all the negative programmes being set in Bradford and it is about time other areas are looked at as it seems to be us that are being singled out all the time."

Bary Malik, president of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association in Bradford, said: "I'm not very happy it is set in Bradford once again. Why don't they go to other multi-cultural cities? Why is it always Bradford?"

Councillor Ian Greenwood, leader of Bradford Council's Labour Group, said: "I'm speechless, over and over and over again the same stereotypes which are entirely unhelpful for the district. Over the years you grow sick to death of seeing things which stereotype people who are all full of prejudice. We want all people living together and that is what should be portrayed."

The season, to air on BBC2 this winter, includes a drama called White Girl, written by Bafta-award winning screenwriter Abi Morgan, who this year adapted the novel Brick Lane for the big screen. The one-off film is about an 11-year-old girl who moves with her family to "an entirely Muslim community in Bradford and ends up wearing the hijab".

At first, says the BBC's press material, the girl and her siblings feel isolated because they are the "only white children in their school". The announcement continues: "But she finds a refuge of calm and safety in the Muslim faith which is lacking at home.

"She is befriended by a young Asian neighbour and shocks her family by adopting Muslim dress."

The storyline is very similar to a documentary screened by Channel 4 in 2003 entitled The Last White Kids, which focused on teenager Ashleene Gallagher who lived in Manningham and began to attend her local mosque.

In the Abi Morgan film, the girl, Leah, is played by newcomer Holly Kenny, with Bleak House star Anna Maxwell Martin as her mother and Bread actress Melanie Hill as her grandmother. Jade Islam plays the young neighbour.

The other programme is a documentary called Last Orders, about the Wibsey Working Men's Club, which the BBC describe as "embattled".

The corporation says: "With high unemployment and a perception that recent Asian immigrants receive the lion's share of Government benefits, members feel that their very community is under threat and that racial tensions could erupt at any time."

Coun Jeanette Sunderland, leader of the Council's Liberal Democrat Group, said: "In my experience as a councillor I find there is more to a community feeling under siege than skin colour. There are many sophisticated people in our district getting on with life who come under pressure from people who just behave badly and it will be interesting to see if the BBC explore that."

Keighley Labour MP Ann Cryer said: "It may be that Bradford is the best example of the problem. I do not think there is a problem concentrating on Bradford and I would not mind if they centred on Keighley. When I raise these issues I am called a racist or Islamaphobic. We do not achieve anything by ignoring the issue. We live in an apartheid city with the Bangladeshi and Pakistani communities living separate lives, along with the Muslims and white people. I am not happy with this and therefore anything that raises difficult questions that get answers is a good thing."

Shipley Conservative MP Philip Davies said: "I do not have a problem with the BBC doing the programmes on Bradford as it is blindingly obvious there are issues in the area. As long as they are not going out of their way to portray inaccuracies then I think it is fine."

Councillor Michael Ellis (Con, Bingley Rural), who is a member of the Council's safer and stronger communities improvement committee, said: "I think it's things like this that fuels support for the more extreme political groups. I feel that the documentary could raise serious racial tensions and feeds into the more extreme - people are often afraid of the unknown."

But BBC2 controller Roly Keating defended the season, saying: "It is BBC2's role to reflect contemporary society and this is a timely moment for us to examine the roots of this debate. The White season is a complex look at how life has changed for the white working class in Britain."

Bradford Telegraph and Argus

This nation of tolerance

This is a country of unparalleled tolerance, the envy of many other European countries.

A nation built on difference, where people of all colours and religions rub along together day by day. That’s why today, we are launching the Daily Mirror Hope Not Hate campaign – to celebrate modern Britain.

Over the next fortnight our red double decker bus will be coming to you – bringing a message of Hope to communities across the country.

Travelling from London to Glasgow via Dagenham, Thurrock, Northampton, Leicester, Nottingham, Lincoln, Sheffield, Oldham, Manchester, Liverpool, Wrexham, Dudley, Birmingham, West Bromwich, Blackburn, Burnley, Keighley, Bradford, Leeds, Sunderland and Newcastle – this is a celebration of the Britain we live in.

Just look at the restaurants on any high street – Indian, Chinese and Bengali, Turkish and Thai, fish and chip shops, bagel bakeries, pubs and pie shops, cafes and takeaways. Just look at our vibrant cities – great melting pots of cultures, where you can hear a dozen languages on any street corner.

Look at our schools, where children grow up together unaware of the colour of each other’s skins. Look at our army where black, Asian and white soldiers fight together on the frontlines.

What would London be without the Notting Hill Carnival, Brick Lane’s world class restaurants or Chinatown? Where would Leicester be without it’s Golden Mile or Birmingham without its Baltis?

Imagine Arsenal without Thierry Henry, cricket without Monty Panesar, rugby union without Jason Robinson and British boxing without Amir Khan, Frank Bruno and Errol Bomber Graham. Imagine British high streets without Marks and Spencers

Everything about Britain – our soap operas, our pop charts, our novelists and actors, the men and women who read the news – shows the diversity of our nation. This is the Britain admired by people overseas – a draw for tourists and a huge part of what won our country the Olympics.

We hear a lot about the ways in which multicultural Britain isn’t working – often from extremists who have a vested interest in replacing tolerance with prejudice and violence. At last year’s council elections the BNP doubled the number of council seats it holds by telling carefully placed lies, hiding their message of hate behind a ‘respectable’ veneer.

This May, let’s kick them back out again.

Because the everyday reality is that our multicultural society does actually work. We all know that, because whether we’re looking out of the window or talking to a colleague, eating our dinner or listening to the radio, supporting our favourite football team or watching Coronation Street, we can see it working every day of our lives.

This month sees the 200th anniversary of the abolition of slavery, the moment when the MP for Hull William Wilberforce led parliament to end a deplorable chapter in our history. Two centuries on, our commemorations of that moment should also include a determination to kick racism out of Britain wherever it raises its ugly head. And at the same time, let’s celebrate just how far we have come.

Mirror

Hope not Hate

More items from Mirror's Hope not Hate supplement

Murders that still haunt Rio

Loyal to the flag

Cheering our great Britons

Future face of Britain

The stars speak out

Footie got kids on side

Way to go

COME along and climb aboard as our Hope Not Hate bus spreads its message of goodwill across the nation. Setting off from Dagenham on Saturday, March 23, it will criss-cross the country until it reaches Glasgow on Good Friday, April 6.

At each stop celebs will be out to show their support and we’ll be holding food festivals, staging concerts and giving out T-shirts, mugs, rosettes and postcards.

Check the newspaper and website every day for details of where we’ll be and bring your friends and family. Look in the paper tomorrow for details of day one in Dagenham and Thurrock and Leicester on Sunday. Thank you for your support.

Bus Tour dates

Saturday, March 24 - Dagenham & Thurrock
Sunday, March 25 - Northampton & Leicester
Monday, March 26 - Nottingham & Lincoln
Tuesday, March 27 - Sheffield
Wednesday, March 28 - Oldham & Manchester
Thursday, March 29 - Liverpool & North Wales
Friday, March 30 - Dudley & Birmingham
Saturday, March 31 - Stoke-on-Trent
Sunday, April 1 - Sandwell
Monday, April 2 - Blackburn & Burnley
Tuesday, April 3 - Keighley, Bradford and Batley
Wednesday, April 4 - Leeds & surrounding area
Thursday, April 5 - Sunderland & Newcastle
Friday, April 6 - Glasgow

The Daily Mirror backs HOPE not hate campaign

We are pleased to announce that the Daily Mirror is supporting the HOPE not Hate campaign. Today's edition carries an 8pp supplement celebrating modern diverse Britain and opposing the politics of hate.

On Saturday a HOPE not Hate bus, organised by Searchlight and the Daily Mirror, will begin a 14-day journey across the country. It will start in Dagenham on Saturday morning and end in Glasgow on Friday 6 April. Along the route we shall be joined by national celebrities and visit local community groups at the forefront of offering a positive alternative to the BNP. Click here to see the route map.

The campaign is being backed by X-Factor winner Leona Lewis, boxer Amir Khan and The Apprentice's Alan Sugar.

You will be able to follow the tour via our Hope not Hate bus tour blog and picture gallery.

Jon Cruddas, MP for Dagenham and joint secretary of the Anti-Fascist Fortnight steering committee, told Searchlight: "This is really exciting news. The support of the Daily Mirror takes our campaign onto a new level. I would urge everyone to get involved."

HOPE not Hate literature

Searchlight has produced a range of HOPE not Hate literature which local groups and unions can distribute. These include newspapers, leaflets, postcards, posters, balloons and badges. View the merchandise here.

Anti-Fascist Fortnight

Over the next two weeks there will be anti-BNP activities across the country. It is really important that we translate opposition to the racist views of the BNP to positive action. If we are going to prevent the BNP from winning council seats then we need to get anti-BNP literature out through doors. Please do you best to spare some time to help out. You can view the activities here.

£8,000 to defeat the BNP: Please support Searchlight

Searchlight still needs to raise £8,000 to fund its campaign. Every penny raised will go straight to our campaign fund. The more money we raise, the more we can do. The more we can do, the more we can stop the BNP. The more we can stop the BNP, the better life will be. It's that simple.

We would like to thank those who have already given generously and we would urge others, especially those who are unable to attend our activities, to support the campaign through a donation.

To donate to the campaign click here

You can download a fundraising leaflet here

Get involved If you would like to get involved in the campaign or want to know what is happening in your area email me at nick@stoprthebnp.org.uk

TOGETHER WE CAN BEAT THE BNP

Hope not Hate