Hideously diverse Britain: mythbusting in Lancashire

How a job that will help link communities became a victim of prejudice

The municipalists of Lancashire could have done themselves a favour by describing the official they sought to employ as a community relations officer, or something featuring the term "cohesion". But every specialty has its buzzwords and so they advertised last month for someone to lead a "mythbusting project" to promote harmony and counter slurs about migrants. Soon they were taking fire. Mayday, Mayday.

"Anger at £30,000 plan for race 'myth-buster'," said the Daily Express. "Pointless non-jobs," said Richard Littlejohn. Another harrumph from the Taxpayers' Alliance. And predictably, across the internet, ridicule and outrage.

But spend some time in Lancaster or Morecambe and the idea hardly seems outrageous. You quickly find out that it isn't a council initiative. It involves many agencies, including the police and the fire service. The county council – Tory-led, mind – is providing admin but isn't paying. There's a grant from a government pot, funded by the cost of visas.

Yes, mythbuster is a funny job description, but what do you do when faced with a leaflet saying that Muslims in the region are responsible for all the drugs? Or that English workers are unemployed/homeless/under-educated/unhappy because of the Poles? When BNP extremists become MEPs and win a seat on Lancashire county council? The air needs clearing. Someone has to do it.

Liz Neat of the National Coalition Building Institute shows me around the west end of Morecambe with Magda, a tireless liaison worker. Magda is employed by the fire service but, with a smile for everyone, she's a bridge between officialdom and Poles in the area.

Things are happening in the west end – new shops, community facilities being built. There's tension between the settled and the recently arrived, but there are also attempts help them interact. Cultural events are good; anything involving food especially so. It's the social glue. Volunteers work in a drop-in centre, newsletters are crafted. People are trying to build.

But it's difficult, especially when perceptions are set, prejudices fed, and the air is rendered toxic. If a mythbuster helps Lancashire breath more easily, what's £30,000? It's a snip.

Guardian

BNP parish council candidate invited to speak at Morecambe meeting - CANCELLED

THIS MEETING HAS BEEN CANCELLED. WELL DONE, FOLKS

We have been informed that the Poulton Resident's Association has invited BNP candidate Ms Vicky (Julie) Blain to a hustings for Poulton Ward Parish Council candidates at the Poulton Children's Centre, Clark Street, Morecambe.

Obviously, this cannot be allowed to happen, so we're asking you to phone the centre and register a strong but polite protest at the fact that they are allowing the BNP on to the premises to spread its racist poison.

The meeting is planned for Monday May 18th at 7pm and if necessary, we shall be calling upon local anti-fascists to demonstrate that evening.

Local anti-fascists have always responded strongly and immediately to even a hint of the BNP popping its ugly head up, to the extent that rather than have a stall in the town centre, the BNP now chooses instead to park its Lie Lorry up in a back street somewhere or to race around the one-way system before scuttling for cover. They know they're not welcome here and we need that message to get across clearly and repeatedly every time they appear.

You can call Poulton Children's Centre on 01524 833644