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

UNISON to 'stop racism' in anti-BNP campaign

UNISON is preparing to take its campaign against the BNP and other far-right parties to the streets of Scotland this weekend.

The union's branches are organising a number of initiatives in different parts of the country on Saturday April 28 to take the message out to the public that 'racists have no place in Scotland'. It's part of their UK-wide campaign to prevent the organisation building on its 2006 ballot gains.

UNISON has produced large numbers of leaflets and posters urging its members to be careful with their vote on May 3.

Scottish organiser Dave Watson said: "UNISON members care for the whole community in Scotland; we won't allow racists to wreck Scotland's economic and cultural future. The BNP preach their message of hate, but try to hide it under a veneer of respectability. They use lies and rumour to pedal myths about, migrant workers and asylum seekers. We have been working to expose those myths and welcome much needed workers into Scotland."

He pointed to a recent economic report which found the influx of migrant workers into Scotland had boosted the economy, saying that without them the building trade would collapse, the catering and tourist trade would suffer and the health service would fall apart.

With the new proportional representation system, particularly in the local elections, there is a danger that low turnout could lead to BNP candidates being elected by default, Mr Watson said. "We are urging our members and the general public to get out and ensure they cannot destroy our democracy."

However, Dr Phil Edwards, National Press Officer for the BNP has accused UNISON of hypocrisy.

He said: "Most members do not tell the union what political party they are in. There are many members in the union who support the BNP and they are appalled by this. It is not democratic for them to campaign against us but not stand for election themselves. They get hundreds of thousands of pounds of funding from other people's money - we haven't got any money. How can you define racism? We are not racists - we are race realists."

24dash

Smart suits can't hide BNP's extremist views

Letter to Lincolnshire Echo

The BNP is a wolf in sheep's clothing. Nowadays its members dress up in smart suits and try to make their views sound respectable. But they still hold the same extremist and bigoted views they have always held, and their tactics remain the same.

The BNP seeks to exploit the fears people have about immigration and spread myths and misinformation to create resentment towards 'outsiders'.

I have been in politics in Lincoln for nearly 30 years. I believe Lincoln people are sensible and fair-minded and do not like extremism. Lincoln has a proud record, going back many years, of showing hospitality to people from other countries and has shown the tolerance and understanding which are the foundations for good community cohesion.

The BNP has shallow slogans and little else. It has no roots in our local communities, little appreciation of the needs and aspirations of our communities and little idea about the solutions for improving them.

In the few places in the country where the BNP has won seats in local elections, its candidates have quickly lost interest, have been disqualified or have let their electors down in one way or another.

There is no place for the BNP in Lincoln and I hope the electorate in May will make that very clear.

Councillor Ric Metcalfe Leader Lincoln City Council

This is Lincolnshire