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The BNP is here in Rochdale Borough
Posted By: William Hobhouse
Date Posted: 08/06/2009
The BNP got 11% of the vote in the Rochdale Borough. Well above the regional average. That’s sad news for a borough that prides itself on its community cohesion, its mixed schools, its multiculturalism.
There’s little doubt that the BNP vote has come mostly out of the poorer areas, the areas of high unemployment, deprivation and lack of opportunity. Echoing Tony Blair’s words, we must be tough on the BNP, AND tough on the causes of the BNP.
Effective campaigning against the BNP – and the Lib Dems have demonstrated success in Burnley – means providing solutions, means active democracy and participation on the ground.
That’s not easy to do. In my own ward, we have a thriving Brimrod Area Forum, solving community problems, bringing people together, creating tolerance by nuturing a strong community spirit. But the very people who will vote BNP don’t get involved. They’re not looking for solutions, they’re doing politics at a much more negative level.
Two big themes that formed the Lib Dem manifesto when we took control of the Council: devolution of power from the centre to communities, and a listening Council. With the rise of the BNP, the need to deliver on these commitments becomes more urgent than ever.
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