Election campaign for racial justice - Support OBV

The wave of racism, xenophobia and Islamaphobia post-Brexit shocked many of us. We warned against the toxic electioneering from the likes of Nigel Farage and many others. Their poisoned rhetoric in many ways legitimised the outpouring of racial hatred that took the shape of physical attacks, graffiti, insults, and in the most shocking case, the murder of a Polish national.

This election is not a rerun of Brexit, but it is an opportunity for us to unequivocally demand that the issue of race equality be placed centre stage during this election. Whether it’s the Brexit negotiations, or tackling youth unemployment, zero hour contracts and ‘Stop and search’ - race equality must in those discussions.

Operation Black Vote need your help, so that we together can put race equality on the 2017 political map.

With your support we’ll engage in a:

• Late voter registration drive
• Hustings in marginal seats
• A national rally with all the party leaders
• The publication of a Race Equality manifesto
• Analysis on the power of the BME vote in rover 100 marginal seats.

To be clear, all the parties want and need our vote: Theresa May wants a clear Brexit mandate; Jeremy Corbyn wants to prove his critics wrong and show that he can lead this country; Tim Farron views this election and his Pro-Europe stance as a way of resurrecting his party’s fortunes; and Caroline Lucas and Jonathan Bartley of the Green party see themselves as viable alternatives to the status quo.

When these leaders and their parties beat a path to our door, we’ll tell them that, unless you sign up to the issues of our Race Equality manifesto, including outlining a comprehensive Race Equality strategy, don’t even consider our vote .

Help us give our communities a strong voice with your small, medium and even large donations.

They all very much count.

Simon Woolley