Complacency lets racists in via back door in Blackburn

Teaming up with national black and anti-racist organisations including the 1990 Trust and the National Assembly Against Racism it will now closely monitor the situation in Mill Hill Ward, Blackburn.

It also warns major political parties to accept their culpability in making the BNP appear a more credible and respectable party by competing with the far-right in social and immigration policy, creating a political vacuum for the BNP to occupy.

Ashok Viswanathan, Campaigns Co-ordinator of Operation Black Vote said: "The BNP election is indicative of the fact that the electorate feel disenfranchised from the mainstream political process. This election will be bad for business, bad for community relations and bad for local government. The election of the BNP further puts the democratic process into disrepute.

Furthermore, some responsibility must be put at the doorsteps of 60% (3 out of five) of registered voters that did not vote and allowed the BNP in through the backdoor. We must remember 'All it takes for evil to triumph, is for good people to do nothing'."

Lee Jasper, Chair of OBV said: "The BNP will find that functioning in the local council will be greatly difficult. The Government must seriously think about whether the BNP and it policies amount to an incitement of racial hatred under the Race Relations Act. We will mobilise a wide coalition that will forever ensure the BNP do not get further up the political ladder. They won't last long.

This is also a warning to major political parties to temper their virulent language that has legitimised the racists. Jack Straw MP for Blackburn, and Blunkett as previous and current Home Secretary's have a lot to answer for in whipping up the racism, especially around Immigration & Asylum and Criminal Justice. These politicians must face up to the fact plain and simple that you cannot fight poverty with racism, and racist policy."