HOPE not hate news

Sellafield workers support decision to bar BNP leader

Home news | credit: HOPE not hate / Searchlight by Sonia Gable on: Thursday, 5 November 2009

The BNP has claimed that workers at Sellafield nuclear power station would welcome a visit from Nick Griffin, leader of the BNP. This is a lie, as the following joint statement from the GMB and Prospect at Sellafield explains.

"We fully support the decision of the Sellafield management team not to allow convicted criminal and leader of the BNP, Nick Griffin onto the Sellafield site.

"At a time when we are working to attract overseas investment from foreign governments and companies, the presence of a far right, anti-foreign politician who is not a locally elected representative would only damage our ability to safeguard local jobs and attract investment.

"The facts are that any association with the BNP would damage public support for the industry, jeopardise international investment in the Sellafield site and drive jobs out of West Cumbria.

"Equally, at a time when nuclear generation is recognised as one of the world's most effective weapons in the war against climate change, we do not believe that any association with climate change deniers such as Nick Griffin would benefit the Sellafield site or workforce in any way.

"As trade unions, we have campaigned long and hard to improve the reputation and standing of Sellafield in the eyes of local, national and international stakeholders. Allowing any visit from the leader of a far-right racist organisation with its basis in fascism could only have helped undo this work and damage the reputation of the site.

"The entire country recently witnessed the acute safety and security issues posed by the leader of the BNP prior to the recent filming of 'Question Time' and security problems of this type should not be imposed upon the Sellafield site by any visitor at any time.

"Sellafield also operates an equal opportunities policy which we fully support. Allowing the head of an organisation onto the site which has recently been prosecuted for its racist whites-only membership policy would damage the site's well-deserved reputation as an equal opportunities employer.

"On the grounds of safety, security, corporate reputation, international investment, and for the benefit and the security of West Cumbrian jobs we welcome the decision of the Sellafield management team to refuse entry to the BNP and we expect this decision to remain in place for the future."

HOPE not hate is Searchlight's campaign to counter racism and fascism in elections and beyond. Over the past few years the British National Party has seriously contested council elections all over the country but still only has 57 councillors. The two BNP MEPs elected in June 2009 have brought the party financial benefit in the form of their salaries and staffing and expenses allowances, as well as an opportunity for Nick Griffin, the BNP leader, further to develop his links with other European fascist parties and strut around on an international stage. However without the HOPE not hate campaign, the BNP would undoubtedly have had more MEPs and many more local councillors elected. Now the BNP is threatening to gain a majority on Barking and Dagenham council, in east London, and Griffin is trying to become MP for Barking. The party is also faced with defending 30 of its council seats in 2010, which gives anti-fascists an opportunity to oust them. At Searchlight we want to make sure that people know the full story about who the BNP are and what they really stand for.
The HOPE not hate website aims to do just that, serving the anti-fascist movement and providing up to date news, good practice and analysis.

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