Vote and stop BNP, candidates urge

By Gavin McGregor | Thursday, 20 May 2004 Source: This is Local London

If you do not vote in the London Assembly elections, you will help to elect racist thugs from the BNP.

That was the message being hammered home relentlessly this week by London Mayor Ken Livingstone and his rivals.

After an unprecedented cross-party campaign launch in Vauxhall, where he was joined by Tory mayoral hopeful Steve Norris and Lib Dem rival Simon Hughes, Mr Livingstone urged worshippers at Tooting's Islamic Centre to spread the word.

Simple mathematics show clearly that non-voters could help the fascists by staying home on polling day, June 10.

Under the voting system used for the London Assembly, parties need five per cent of Londoners' votes to gain one elected member.

A poll last week put the British National Party on 5 per cent, meaning the far-right could have members sitting in City Hall.

Crucially, if voter turnout is low it will be easier for the BNP to gain five per cent but the more people who vote, the harder it will be for the BNP.

The mainstream parties are more alarmed than they have ever been by the threat an alarm made plain by Mr Livingstone's speech on Friday.

"It would be a devastating setback for this city," he said.

"Think of the news there's been in northern towns. They'll claim a mandate from seven million Londoners in the most multiracial city in the world.

"They'll use the platform for four years to divide and to poison and to promulgate their views.

"They've decided Islamaphobia is the best line of attack but they haven't changed their views on Jews or blacks."

The message was simple: tell friends, families and colleagues to vote on June 10, or the fascists could gain a foothold in our city.