The Election and the Far Right
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The BNP only narrowly failed to get a seat on the London Assembly last time. In 2004 they were within 5,000 votes of getting above the 5 per cent of votes needed to gain representation. So the threat from extremist parties is real. But so is the means to tackle it ..... ourselves, our communities, our workplaces, our friends and family. The higher the turnout, the harder it becomes for such a party to get over that 5 per cent threshold. It really is a case of getting out the vote and raising that bar.
You do not need to worry about splitting the anti-racist vote, or having to vote tactically rather than for the party you want. It doesn't matter who you choose to vote for in the London Assembly (city-wide) ballot. A vote for any party other than an extremist one is a vote against extremism.
Why campaigning across London matters:
It is up to us to work for a higher turnout. But it is also for us to consider why it is that parties like the BNP are able to get the support that they do and why they have done well in particular areas on the fringes of London. One of the reasons is that for too long voters in those areas have felt that mainstream political parties aren't listening to them or putting policies in place that would benefit them. This has created the political space for the BNP and others to come in and exploit the disaffection.
Tackling of extremism means taking the fight to such parties in all areas and all arenas. That is the only way to build a stable, long-term democratic front against extremists. This election provides us that opportunity in London. The push by extremist parties for a 'London-wide' Assembly Member can be opposed by voters throughout all of London. This means competing in every London borough - including those where there has been lots of recent activity (like Barking and Dagenham) but also areas with diverse or traditional anti-Fascist communities.
The way the voting system works for the London Assembly, it is straightforward and empowering. At last there is the opportunity for individuals and community groups throughout London who want to make a stand against extremists to do so, and to do so at the ballot box and in their local community. We can all organise, campaign and get out the vote in our own areas, and make that difference.
Voters, not systems:
No system gives parties seats; it is the action of voters that does.
Some people have an inaccurate perception that 'PR lets in extremists'. Our myth-busting section deals effectively with such claims.
Londoners should already be keenly aware of how the BNP has been the beneficiary of certain aspects of our First-Past-the-Post system for council elections in recent years:
1. Barking and Dagenham
The BNP gained 12 council seats in Barking and Dagenham in 2006, despite polling fewer votes than the Conservatives, who only managed 1 councillor. The outcome completely skewered the wishes of the electorate and has had far-reaching consequences for the management and priorities of the Council. FPTP has allowed the BNP to become the official opposition in the council chambers. Voting reform would not prevent the BNP from gaining representation; no electoral system can do that. But a more proportional system would make it a lot harder for the BNP to gain a significant foothold anywhere, as they have already done in Barking and Dagenham, Burnley and other areas.
2. Epping Forest
In an Epping Forest council by-election on 30 August 2007, the BNP held onto their seat, but with only a 32.2% share of the vote. So over two-thirds of people who made the effort to vote, did so against the BNP yet our FPTP system has enabled an extremist minority to win again. Interestingly, the winning margin was smaller than the total Labour votes - so if those Labour voters had been able to transfer their preferences to the Residents Association candidate, BNP wouldn't have taken the seat.
In such a fractured seat it is perfectly conceivable that a candidate from the far right could win a first past the post election with 20%-30% of the votes. This has happened in a number of places, including in Stoke-on-Trent.
It is worth reiterating again, that for the London Assembly elections, the BNP - or other extremist parties - will find it very difficult to win in a similar way; by racking up minority support in small areas. Instead, they would need to gain over 5% of the vote across London in order to gain a seat. For Londoners who don't want to see that happen, the task is very simple. In the London Assembly (city-wide) ballot, you cast your vote for any party other than an extremist one. That will have the desired effect of (i) voting for the party you believe in and (ii) automatically counting against the chances of an extremist party winning a seat.
