It's about time that Communities Secretary John Denham does something about the threat of right-wing extremism.
White working-class estates are to be targeted in a government drive to tackle the threat of right-wing extremism, Communities Secretary John Denham has said.
About 100 of the most deprived neighbourhoods in England will be involved in the programme, which could include open discussion meetings to allow residents to air grievances about housing and immigration without being accused of racism and a requirement on councils to be more transparent about their social housing policies.
The plan comes after years in which the far-right British National Party (BNP) has made inroads into traditional Labour strongholds, culminating in the election of two BNP candidates to the European Parliament in June.
Mr Denham said that some of those backing the BNP were "undoubtedly people who have voted Labour in the past" and that the government had to launch a "sustained and visible campaign" to re-engage with white working-class communities.
"Very few people would actually see themselves as white supremacists or white fascists," he said.
"But we know that those communities are the ones that often say no-one's speaking up for us. That's a sense populist parties can exploit.
"I think that there has been a concerted effort over the last 10 years to target resources at the most deprived communities. But I think, if we're honest about it, the extent to which that work has really engaged a lot of local people has been patchy."
The neighbourhoods to be involved in the scheme are expected to be identified by Mr Denham's Department for Communities and Local Government towards the end of the summer, with work starting in September.
What hypocrites the Tories are they are now claiming to cut high-salary council chiefs and could face the sack. Granted there is a lot of high-salary council chiefs across the UK who earn as much or less if they have done nothing wrong the only crime they face is because they earn a high salary, come on you can do better than that Eric Pickles.
Council chiefs paid as much as £240,000 a year face the axe under a Conservative government, after a senior Tory said the position of council chief executive should be abolished.
The party chairman, Eric Pickles, said recent changes to the structure of local government meant many chief executives were no longer needed. Since 2000, many councils have switched to having a leader and elected cabinet members handling specific portfolios.
"I'm not entirely sure that paying a quarter of a million pounds for a chief executive of a large local authority is justified," he said. "To a degree, they are being paid like football managers. In a time when members have executive responsibilities, I'm not entirely sure that can be justified."
At least 16 local government officials earn more than the Prime Minister, and almost 200 earn more than cabinet ministers. The highest-paid council chief is thought to be Joe Duckworth, head of the London borough of Newham. The Taxpayer's Alliance claims that Mr Duckworth earns a basic £240,000. Stoke-on-Trent city council has said it was to pay its new chief executive £195,000, £50,000 more than it paid its previous chief executive.
Tory insiders believe contractual agreements may make it impossible to remove incumbent chief executives but they are considering merging the roles of council head and chief executive. "I'm not one of these people who gets excited about high salaries but it should be in proportion to their responsibilities," Mr Pickles said. "A lot of council chief executives do not have that level of responsibility."
A spokesman for the council chief executives group, Solace, said: "The most successful councils are the ones where politicians elected to take the decisions work closely with excellent strategic managers trained to run large, complex organisations."
Nearly 20 more Conservative MPs are expected to stand down at the next election as part of a fresh clear-out prompted by the parliamentary expenses controversy.
Thirteen sitting MPs have already announced recently that they will leave the Commons, but another 17 are expected to follow suit, the party chairman, Eric Pickles, told the Guardian.
The Tories still need to select candidates in about 100 constituencies. These include the 13 seats where Tory MPs have recently announced that they are standing down.
But Pickles said that he expected more MPs to quit and that "in total we might be looking at 30-ish Conservative-held seats [becoming vacant] before the general election". Pickles insisted that he expected Tory MPs to stand down not necessarily because they were afraid of losing, or had done anything wrong, but because they were demoralised.
"Some colleagues have found the process of expenses very wearing and they're very demotivated. They might not have had any problems themselves at all, but maybe they're feeling it's just time to move on," he said.
The Tories who have so far become casualties of the expenses furore include Andrew MacKay and his wife, Julie Kirkbride; Anthony Steen; Sir Peter Viggers – who notoriously spent £1,645 on a duck island; and Douglas Hogg. Nicholas and Ann Winterton were also criticised but said they were standing down because they had grown tired of the hectic life at Westminster.
In May, David Cameron announced that he was reopening the list of those approved to apply for seats – the candidates' list – because he wanted to "refresh" the party with independent newcomers who did not have a conventional political background.
Pickles said the departures would give the party the chance to bring dozens of new-style Tories with little or no background in Conservative politics into parliament. He said that about 4,000 people had applied since then and up to 70% of them were "new people".
"We've got ourselves a good mix: lots of doctors, lots of social workers, lots of community nurses … people who've got involvement with the community outside the political process."
Pickles said that about 20 to 30 of these "new people" were likely to end up in parliament after the next election.
To help the new-style Tories get selected, the party is changing the way candidates are evaluated. In future, working in the community will be given equivalent weight to party political experience.
In his interview Pickles also said that he was worried about Gordon Brown standing down before the election and that winning "wouldn't be as simple" if Alan Johnson were leading Labour.
Pickles said that, although his party was well ahead in the polls, he was not convinced that an election victory was certain – not least because Brown could be replaced as Labour leader. "It's going to require a lot of graft from associations, a lot of graft from candidates and unremitting pressure between now and next May, because you can't rule out the possibility of something in the later part of the year or next spring," he said.
Asked what he meant, he said he was referring to Brown standing down. He said that it would be harder for the Tories to win with Johnson as prime minister, but he did not think replacing Brown would "fundamentally change the picture" because voters were angry with Labour, not just its leader.
Writing in today's News of the World, the business secretary, Lord Mandelson, insisted that Brown standing aside before the election, expected next spring, was "not an option".
He urged Labour MPs and activists not to "meekly hand over power" but to prepare for a concerted fightback.
Accepting that Labour is trailing badly in the polls and will enter the election campaign as the underdog, he asked: "Do we shrug our shoulders, accept our fate and meekly hand over power to an arrogant Conservative party which believes it can do nothing, sit back and be given power on a plate? Or do we fight back? … When we come back in the autumn the party needs to roll its sleeves up, pull together and concentrate."
I have been listening to the debates from both MPs & Anti-fascistcampaigners for a long time and i have come to the conclusion that we all should have a proper debate on this subject as we have to face up to that fact that immirgation may or may not have a impact in this country. Anti-fascist campaigners and MPs have condemned government plans for a new points-based immigration system that could see people denied British citizenship if they get involved in "unpatriotic activities."
In one of the most controversial consultation briefs to date, Home Secretary Alan Johnson unveiled the new points-based system for acquiring British nationality which will take into account applicants' record of behaviour in addition to their labour skills and qualifications.
The government will today launch proposals for a new points system for immigrants seeking British citizenship, as it tries to deflect accusations that it has lost control of the country's borders.
The home secretary, Alan Johnson, will launch the consultation paper, which proposes that those wanting a passport could earn points for speaking English and doing community work, and lose points for anti-social behaviour, such as protesting against British troops.
The eve of the launch was marred when the Home Office was forced to confirm that a suspected illegal immigrant had smuggled himself into Britain under a coach carrying officials from the UK Border Agency who were returning from working in France. An inquiry has been launched, but officials say the vehicle's driver will not be fined because he carried out sufficient checks before setting off through the Channel tunnel .
The suspected illegal immigrant hid in a space next to the fuel tank and took flight once the coach reached Britain. The driver tried to catch him, but was unsuccessful.
A Home Office spokesman said: "An illegal entrant entered Dover by hiding underneath a coach returning from Coquelles, in France. The coach was contracted by the UK Border Agency.
"A full investigation is being conducted. This is further evidence of the extreme and dangerous illegal measures that are being taken to enter the UK."
Under the new proposals, immigrants will have to wait ten years before being granted a UK passport, compared to five years under the current system.
In an article in today's News of the World, Johnson wrote: "Already we require people earn the right to become citizens by paying taxes, speaking English and obeying the law ... I will go even further, unveiling my new citizenship proposals which will require people earn points for, among other things, their skills, their job and their qualifications.
"Bad behaviour will be penalised, and only those with enough points will earn the right to a British passport. No longer will there be an automatic link between temporary work and becoming a permanent UK citizen."
The home secretary predicted a short-term fall in migrant numbers from outside Europe due to the government's clampdown and because the recession makes Britain a less attractive place to live.
Migrants from outside the EU are already subject to a points-based system, introduced last year, which allows entry into the UK only if they have skills needed by the British economy.
A Home Office spokesperson said: "The points-based system has already proved to be a powerful tool for controlling migration for the benefit of both British people and the economy. We have already announced our intention to consult on applying these principles to the path to citizenship."
The Tory immigration spokesman, Damian Green, accused the government of "spin": "There never has been an automatic right to British citizenship. It is simply that this government has let an unprecedented number of people obtain citizenship, issuing someone with a British passport every five minutes. This is an act of desperation by a Government that ... has let immigration run out of control."
How low can it get for the Aryan Martyrs' Brigade issues death threat against anti-fascism activist Weyman Bennett, while student attacked after BNP protest
Far-right activists have launched a campaign of intimidation and violence against political opponents including a series of death threats and physical attacks.
Hardline fascists are targeting students and leading anti-racism activists who campaigned against the British National party in June's European elections.
A group calling itself the Aryan Martyrs' Brigade has issued threats including a "death warrant" sent to Weyman Bennett, the joint secretary of Unite Against Fascism, stating he will be killed before the end of the year "for crimes against all loyal white patriots and British nationalists".
The threat, which the police are investigating and has a picture of Bennett in cross hairs, states: "We know exactly what you look like and what venues you frequent and can strike at will. The police, special branch, MI5, Searchlight cannot save you from the bullets coming your way. No matter where you are, we will get you, all we need is a lock on your mobile phone signal and you are one dead nigger."
Others have received threatening emails and at least one prominent activist was attacked after his picture appeared on an extreme rightwing website that was taken during protests against the BNP.
"There has definitely been an upsurge in attacks and intimidation since the European elections," said Bennett. "The fringe rightwing groups appeared to be on their best behaviour when the BNP were campaigning but once the election was over they seem to be trying to take their revenge on those of us who were prominent in the anti-fascist campaign."
The increase in rightwing violence comes after Scotland Yard admitted it was deploying more resources to monitor far-right extremists amid fears of a terrorist attack. Commander Shaun Sawyer told a meeting organised by the Muslim Safety Forum last month that there was a growing threat from the far right.
"I fear they will have a spectacular …they will carry out an attack that will lead to a loss of life or injury to a community somewhere," he said.
Sawyer added that more specialist officers needed to be deployed to counter the threat from far-right groups.
Bennett, who has received threats in the past, has been told by the police to take the latest death threat more seriously.
"Standing up against people like the BNP you do sometimes get verbal threats and intimidation but this appears to be more serious," he said. "I don't intend to stop organising anti-racism events or confronting the fascists in the BNP but something like this does make me think more about my personal security."
One of the people who has been assaulted in recent weeks is Gary McNally, who helped organise a Love Music Hate Racism festival in Stoke-on-Trent in May. After the European elections, when the BNP gained two MEPs, the 23-year-old attended a protest outside a meeting in Blackpool. Several photographs of the student appeared on the extremist Redwatch website, which is understood to be linked to the Aryan Martyrs' Brigade, alongside the slogan "Remember places, traitors' faces, they'll all pay for their crimes". A few days later McNally was attacked.
"I was about 200 yards from my house and I felt something smash against my face and I heard the words, 'You are a disgrace to your country,' and I saw a pair of shoes as I fell to the ground," he said.
McNally, a student at StaffordshireUniversity, was taken to hospital where he was treated for cuts and bruises to his face and head.
"After I had been hit I thought I had gone blind in my left eye. The attack has left me very scared – the BNP put on this respectable front but I suppose this is the reality of what happens if you publicly stand up and disagree with them."
Simon Darby, deputy leader of the BNP, said the attacks and threats had nothing to do with the party.
"It is rather ironic that they are complaining about being attacked when they use similar tactics themselves," he added.
