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The continued growth of the far-right, racist British National Party (BNP) is a threat to students and workers everywhere. Led by neo-Nazis, the BNP encourages racism and division - making it harder for local communities to unite and fight to defend local services, or campaign on issues like low pay and workers' rights.

It is the main three parties and the media who are responsible for the rise of the BNP. Years of attacks on public services, by first the Tories and then New Labour, have left education, health and housing in crisis. Support for all three main parties has been collapsing as people refuse to vote for privatisation and cuts in public services.

New Labour and the media (owned by the millionaire press barons) have led the scapegoating of asylum seekers for the collapse in public services, in reality, caused by cuts and under-funding. As the BNP's support began to grow, home secretary David Blunkett's response was to move even further to the right, encouraging the BNP by attacking refugees' rights, instead of reversing New Labour's Tory policies. No wonder Nick Griffin, leader of the BNP, called Blunkett "the BNP's best recruiting sergeant".

There is no doubt that racist ideas and prejudice have been growing over the last few years, and the BNP has gained support as a result. However, many people are voting BNP not because of racism or support for neo-Nazi ideas, but because they are searching for an alternative to the main three parties.

But BNP councillors have failed to fight against cuts in public services. In Stoke-on-Trent, BNP councillors voted with Labour, Liberals and the Tories for an above-inflation rise in council tax. In Burnley last year, BNP councillors did not even turn up to the council meeting where Labour was pushing through £1m worth of cuts in local services and a steep rise in council tax. In Halifax BNP councillors failed to oppose the closure of the only local primary school in the area one of them represents.

But it is not just the BNP that is a threat. The UK Independence Party (UKIP) has also been running a right-wing scare campaign, attacking the main parties but offering no solutions.

Socialist Students oppose all racism and prejudice. We are campaigning to stop the growth of the far-right, and to offer a socialist alternative to capitalist parties. As yet, the BNP has not dared to organise on most campuses. But this does not mean that it won’t try and that we are not prepared for a campaign to stop it. Socialist Students would help build the student movement and link up with trade unions and anti-racist organisations, like Youth against Racism in Europe (YRE), to build a united front against the divisive and racist ideas of the far-right.

We would also explain to people who might think of the BNP as a political alternative that, instead of allowing the government and the media to divide people, we need to be campaigning together on the issues that unite us: against low pay, top-up fees, cuts in services and privatisation; for free education, a living wage, proper investment in public services and affordable housing for all.

Racism, prejudice and the far-right are only able to grow because we live in a class society where the rich and powerful exploit the rest of us for profit, and sometimes use the racist card to divide and rule. Socialist Students is campaigning for a society run democratically for need and not for profit, where poverty and want can be abolished once and for all.

Naomi Byron – YRE

www.yre.org.uk

yrehq@yahoo.co.uk