Wobbly bridges better than none says the CRE
(24th April 2002)

Following Monday's electoral success by Jean-Marie Le Pen in the French presidential elections, Gurbux Singh Chair of the CRE commented that "like the French, the future is in our hands. If we vote for that outcome, that is what we will get. I believe that is not what the British people want, or deserve. The challenge for all politicians and policy makers now is to build bridges between communities, however wobbly and fragile those bridges may initially be."

He went on to state that French voters are now faced with a stark choice. To either vote for the leader of the far right National Front, or Jacques Chirac. Let us hope they choose wisely.

So why has this situation developed? Quite simply because mainstream politicians all over Europe are failing to engage their electorates. Britain is no different. We too face the threat of far right wing groups trying to seize the political momentum, capitalising on ordinary people's dissatisfaction with mainstream politics.

Next week, at the local government elections, mainstream political parties must work together to make sure Britain does not suffer the same outcome as France. The alternative will lead to a fracturing of our society, further dissatisfaction and unrest and, at worst, mayhem and chaos on our streets.

In areas where there is the greatest threat, mainstream parties must put aside their differences and work for a common goal - engaging people to tackle the things that really matter: poor education, poor housing, poor life chances, high unemployment, and high crime levels. The way to solve those problems is not to blame each other for our troubles but to work together to find solutions. The first step has to be the main parties working together to present a united front against racism, xenophobia and the politics of disunity.

The French presidential elections are a salutary wake-up call for Britain's political leaders - not to underestimate the potential impact of far right wing groups; not to ignore the real fears and frustrations of some of our communities; not to ignore the growing sense of alienation from the mainstream and grassroots of British political life.

In some of our northern towns and cities, far right wing groups have tried to capitalise on the desperation people feel about their own situation. They are trying to get each group to blame the other for their misfortunes. In reality, both sides need help, both sides face similar problems, both sides are as badly off as each other.

Yesterday, my predecessor Lord Ouseley criticised the lack of progress in Bradford following last summer's riots. Young people there are still disillusioned, he said, and feel that nothing has changed. In Oldham, the CRE's own research shows misunderstanding, stereotyping and mistrust amongst young white and Asian men are still alive and well. In Preston last weekend, a minor collision between two cars, sparked racially aggravated disturbances that lasted for four hours.

For most of us, for decent law abiding citizens, that spark of violence that leads to something much bigger and much more dangerous is frightening. These incidents leave a bitter aftertaste for months, maybe years to follow. More frightening, is that right wing groups revel in that violence. They try to orchestrate it. They encourage it. They want one group pitted against another.

That is not the Britain we want to see. That is not the Britain we should be creating for our children. That is not the Britain our elected politicians should be trying to create.

So, like the French, the future is in our hands. If we vote for that outcome, that is what we will get. I believe that is not what the British people want, or deserve. One of the most positive things to come out of the CRE's research in Oldham is that people there are not out and out racists. They misunderstand each other - because they never speak to each other. They don't trust each other - because they don't rely on each other. They use stereotypes - because they know nothing else.

The challenge for all politicians and policy makers now is to build bridges between those communities, however wobbly and fragile those bridges may initially be.

Click here to visit the CRE website.

Top