To prevent the racist, Islamaphobic, anti-Semitic and homophobic BNP getting a London-wide seat in the European Parliament, we must ensure that people in Hackney participate in the elections to be held on 4 June this year. Due to the proportional representation system the BNP will get a candidate elected if they win just 8% of the votes. Consequently we need 12 anti-fascist votes to cancel everyone the BNP get.

With exactly 8 weeks to go before the European Elections its time for our campaign to step up a gear.

We are holding a campaign meeting at 7pm on Wednesday 22 April at the Trinity Centre, Beechwood Road, E8 3DY. (for a map visit http://www.opendi.co.uk/london/1712427.html). We know people are busy, so we promise the meeting will be over by 8.30pm. Please let us know if you can attend.

Voter registration
The following weekend, 24 - 26 April, we are planning a weekend of voter registration. We have leaflets prepared, and lists of addresses where no-one is registered to vote. We need people to take responsibility for small geographical areas in the borough and to distribute voter registration forms to those addresses where no-one is registered. If you can help either that weekend, or at some other time please let us know.

Ward mapping
We need help to draw up a 'map' of 'movers and shakers' in each ward in the borough. We want to identify the local opinion formers, whether they be faith or community leaders, trade union or tenants reps, artists or political activists and the community networks that they are part of. Once we have the contact details of these people we will be asking them to help. We have drawn up a 'Ward mapping' guide. If you are interested in this let us know.

Candi-dating
We know that getting people interested in the EU elections is going to be a challenge. We are therefore planning a fun event to engage people with the political process.
Candi-dating is a bit like speed dating, but you spend a few minutes with each of the candidates (or one of their supporters). You are not told which party the individual candidate represents. You then ask them a series of ten questions (your choice of questions) and make a note on a form as to their answers.

At the end you decide which candidate best represents your views, and you also try to work out which party each candidate is from. There is a prize for the person who correctly identifies the most parties. We hope to gain publicity and interest as a result of this initiative. More details to follow.

Tabloid newspaper
We are working with the national anti-fascist campaign 'Hope not Hate' on a tabloid newspaper, which we hope to deliver to 40,000 doors in Hackney in the weeks before the election. However, we need your views on what the real issues are in Hackney. We want to illustrate the potential if our communities work together to tackle these issues as a contrast to the BNP's divisive and destructive politics of hate. Please let us know what you think are the hot issues where you live in the borough.

Sign this statement
Can you add your name to this puiblic statement and get others to do the same?

'On June 4th, we get the opportunity to elect Members of the European Parliament and the British National Party (the BNP) are hoping to get a candidate elected to represent London in Europe.

Hackney is a vibrant multicultural borough, where our diversity is our strength. The BNP are racist, Islamaphobic, anti-Semitic and homophobic.

They will not win many votes in Hackney. However, many people in Hackney may be unwittingly making it easier for the BNP to get elected and to spread their poisonous politics.

The European elections are run on a proportional representation system, with a London-wide constituency. To win a seat, the BNP need just 8% of the vote cast across the whole of London. There is traditionally a low turn-out for European elections, and the BNP's confidence is high after winning a seat on the Greater London Authority last year. We now face a very real risk that, London, the most muti-cultural city in Europe could elect a member of a fascist inspired party to 'represent' us in Europe.

To stop the BNP we need 12 anti-fascist votes to counter every one they receive. In Hackney, relatively low rates of voter registration and low participation in elections means that thousands of anti-fascist votes are not being cast.

We believe that many people in Hackney who loath the politics of the BNP are simply unaware that unless they use their vote, they will make it easier for the BNP to win a seat.

We intend to alert our communities to this risk and to encourage voter registration and participation in this election.'

Please help
As you can see there is a lot to do. However, the more people involved the easier it will be for us to get everything done.

Please attend the meeting, and let us know in what other ways you can help.
If you are prepared to take on responsibility for co-ordinating leafleting or voter registration in your ward or part of your ward, this would be very helpful.

Please let us know if we can add your name to the public statement that we intend to publish

Let us know what you can do to help by emailing John Page: john.page45@btinternet.com. So that we can put you in touch with others, please let us know which ward you live in (or give us your postcode) and a phone number.

You can also join our facebook group 'Hackney unites against the BNP' and encourage your friends to do the same: (http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=60441054789#/group.php?gid=6820151...)
Finally, can you please, help us increase our network, by forwarding this email on to friends, family, neighbours and colleagues who live or work in Hackney ad may want to help. Nearly everyone in Hackney opposes the hateful politics of the BNP, not everyone knows that we face a real risk of one of their number getting elected to the European Parliament.
Thank you for your support.

John Page