Reparations are needed to combat resurgent racism

AS Black History Month 2024 is celebrated, we in the anti-racist, anti-fascist movement can allow ourselves a pat on the back for routing the racist Tommy Robinson and his ilk, not only in Walthamstow but all over the country. The unfortunate and brutal murder of three innocent white girls in Stockport was exploited by the fascists to spread racist propaganda, leading to widespread attacks on mosques, hotels housing refugees and the homes of black people. The Labour government, quick to praise the police for their role in routing the fascists, ignored the mobilisation by the trade union movement, anti-racist organisations and the outrage of ordinary citizens, forcing the fascists off the streets. Without the intervention of thousands of outraged citizens up and down the country, the story could have been quite different. The snap election was the backdrop to rioting as the Conservative Party, desperate to capture votes, ramped up their racist rhetoric, scapegoating refugees and immigration. In the usual election season numbers game, the Labour Party was only too keen to join in, giving the racist Reform UK party of Nigel Farage a platform to claim some four million votes. We can allow ourselves a celebration, but our work...