UNION leaders have called for a ban on British National Party members working in public services and called for a huge campaign to counter the threat of fascism.
The TUC Congress said urgent talks should be held with the government about extending the current ban on members of the extremist right wing party working in the police and Prison Service.
BNP membership was `incompatible' with jobs in teaching, the NHS and other parts of the public sector, said the TUC.
The call came as Colin Moses, president of the Prison Officers Association, attacked the BBC for considering inviting BNP leader Nick Griffin on its Question Time programme.
Rena Wood, of Unison, agreed, saying: "What kind of world are we living in when Question Time is going to offer a seat to Nick Griffin? We should all protest to the BBC."
Griffin, who has denied the Holocaust, also has a criminal conviction for publishing material likely to incite racial hatred.
Silent vigil
Delegates at the TUC Congress in Liverpool, meanwhile, lined up to attack the BNP before holding a silent vigil outside the conference centre to press home their message.
Janice Godrich, of the Public and Commercial Services union, said the election of two BNP MEPs and local councillors was partly explained by a `collapse' in votes for Labour.
She said: "It is not acceptable that you can be a fascist at weekends, yet work between Monday and Friday accessing confidential information on members of the public."
Tim Wilson, of the National Association of Probation Officers, said it was wrong that BNP members could work in the profession, while Nick Kusak, of the Professional Footballers Association, said: "We cannot allow extremists and the right to seize the initiative and take us back to the Dark Ages."
Julian Chapman, president of the teachers' union NASUWT, told delegates: "The policies of the BNP run completely counter to the values and ethos of public services, which are about tolerance, inclusion, social justice and community cohesion.
"We must expose the BNP's cynical use of the democratic process, whether in local, national or European elections, or when seeking election to school governing bodies."
Tweet
Union leaders call for ban on BNP teachers
September 15, 2009
Showing comments 1 to 25 and replies | View All
Ron, Gorton (15/09/2009 at 10:13)
However, most of my teachers were making barabed comments about 'Tories', wore CND badges, were anti Thatcher and two of my teachers spent half their time harping on about how wonderful Marxism is.
Can the TUC reccomend that this is tamped out too or because they are far left themselves do they see it OK to indoctrinate children in far left but far right is a no, no?
Thought so.
Ban any political leanings from schools, not just selectively.
Hamish Macbeth, Whitefield (15/09/2009 at 10:22)
I wonder if the TUC has considered stopping its members being members of Sinn Fein, or perhaps from attending extremist Mosques?
This Government has been the most right wing ever and presided over a huge erosion of civil liberties - perhaps the TUC should ban membership of Labour too...
BNP are odious - but banning membership is not the way to deal with the matter.
It is amazing how right wing these left wing organisations can be when it comes to minority issues.
Bejjy ex Salford now Malta, Malta (15/09/2009 at 10:25)
CorneredAllTheLuck, Tameside (15/09/2009 at 10:41)
ebble, manchester (15/09/2009 at 10:58)
JTC Formerley JimC (15/09/2009 at 10:59)
If thier beliefs are not forced on pupils in the classroom then what is the problem with them teaching. Some people create issues for the sake of issues being created.
Mr Angry, Bury (15/09/2009 at 11:08)
phil m, cumbria (15/09/2009 at 11:46)
Is It Me? (15/09/2009 at 11:46)
Local lad, outsidethebox (15/09/2009 at 11:56)
Matt Hulme, Hulme (15/09/2009 at 12:45)
Personally I wouldn't recognise the unions either until they drop their politcal affiliations and payments to the labour party
freel07 (15/09/2009 at 12:45)
PW, Manchester (15/09/2009 at 12:53)
Brook Lands (15/09/2009 at 14:40)
Please stop apologising for the BNP.
Andy, Wythenshawe (15/09/2009 at 14:52)
Will his/her political leanings affect the way he/she teaches the non whites in the class, and will they promote separatism and nationalism.
keyjockey, Manchester (15/09/2009 at 14:59)
Anthony , Accrington,Lancashire (15/09/2009 at 15:04)
Billy the Fish! (15/09/2009 at 15:19)
Fair point!
In the 80's when I was at school we had a teacher who was adorned with CND badges, made us read Animal Farm and Boys From the Black Stuff and she also encouraged pupils to become vegetarians. Her beliefs were forced on her pupils and she did actively select a few 'rich kids' as targets. One of them lived in a very nice suburb, dad owned a business and he was dropped off at school in a nice Jag.
Her hatred of him was obvious, he was seriously singled out by her. Her behavior as a teacher who should be impartial was atrocious!
I find the BNP an abhorrent outfit, but they are not an illegal outfit! When companies and organisations dictate who we can and cant vote for we are going down a very dangerous road! That is a true form of oppression and a genuine dictatorship, something I would have thought the ‘left’ were dead against?
Andy., Bury (15/09/2009 at 15:35)
Theowolfe (15/09/2009 at 16:12)
If someone's politics affects their performance at work that is a legitimate reason to dispense with their services but not their politics per se.
Some Tories have a questionable commitment to the NHS and Comprehensive education, should they be banned from working in these areas.
The article says: Tim Wilson, of the National Association of Probation Officers, said it was wrong that BNP members could work in the profession, while Nick Kusak, of the Professional Footballers Association, said: "We cannot allow extremists and the right to seize the initiative and take us back to the Dark Ages."
I fear it is Tim Wilson and Nick Kusak that are taking us back to the Dark Ages in their attempts to subvert democracy. They should be more ashamed of their views than Nick Griffin, at least he knows he is a bigot these people are deluded and believe they are the saviours of the great unwashed who are too stupid to make political judgement based on the facts.
That bit of fluff, under the sofa (15/09/2009 at 16:23)
Squire of Newton, Newton nr. Hyde (15/09/2009 at 16:38)
There is no place for politics in schools full stop, or religion either for that matter.
Personally I wouldn't recognise the unions either until they drop their politcal affiliations and payments to the labour party.
Matt, you are spot on there, all the unions are nothing more than legalised protection rackets.
Brook Lands (15/09/2009 at 17:14)
Do you mean Thatcher Thatcher the milk snatcher?
Yeah, she was ace eh.
salfordrat (15/09/2009 at 21:10)
If thier beliefs are not forced on pupils in the classroom then what is the problem with them teaching. Some people create issues for the sake of issues being created. - JTC Formerley JimC
Couple of points to be made here. First of all JTC, you are living in a dream world if you think that anybody who supports a fascist party like the BNP (and yes, they are fascist) would not try to indoctrinate children given the chance. When I was a kid there was a naional front cadet leader who had all the kids, very young kids, listening to NF bands and doing nazi salutes. He often told us that black and asian people should be wiped off the face of the earth - not just 'sent home'. I seem to recall he was sacked eventually, but not until he had do no amount of damage to impressionable kids. So, get real eh?
Second point - how many people can there really be with the brains to study to be a teacher and at the same time not the brains to see that the BNP is not a legitimate political party, but rather a gang of uneduated rabble and grown old football hooligans no worse than the islamic extremists they love to bang on about. I don't think we have to worry overly about BNP teachers really.
salfordrat (15/09/2009 at 21:16)
Even if those people illegally discriminate against minority british citizens in the workplace and in their party? I seem to recall a guy being sacked from manchester city council a few years ago because he supported the political wng of the INLA. By your argument should he have been supported?
The BNP should be a banned organisation. Choke them of all media oxygen and then they will be nothing more than what sane people know them to be - a gang of football hooligan throwbacks in suits pretending to be a political party. I despair of this country - we are breeding a nation of xenophobic idiots who will swallow anything from anyone who promises a few extra quid in their giro.