CROYDON COMMENTARY by JERRY FITZPATRICK
Dog-whistler: Hope Not Hate leaflets provide insight into the nasty side of Susan Hall
Describing itself as an organisation which has “roots firmly and proudly in the British anti-fascist movement”, Hope Not Hate works to expose and oppose extreme right-wing political activity in Britain.
A record number of far-right sympathisers were convicted of terror-related offences in 2023. Hope Not Hate’s most recent report provides details.
Much of Hope Not Hate’s current work is targeted at the right-wing dog-whistlers: those who claim to personally have an array of best friends who are people of colour or Jews, but who can’t stop putting out messages that their friends are destroying British values. Presumably values such as civility, tolerance, respect for others and giving opinions which have a sound evidence base.
Susan Hall, the Conservative candidate for London Mayor, is a dog-whistler. I won’t publicise the evidence. If you must see her offensive messages, retweets and approval of hate-speaking tweets, you can find them easily enough online.
Hope Not Hate is leafleting about Susan Hall in South Croydon on Sunday, meeting at South Croydon Station at 2pm. The leaflet is not supporting or opposing any other mayoral candidate.
All are welcome to take part, including Conservative supporters. There are many Conservatives who are sick at heart about extremists within their party. It is heartening that Croydon’s former Tory MP, Gavin Barwell, continues to give a lead on calling out extremism within his party. I was fortunate enough to meet Bernard Weatherill on many occasions, and I am absolutely sure Gavin’s much-respected predecessor would be looking down with strong approval.
Halting the onward march of the far-right nationally and internationally has become the major issue of our time.
Join the Hope Not Hate group on Sunday if you can. But if not, please find whatever other way you think best to push back the extremists. We need to push hard. And the pushing may take some time.
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- Jerry Fitzpatrick is a retired lawyer and former Labour councillor in Croydon
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Strange how Gavin Barwell only began espousing decent politics once he was kicked out of Croydon.
I wonder what will happen to our Lord’s lobbying business after the next election. Going to be hard selling political influence within the Tory party when the number of Conservative MPs can be counted on the fingers of a mitten.
https://insidecroydon.com/2023/02/06/baron-barwell-does-a-bunk-from-lords-after-standards-breach/ Is “gaffe-prone Gavin ” still on leave of absence ? And will the Grenfell inquiry have much to say on the former Housing Minister ?
Wasn’t there a member of the Croydon Conservative association when Barwell was active who made endless racist comments, but dear old Gav did not raise a finger to reprimand and admonish her.
Barwell has become a social leper in the modern day whacko Tory Party and perhaps can reveal his more moderate leanings, but when he had opportunity and power to tackle racism he did absolutely nothing as he saw it as political unnecessary to upset the apple cart of his local party and he full well knows what they are like.
No doubt some hidden fight is on for the Tory future as they know they are going to lose power and there is nothing more important to a Tory than power.
Barwell’s life has been devoted to the Tories. If he had any real underlining principles he would have long left them, but we know they will always come first with our Gav and he and his wing can present them as the only real practical solution to rectify the extinction event they are facing.
Didn’t realise what a completely biased load of trash Inside Croydon has become. Supporting the Stasi run Hope not Hate (if only the behaved that way) is just the latest crock of poo that IC have published. Everyone’s a racist, everyone’s a misogynist, Islamophobe, anti-Semite, white supremacist etc etc etc.
Like a first year undergrad rag. Unsubscribe will certainly furnish me with hope and not hate.
Ahhh. How we’ve missed the spittle-flecked gibbering incoherence of the rabid right…
I had high hopes for Hope Not Hate when they came to my attention after the murder of Jo Cox, but I was a bit late in realising that they focus exclusively on the far right – the so-called fascists. What a shame they don’t call out the hate-mongers on both sides – God knows we have enough of them
Wrong. Again. As usual.
Armer Chris. Ich jedenfalls werde Ihre Beiträge zu iC vermissen.
Nur ein Scherz!
Gibt es einen geheimen Grund, warum dieser Beitrag auf Deutsch ist? Sie vergessen vielleicht, dass ich jahrelang in Deutschland gelebt habe.
I wasn’t replying to you