The events in Chemnitz, where Nazis rampaged through the town  highlighted a broader process going on across Europe where there is an interrelation between the Nazi thugs on the streets and growing political representation for the far right in parliaments. The result of the Swedish elections highlights once again the growing threat of the far right across Europe.

Britain is not different. We may not have had a Chemnitz but we have got Tommy Robinson – capable of putting 15,000 on the streets as he did in May. UKIP is now openly talking about allowing Robinson to become a member.

Events over the summer – including the attack on Bookmarks Bookshop - acted as a wake-up call to wider sections of the left. John McDonnell’s call for a new movement articulated what many were thinking – that we need a much bigger movement to deal with the scale of the threat. It is brilliant news that both Diane Abbott and John McDonnell have joined the line up of speakers for the SUTR conference – see below for more details.

The SUTR conference on 20 October and the 17 November National demonstration are crucial in building a mass movement that can confront the rise in racism and halt the growth of the far right and fascists.

The Tories Brexit woes are only going to intensify this autumn. Theresa May is being buffeted by the EU which wants to make exiting the EU as hard as possible, and big business which on the whole is against Brexit and if it has to happen would rather as little change as possible. But the pressure is also coming from the Tory right fighting for a hard Brexit. Boris Johnsons latest Islamophobic dog whistle statement that May’s strategy is like putting a suicide vest around the constitution shows this yet again.

With the Tories in such disarray it is deeply frustrating to see the Labour Party attack Corbyn for antisemitism rather than stick the boot into the Tories.

And now TUC union federation general secretary Frances O’Grady has joined growing calls led by the right and big business for a “People’s Vote” on Brexit on Sunday. Instead of making leave or remain the central division we are for a general election and an increased fightback. Read the latest SW article Here

Last Tuesday the Labour NEC approved the full IHRA definition of antisemitism including all the examples. This is a significant setback aimed at both undermining Corbyn and breaking solidarity with Palestine.  The row in the Labour Party over antisemitism, and the appalling attacks on Corbyn tells us many things; firstly that when faced with a witchhunt then the only way to deal with it is to stand firm against it. But there is virtually no fightback from within the Labour Party. In fact the four major Labour affiliated unions joined the calls to accept the IHRA definition and Momentum helped smooth the way.

It shows the pressures that a Corbyn government would face and the likelihood of retreat and compromise. See the SW article here. It is an unnecessary defeat and could demoralise a layer of activists. It also opens up a concrete argument that we should have with Labour members.

Watch the video of the recent meeting Corbyn, antisemitism and justice for Palestine here. SW article with extracts from speeches here.

October 20 - International Conference 'Confronting the rise of racism and fascism'

Tickets £10 waged £5 concessions available online

Book seats on transport from Oxford here.

An international conference to discuss how we can confront the rise of racism and fascism.  Hosted by Stand Up To Racism

Speakers include:  Diane Abbot MP and John McDonnell MP.

Themes include:  Donald Trump to Tommy Robinson: Halting the growth of the racist right • Opposing Islamophobia & Antisemitism • Windrush - Combating the Hostile Environment • Grenfell - unite against austerity and racism • Refugees Welcome Here

We are facing the biggest rise in support for fascism, racism, Islamophobia and antisemitism since the 1930s. Donald Trump's Presidency has emboldened the far right globally. The scapegoating by mainstream politicians of migrants, refugees and the Muslim community is seeming to make racist ideas more acceptable.

In many European countries racist and fascist parties have moved from the margins of politics into the corridors of power.

In Britain the campaign to “free Tommy Robinson”, the fascist ex-leader of the English Defence League has galvanised the racist and fascist right. They are organising with political and financial support from the US Alt-right, including Trump’s former chief of staff Steve Bannon and far right figures across Europe.Increasingly we’ve seen fascist mobilisations, coupled with violent attacks by fascists against anti-racists and trade unionists and also on the TUC’s official bookshop Bookmarks.

Rightly there is a debate taking place across our movement about how we combat the rise of the fascist and racist right both here and internationally. We urgently need to respond to this growing threat.

We are inviting all those who want to build a mass movement against the far right on the streets, in the workplaces, on the campuses and in our communities debate to the way forward to join us at our international conference on Saturday 20 October and build the national unity demonstration on Saturday 17 November. We will soon be announcing speakers including anti-racists and anti-fascists campaigners from the US, France, Germany, Austria, Poland, Hungary, Greece, Spain and Italy.

Central London

The demonstration is initiated by Stand Up To Racism, co-sponsored by Unite Against Fascism and Love Music Hate Racism, and is supported by the TUC,  Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott and Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell amongst others.  More details will follow.

The recent rise in attacks by the far right has created a real thirst for a mass anti-racist mobilisation in the spirit of the Anti Nazi League. Now is the time to take to the streets.

There is an urgent need to build a movement against racism and fascism.