Lynton Crosby's claim in the Sunday Times that the 'racism van' campaign was 'flawed and backfired' LINK is a bit rich as he is widely seen as the strategist behind the 'Go Home' offensive as a way of out-flanking UKIP.
Crosby of course has form. Back in Australia he was behind John Howard's election campaigns the lowest point of which was Howard's claim that refugees were throwing their children out of boats in order to blackmail the Australian government.
Crosby's comment may mean that the 'racist vans' will be dropped but I expect that the 'Go Home' campaign will continue in other guises, particularly the raids at railway stations and bus stations, and raids on work premises.
This means that in Brent we will need to remain alert and mobilise at the first signs of any raids in the borough. Though often a critic of Muhammed Butt, I have to pay tribute to the way he has spoken out on this issue across many media outlets. He has spoken for the whole of Brent in opposing these attempts to divide and rule and disrupt our community.
Meanwhile there are complaints about the Go Home van advertisements lodged with the Advertising Standards Agency (I had my acknowledgment yesterday) and the Equalities and Human Rights Commission inquiry into possible ethnic targeting.
Given Crosby's mendacity any resulting, seemingly negative, publicity may well be part of his plan to portray the government as tough on immigration (and by implication race) and undermine UKIP and the EDL, just as Margaret Thatcher's policies led to a decline in support for the National Front in the 80s. Who needed the NF when Margaret Thatcher was saying the same thing?
This does not mean that we should not campaign .loud and clear, but it does mean that we should also challenge the Tory's underlying message.
Crosby of course has form. Back in Australia he was behind John Howard's election campaigns the lowest point of which was Howard's claim that refugees were throwing their children out of boats in order to blackmail the Australian government.
Crosby's comment may mean that the 'racist vans' will be dropped but I expect that the 'Go Home' campaign will continue in other guises, particularly the raids at railway stations and bus stations, and raids on work premises.
This means that in Brent we will need to remain alert and mobilise at the first signs of any raids in the borough. Though often a critic of Muhammed Butt, I have to pay tribute to the way he has spoken out on this issue across many media outlets. He has spoken for the whole of Brent in opposing these attempts to divide and rule and disrupt our community.
Meanwhile there are complaints about the Go Home van advertisements lodged with the Advertising Standards Agency (I had my acknowledgment yesterday) and the Equalities and Human Rights Commission inquiry into possible ethnic targeting.
Given Crosby's mendacity any resulting, seemingly negative, publicity may well be part of his plan to portray the government as tough on immigration (and by implication race) and undermine UKIP and the EDL, just as Margaret Thatcher's policies led to a decline in support for the National Front in the 80s. Who needed the NF when Margaret Thatcher was saying the same thing?
This does not mean that we should not campaign .loud and clear, but it does mean that we should also challenge the Tory's underlying message.
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