BEXLEY: Equality chief warns against right-wing parties in elections (From News Shopper)

BEXLEY: Equality chief warns against right-wing parties in elections

9:40am Sunday 7th February 2010 in

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THE director of Bexley’s newly created diversity and equality council has warned candidates in the looming borough and general elections not to play into the hands of right-wing parties.

Lux Anandarajah says candidates must avoid making immigration and asylum seekers an election issue.

He said: “It has always been a cowardly political practice to create fears about the most vulnerable groups in British society in an attempt to win political power.”

It is a plea he made during the last elections and he says Bexley is now faced with more and more right-wing influences which, in different forms, are “encroaching in disguise on our society, with legitimate political acceptance”.

Mr Anandarajah fears candidates may exhibit their weakness and play into the hands of right-wing parties by ignoring the needs of marginalised and vulnerable communities, to score a political victory.

It is expected the British National Party will field its largest number of Bexley candidates in May’s borough elections.

In January last year, a BNP candidate failed to win a seat on Bexley Council in the East Wickham ward by-election by just eight votes from the Tories.

Mr Anandarajah said: “I think if politicians have any genuine desire to serve their people and their constituency with impartiality, they should have the courage to face up to illegitimate political and ideological challenges.”

He criticised the new Single Equality Bill currently going through Parliament, saying it has “created more ambiguity about addressing inequality, than promoting equality”.

Mr Anandarajah added: “The reality of the present situation in the nation as a whole is the equality we all worked hard to address is on the verge of slipping into irrelevance, just because rightwing elements are challenging the actions of right-minded politicians for their efforts in eliminating discrimination.”

He also warned any action or inaction of authorities which amounts to the ignoring of the legitimate needs of marginalised sections of Bexley’s community, may build up resentment which could take years to dispel and could have serious political consequences.

Mr Anandarajah added: “I would request all the candidates in the general and local elections to be politically courageous, truthful, genuine and above all to give hope for a strong, cohesive and harmonious society of diverse individuals and communities in Bexley.”