Lambeth trade unionists, councillors and MP back mobilisation against far right

Brixton and Clapham MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy and Streatham Green Party councillor Martin Abrams are among a range of Lambeth trade unionists, campaigners and elected representatives backing two key upcoming anti-far-right events.

The backing comes as organisers promote an online mobilising meeting this Thursday, 15 January, calling on Lambeth residents to “unite our communities in love” and begin mobilisation for a national demonstration on 28 March (see details below).

The growing confidence of the far-right has been underscored in recent weeks by Nigel Farage brushing off allegations of racist behaviour at school, despite more than 30 former pupils, teachers and members of the public coming forward with accounts of racism and antisemitism during his time at Dulwich College in south London.

The alarming rise of British fascism was clearly visible last September, when the Unite the Kingdom rally set off from Waterloo to assemble in Whitehall. On stage, Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, aka Tommy Robinson, invited far-right figures from around the world, who repeated hate speech masked with the language and symbols of Christianity and patriotism. Each speaker targeted immigrants with rape, violent crime and so-called “replacement” narratives, presenting them as evidence of the decline of European and Western civilisation.

The main feature of the event was a live video interview with Elon Musk, whom Tommy Robinson thanked on stage in explicit terms.

“None of this could have happened without you giving the British public access to the truth, giving us free speech and fighting for our free speech. On behalf of the British public, we’re incredibly grateful, Elon,” – Tommy Robinson.

During the exchange, Elon Musk echoed the same themes heard elsewhere at the rally, warning of “a genuine risk of rape and murder,” and social breakdown while framing “mass immigration” as a threat to Western civilisation and Christianity. He argued that the only way to avert civilisational decline was a change of government towards regimes more sympathetic to deregulation, a position critics say links far-right culture-war rhetoric to a broader political agenda that would disproportionately benefit billionaire interests.

Following the event, multi-faith leaders issued a statement, read out publicly by the Bishop of Southwark, rejecting the use of Christianity to legitimise racism, exclusion or hatred. The statement made clear that racism is sinful and incompatible with Christian teaching, warning against the deliberate misuse of religious belief to advance political agendas rooted in division and fear. (See full video report below)

More Info

Thursday 15 January, 6.30pm – Register for Zoom meeting

Backing the Meeting

Bell Ribeiro-Addy, Labour MP for Clapham & Brixton Hill

Jess Edwards, Joint Secretary, Lambeth NEU, National Executive Member, Inner London

Jocelyn Cruywagen, joint Branch secretary, Lambeth UNISON

Simon Hannah, joint branch secretary, Lambeth Unison

Jane Mills, Branch secretary, PCS DWP South East London, Lambeth & Southwark (SELLS)

Martin Abrams, Green Party Lambeth Councillor

Michaela Loebner, Stand Up to Racism, South London

Add your name and/ or organisation to the list of those backing the mobilising meeting

Watch the Video