HOPE not hate campaign gets into gear

From the HOPE not hate blog:

The campaign is really under way

The campaign centre is fantastic. Virtually built from scratch, it has desk space for 15 people, a telephone canvassing suite, a print room, kitchen and even a chill out area.

After months of preparation, fundraising and building, we are now really moving. Finally, it does seem the campaign is under way.



Unions sign up for HOPE

HOPE not hate held productive meeting with the PCS trade union and together we agreed a number of joint initiatives for the forthcoming election campaign. There will be a PCS version of our tabloid newspaper, support for our 17 April National Day of Action and the sponsorship of a booklet for young people.

The PCS also agreed to support our Union Day, when union activists talk to other union members, which this year will be on Monday 26 April. Unison has already committed its support to the day and it is hoped that several other unions will soon follow suit.

I am particularly pleased to be working with PCS. They have a really active membership, with branch meetings regularly attended by hundreds of people, and in their Make Your Vote Campaign they have an excellent electoral operation.

An Evening of HOPE

introduced our campaign to a new audience at the RSA (see previous post).

Off to a flyer in Stoke-on-Trent

At least 45 people took to the streets of Stoke-on-Trent yesterday in what was our first major activity of the year in the city. Almost 8,000 copies of a HOPE not hate newspaper were delivered in the two key wards of Bentilee and Townsend and Weston & Meir North, which between them have five BNP councillors.

The event, which was supported by the local anti-BNP group NorSCARF, was our largest in the city for two years. What was most encouraging was that virtually all the people out were from Stoke-on-Trent itself, including over 20 who had never done any campaigning with us before. I'm told that the atmosphere was really good and everyone promised to come out again.
Stoke-on-Trent is a major battleground in the forthcoming elections, with the BNP threatening to become the largest single party on the council and Simon Darby, the party’s deputy leader, with a chance of taking the Stoke Central parliamentary seat.

By Nick Lowles