Unprecedented coalition unites against the far Right

London, 8 April 2008 - Operation Black Vote (OBV) today joined forces with leading faith groups including The Muslim Council of Britain, Board of Deputies of British Jews, leading Church Groups and rising Rap sensation Bashy to unite against the threat from far Right political groups.

This unprecedented coalition launched a 100-foot billboard poster across the Capital that warns of the critical danger from the far Right at the upcoming elections.  The poster reads as follows:

If you don’t vote, they win. In the London Elections, Every Vote Counts.

The poster is designed in a Banksy style design, with a hard hitting image.

OBVs research indicates that far Right groups such as the BNP could win up to two Assembly seats in this London election, giving them the balance of power in City Hall. If turnout is low, far Right groups could gain political ground under the proportional representation voting system. We estimate that if 50,000 more Black Londoners vote than in the last London elections along with other communities the far Right could be defeated.

Simon Woolley, OBV director said:  ‘We in the Black community don’t have the luxury not to vote. Our enemies are blatant racists, masquerading as democrats. Our task is urgent but simple: we register to vote by the 16 th April and vote on the 1 st May. These actions will be a fitting tribute to the death of Dr Martin Luther King, 40 years this month.’

Ken Livingstone, Labour Mayoral candidate said:

“If the BNP got a platform in London, it would be hugely damaging for the economy and London’s diverse community”  

Boris Johnson, Conservative Mayoral candidate said:

“Get out and vote to keep the racists out. We reject totally the idea of extremist politics”

Brian Paddick, Liberal Democrat Mayoral Candidate said:

“Getting everybody registered to vote for one of the mainstream parties is crucial to keep the extremists out”  

Notes to the editor:

<!--[if !supportLists]--> 1.     <!--[endif]--> Operation Black Vote is a non-party political campaign.

2    The term ‘Black’ is a political term. It refers to African, Asian, Caribbean and other ethnic minorities.