SEARCHLIGHT CYMRU NEWS

Wednesday 20. February 2008

Darron Dupre reports on the continuing development and growth of Searchlight Cymru.

Searchlight Cymru is a broad based affiliate organisation set up to combat racism and fascism in Wales.

Dear Friends,

* Searchlight Cymru unites mainstream political parties against far right in Wales
* Welsh Labour nominate Huw Lewis AM as Hon. Vice President of Searchlight Cymru
* Plaid Cymru nominate Leanne Wood AM as Hon. Vice President of Searchlight Cymru
* Searchlight Cymru meetings
* Searchlight Cymru training school on March 1st 2008 in North Wales
* Welsh Assembly Senedd reception confirmed for early April
* Searchlight Cymru to work with Wales TUC on mass pre-election march and rally in Wrexham
* Searchlight Cymru to deliver a PR knock-out blow to the BNP

Searchlight Cymru unites mainstream political parties against far right

Today, 19th February 2008, is the day that all the political parties at the National Assembly for Wales united to challenge the rise of the far right and the BNP. Following the Presiding Officer, Dafydd Elis Thomas AM accepting the Honorary Presidency of Searchlight Cymru, Mark Isherwood AM of the Welsh Conservatives and Mike German AM OBE from the Welsh Liberal Democrats were nominated as Honorary Vice Presidents of Searchlight Cymru recently. Today we very warmly welcome Leanne Wood AM from Plaid Cymru and Huw Lewis AM from Welsh Labour as the final piece in the jigsaw to unite Welsh mainstream politics against the rise of the BNP and far right in Wales.

Searchlight Cymru is both grateful, yet honoured to welcome such a distinguished and committed and talented group of people to work with us.

Our Honorary President and Vice Presidents are a vital link to all of the Parties at the National Assembly for Wales, and will give both the Parties and Searchlight Cymru an opportunity to exchange information, intelligence and best practice in combating the BNP. We also hope to set up an all-party anti-fascism group in the Assembly soon.

The rise of the BNP is clearly a matter of protecting our most vulnerable residents against the inevitable rise in racial tensions when the BNP comes to town. But with almost 60 BNP candidates about to fight the May Council elections in North Wales and a good number across South Wales, it is also a political imperative, perhaps for the first time since the results of the National Assembly elections in 2007, that all mainstream parties combat the BNP. Because in May, hands up who wants to be the first Councillor wants to sit next to a victorious BNP Councillor? Exactly.

Welsh Labour nominate Huw Lewis AM as Hon. Vice President of Searchlight Cymru

Searchlight Cymru was absolutely delighted to receive a very warm e-mail from the Welsh Labour Group at the Assembly this afternoon, nominating Huw Lewis AM as Honorary Vice President.

Huw Lewis AM

Huw Lewis is very well known to many as a leading campaigner for social justice in Wales. A long time committed anti-fascist, Huw was first elected as Assembly Member for Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney in 1999. Re-elected to the National Assembly in May 2007, Huw was appointed Deputy Minister for the Economy & Transport with special responsibility for Regeneration before losing his post in the coalition reshuffle. He has reviewed the Assembly Government’s flagship anti-poverty programme, Communities First and wrote the Welsh Assembly Government’s Action Plan to eliminate child poverty. Huw is married to Lynne Neagle (Labour Assembly Member for Torfaen) and their first child, James, was born in June 2002.

Plaid Cymru nominate Leanne Wood AM as Hon. Vice President of Searchlight Cymru

Hot on the heals, we were equally delighted to receive the nomination of Leanne Wood AM from the Plaid Cymru Group at the National Assembly as the final Honorary Vice President of Searchlight Cymru.

Leanne Wood AM

Leanne has been a staunch supporter, activist and contributor to Searchlight Cymru for many years. Born in the Rhondda in 1971, Leanne was a University lecturer in Cardiff University prior to being elected to the Assembly in 2003. She also has previous experience as a support worker for Women's Aid, and as a probation officer. She is a former councillor, and branch co-chair of the probation officers trade union, NAPO. Her particular areas of interest are poverty, women's issues, social services and criminal justice.

Searchlight Cymru meetings

As part of our commitment to involve friends from across Wales and remove barriers to participation, Searchlight Cymru meetings are being video-conferenced between Cardiff (Custom House Street), Swansea (Wind Street) and Colwyn Bay (Abergele Road). On Monday we held our first successful video-conferenced meeting with Colwyn Bay. UNISON has its north Wales base in Old Colwyn and we are extremely grateful that UNISON staff across Wales who will be on hand to facilitate and join us for the meeting. The next four meetings for your diary are;

3 March
17 March
31 March
14 April

All meetings begin at 6pm and finish by 7.15pm.

Stop Press……..Flint added to Video Conferencing sites. Unite the union has thrown open its doors to Searchlight Cymru to allow friends in Flint and the surrounding area to attend our meetings by Video-Conference. We are deeply grateful to Unite for this offer. Please contact me if you would wish to attend in Flint.

Searchlight Cymru Training School on March 1st 2008 in North Wales

Date for your diary…….For all you budding anti-fascism activists, Searchlight Cymru has arranged for a Training School to take place in North Wales on Saturday March 1st. The school will be taken by the Editor of Searchlight Magazine. Nick is hoping to bring one or two colleagues along as well from some active local groups in England to share their own experiences. The venue has been confirmed as the Wrexham Miners Institute in Wrexham. As you would expect, the event will be free of charge, no booking necessary and judiciously placed on a non-6 nations weekend. I should add that demand is phenomenal from across Wales for this event and we are currently investigating whether we can diary in a South Wales event.

Programme for the day

10.00– 10.30 Arrival and registration with Tea & Coffee

10.30 – 12.00 The Electoral Strategy of the BNP with Nick Lowles – Editor of Searchlight

12.00– 1.00 Countering the Arguments of Racists and Fascists with Nick Lowles

1.00– 2.00 Complimentary Buffet Lunch

2.00 – 3.00 The Continuing work of Searchlight Cymru – with Rob Griffiths – Chairperson of Searchlight Cymru

3.00 – 3.30 Round up Question & Answer session

Welsh Assembly Senedd reception confirmed for early April

Ahead of the elections in May, Searchlight Cymru is holding a reception at the Senedd at 5.30pm on Tuesday April 8th. This will be a celebration of the work that is done by Searchlight Cymru and its supporters. At this event we also hope to launch our new website, as well as showcase to the media (and the BNP) our team of Honorary President and Vice Presidents.

Searchlight Cymru to work with Wales TUC on mass pre-election march and rally in Wrexham

Searchlight is delighted to announce to friends a major pre-election march and rally planned for Wrexham in early April. For all you traditionalists out there, the idea is to have a peaceful, dignified but campaigning march and rally of hope through the streets of Wrexham. The date has yet to be confirmed as discussions have yet to start with North Wales Police, however, as soon as we have a date and route, get your walking daps, your banners and your brass bands a ready. This is going to be a big one.

Searchlight Cymru to deliver a PR knock-out blow to the BNP

A very successful PR company based in Newport, with high profile clients across the UK, has agreed to work with and advise Searchlight Cymru on boosting its campaigning and image prior to the May elections. The provision of advice, guidance and support will also be given in relation to everything we do and we are deeply grateful.

To friends, we say, keep in touch and look out for us in the run up to the elections.

To the BNP we would just say. Look out.

All the best, and thank you for your continuing support

Darron

Darron Dupre
Secretary
Searchlight Cymru