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No to BNP meeting in Coventry! For members of the services to be given trade union rights

This Saturday, 21st July the racist BNP through their front The British Veterans Group will holding a "conference" at the Royal Warwicks Club in Coventry City Centre. While the group may claim to be an organisation here to represent and protect veterans of the British armed forces, the fact that the group use a BNP email address ‘veterans@bnp.org.uk’ in their communications reveals that in reality the group is a front organisation for the British National Party.

Dave Nellist of Coventry Socialist Party, who was one of the national organisers of the million plus anti war march in 2003, said: 

"Ordinary rank and file members of the Armed Forces certainly do need and deserve their own organisation to defend their interests; but the BNP isn't it.
25 years ago I called in the House of Commons for the armed forces to have the same trade union rights as many European countries have. I believe serving members of the armed services (and the police and the prison service) should have a say in their pay, conditions, equipment etc.

They should have rights of negotiation, not be abused like at the moment, covering up for the failure of another private sector firm making a fortune out of the Olympics.

Members of the services should also be able to take part in democratic political debate about the jobs they are asked to do - not arbitrarily be sent to war for oil and the prestige of the government of the day.
The BNP don't stand for democratic rights like that; they want to divide people along racial or religious lines. That way leads to more wars, not less. I hope the Royal Warwicks will think again about hosting a group so clearly linked to the BNP".

Members of the Socialist Party in a number of Trade Unions in the City have organised letter, email and phone call complaints to the club to persuade them to cancel the meeting.

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