A new trade union that has links to the British National Party (BNP) is set for its formal launch next week in central London.
According to the website of the new organisation, the main aim of “Solidarity, the British Workers’ union” is to “improve the relations between employers and employees throughout all industries served by the union”. It goes on to say: “Our aim in Solidarity is to unite all workers, from all racial, religious and political backgrounds.”
But critics have argued that its management team has links to the BNP.
The new union’s president, Clive Potter, stood as a BNP candidate in the 2005 general election, and another member of the management team, Lee Barnes, is head of legal affairs at the BNP.
Labour MP David Anderson has urged the government to ensure the union will not be allowed to “exploit employment laws to spread its obnoxious policies”.
In a recent newspaper article, BNP’s national treasurer John Walker said that Solidarity would have a fundraising role.
“There will probably be a political levy to the BNP at some stage, just as other unions raise money for Labour,” he said.
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