Stand Up to Trump, Stand Up to Racism

Stand Up to Trump statement

The election of Donald Trump is deeply disturbing and a stark warning to us all. Every right-wing figure and organisation is rejoicing at the prospect of President Trump. The shameful list stretches from Marine le Pen and the Front National in France, Gert Wilders in Holland, Norbert Hofer in Austria, right wing leaders in Poland and Hungary to most of the Republican Party and the Ku Klux Klan.

In Britain Nigel Farage and UKIP are at the head of the Trump bandwagon supported by sections of the Tory Party. Racism – whether Islamophobia, or antis emitism, relentless scapegoating of migrants and refugees, the disregard for black lives or shockingly, blatant belief in white supremacy – is growing significantly. Racial attacks and other hate crimes are worryingly on the rise.

In addition, Trump’s election is encouraging and legitimising a backlash against women’s and LGBT+ rights - hard won over the past half century – not to mention the possibly devastating impact on climate change.

Against the background of a discredited neoliberal ideology which has devastated lives and communities and whole countries globally, these developments have already encouraged some to vote for Brexit and translated into electoral success for the right in the US. This could very possibly now be repeated in France with the election of Le Pen in France next spring and the further growth of UKIP in the UK. The parallels with the 1930s, while not exact, are too disturbing for comfort.

But the outcome is far from settled. It entirely depends on how millions of us – at home and abroad - react. We and our values of respect and cooperation, represent the views of millions. We now need to turn that huge reservoir of support into a resounding internationalist answer to the divisive politics of despair of Trump, Farage and their Tory outriders.

Time is short. We cannot allow racism to seep deeper into society and whatever our other differences, we must unite together to meet this serious threat.

We the undersigned therefore urgently call for anti-racists, trade unionists, community and campaign activists, and above all everybody of goodwill, to join the growing opposition to Trump and what he stands for. In particular, please help us build for two vitally important demonstrations initiated by Stand up to Racism:

The ‘Stand up to Trump’ mobilisation on Presidential Inauguration day, US Embassy Grosvenor Square Friday 20 January 2017
Stand up to Trump, Stand up to Racism, No to Islamophobia and Antisemitism, Refugees are welcome, Black Lives Matter National Demonstrations 18 March in London and Glasgow, supported by the TUC
Signed by:

Diane Abbott MP, Shadow Home Secretary

Emily Thornberry MP, Shadow Foreign Secretary

Clive Lewis MP, Shadow Business Secretary

Talha Ahmad, Muslim Council of Britain

Rabbi Lee Wax

Dr Shazad Amin Muslim Engagement and Development CEO

Dr Siema Iqbal, Muslim Engagement and Development (MEND)

Bruce Kent

Len McCluskey, General Secretary Unite

Dave Ward, General Secretary CWU

Tony Kearns, Deputy General Secretary, CWU

Kevin Courtney, General Secretary, NUT

Mark Serwotka, General Secretary, PCS

Mick Whelan, General Secretary ASLEF

Manuel Cortes, General Secretary TSSA

Sally Hunt, General Secretary UCU

Ian Lawrence, General Secretary NAPO

Ronnie Draper, General Secretary BFAWU

Ian Hodson, President BFAWU

Baroness Shami Chakrabarti, Shadow Attorney General

Lord (John) Monks, former General Secretary TUC

Lord (Bill) Morris, former General Secretary TGWU

Baroness (Angela) Smith, Shadow Leader of the House of Lords

Weyman Bennett, Stand Up to Racism

Sabby Dhalu, Stand Up To Racism

Grainne McGuire, Comedian

Shakira Martin, NUS Vice President FE

Mohammed Kozbar, Muslim Association of Britain

Steve Hart, Unite Against Fascism

Hugh Lanning, Unite Against Fascism

Lindsey German, Convenor Stop the War

Kate Hudson, General Secretary CND

Dave Anderson MP

Tracy Brabin MP

Ben Bradshaw MP

Ruth Cadbury MP

Nic Dakin MP

Wayne David MP

Bill Esterson MP

Paul Flynn MP

Kate Green MP

Carolyn Harris MP

George Howarth MP

Stephen Kinnock MP

David Lammy MP

Holly Lynch MP

Rachael Maskell MP

Madeleine Moon MP

Ian Murray MP

Lisa Nandy MP

Kate Osamor MP

Jess Phillips MP

Steve Reed MP

Virendra Sharma MP

Wes Streeting MP

Chuka Umunna MP

Valerie Vaz MP

Catherine West MP

Daniel Zeichner MP

Baroness (Tessa) Blackstone
Baroness (May) Blood

Baroness (Jean) Corston

Lord (Quentin) Davies

Lord (Derek) Foster
Lord (George) Foulkes

Baroness (Joyce) Gould

Lord (Peter) Hain

Lord (Alan) Haworth

Baroness (Bev) Hughes

Lord (Bob) Hughes

Lord (Frank) Judd

Baroness (Alicia) Kennedy

Baroness (Glenys) Kinnock

Lord (Neil) Kinnock

Baroness (Doreen) Lawrence

Lord (Chris) Lennie

Baroness (Helen) Liddell

Lord (David) Lipsey

Baroness (Ruth) Lister

Lord (Ken) Morgan

Lord (Tom) Pendry

Baroness (Dawn) Primarolo

Lord (Tom) Sawyer

Lord (David) Triesman
Baroness (Janet) Whitaker

Lord (Larry) Whitty

Micheline Ngongo, Councillor Islington

Claudia Webbe, Councillor Islington

Suzanne Jeffery, Chair Campaign Against Climate Change