Hope not Hate hide meeting locations to avoid democratic debate

We notice this morning that Hope not Hate have removed location details from their meetings webpage in an attempt to ensure that they get the correct democratic response to director Nick Lowles 'consultation' meeting.

After Lowles fled from the Basildon meeting rather than engage in political debate there has been disagreement over how to deal with the threat of members of the public actually turning up at a public meeting. The answer - as with so much in Hope not Hate - has been to take a leaf out of the BNPs book and conceal the location of their public meetings, only revealing them if people actively sign up to attend.



Nick Lowles, HnH director, who fights racism
wherever he finds it except in the Labour Party

There is a certain irony in seeing Hope not Hate cower away from public debate in what is supposed to be a consultation exercise about their future stance regarding UKIP, even though that stance is already decided by Lowles, as Hope not Hate's owner. For years, Hope not Hate has actively encouraged its supporters to engage in a campaign of intimidation against political meetings of which it did not approve. Now that it finds itself the target not of a campaign of intimidation and violence, but of political engagement, it runs and hides itself away, although I suppose it is as an organisation only following the example of its leader, Mr Lowles.

Tonights meeting - despite the location being removed - is scheduled for 6:30pm at the Civic Centre in Harrow.



Former Harrow council leader
Cllr Thaya Idaikkadar, who was expelled
from the Labour Party for complaining
about institutional racism

 

This should be a particularly interesting meeting, as the Harrow Labour group has split over recent weeks. 9 councillors have left and established an Independent Labour Group because of what they claim is institutional racism within the Constituency Labour Party. The councillors - lead by former council leader Cllr Thaya Idaikkadar - were subsequently expelled from the Labour Party for going public with their concerns.

All of which should make for an interesting meeting, as despite being a 'Stand up for HOPE' meeting, there is little prospect of Hope not Hate dealing with the institutional racism within the local Labour Party. As we mentioned in a blog posting last week:

"One wonders whether Lowles will address the issue there in a way Hope not Hate have failed to do on their website, where mentions of Labour racism are studiously avoided. It is more likely that - should any of the independent Labour group attend - they will be asked to leave the premises if they raise their concerns and rock the Labour boat. I look forward to the irony of seeing 9 Asian independent Labour councillors being removed from a Hope not Hate meeting because they raised the issue of racism".

If you can get along to the meeting it should prove to be an entertaining spectacle as Hope not Hate brings its party political message to an area it clearly knows little about. If you do attend, as always please be calm, polite and respectful: however much we may disagree with Lowles and his shabby excuse for a consultation exercise, he has as much right to freedom of speech without fear or intimidation as anybody else does even if he tries to deny that right to others. One thing we can be sure of - the meeting in Harrow will offer a banquet of hypocrisy as they attempt to hold a public consultation meeting on what to do about UKIP while excluding the general public, and while not mentioning that the local branch of their Labour paymasters appears to be stuffed full of racists who have driven out 9 Asian councillors. Enjoy!