At their full Council meeting last night, Sefton councillors voted to support the Together Alliance, a new campaign to oppose the far right.

Love, unity and hope

Cllr Peter Harvey, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Cleansing and Street Scene, who proposed the Notice of Motion said: “The Together Alliance is supported by UK charities, unions, civil society organisations, politicians and other individuals, offering a platform of “love, unity and hope”.

“At a time when representatives of the far right minority are feeling emboldened to spout hatred and the politics of poison, The Together Alliance is advocating hope over fear.”

Celebrities such as Little Mix’s Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Sir Lenny Henry, Paloma Faith, actor David Harewood OBE, the band Fontaines D.C. and Paul Weller are all supporters of The Together Alliance.

Misinformation

Cllr Mhairi Doyle, Sefton Council’s Cabinet member for Public Health and Wellbeing, who seconded the Notice of Motion said: “We know that people across Sefton and right across the country have concerns over things like immigration, housing, the economy, jobs, the NHS, and the cost of living.

“Unfortunately, unscrupulous and untrustworthy far right organisations and individuals, including some politicians, are exploiting those concerns to turning communities against each other through misinformation.

“They scapegoat migrants, ethnic minorities, and refugees and we fear that when their so-called solutions don’t work, they will move on to target other vulnerable groups such as disabled and older people.”

Hope over fear

Last night, Sefton Council voted to endorse the Together Alliance message of “hope over fear” ahead of its planned demonstration in London on Saturday 28^th March. It also committed to challenge narratives of division and racism promoted by far-right politicians, commit to fairness and accuracy in rebutting far-right mistruths furthering a spirit of solidarity across the Borough’s communities.

In November, Sefton Councillors reaffirmed, unanimously, their commitment to tackling racism and encouraging unity across the Borough. Just last week, Sefton Council leader Cllr Marion Atkinson reiterated the Authority’s ‘zero-tolerance’ approach to racist graffiti after reports of extremist messages appearing in Southport.

No place in Sefton

Cllr Atkinson said: “I have said before and I will always say there is no place in Sefton for racist messages that try to undermine the values that bind our communities together.

“In November we agreed to ensure prompt removal of racist or hateful graffiti on public property and assist private owners as well and to support Merseyside Police’s investigations of these incidents.

“We are working with schools, community groups, and partners to deliver anti-racism education and strengthen community cohesion and we encourage residents to speak out against racism and report hate incidents.

“Dignity and respect are paramount in Sefton, and we stand firm against anyone trying to drive a wedge between our communities.”

You can find out more about the Together Alliance here.