Author: Searchlight | Date: July 2005

Letter of resignation to UAF

UAF Steering Committee

30 June 05

Dear Friends,

We are writing to you to resign our two places on the steering committee.

It has not been a decision that we have taken lightly but feel that it is better for both parties if we go our own ways.

From the outset there has been a difference of strategy with regards to our own local campaigning and UAF's national strategy. In the spirit of unity we hoped that the contradictions would work themselves through and that the differences would eventually not matter any more.

In reality things have gone from bad to worse. The situation has come to a head in the last month with the fact that UAF staff accused us of pandering to racism at the GMB conference in June with regard to our work in Keighley. More recently, UAF supporters accused us of "using the language of the BNP" in our campaign in Barking & Dagenham (in regard to the slogan: "We are Dagenham, the BNP are not") at the Unison conference.

In our view the opposite is true, we believe that by taking up difficult issues that we are challenging the racists.

It is not our intention to get into a sectarian row with UAF. Indeed we hope that on the ground the differences between people in London will make little difference, as has often been the case in the past.

We recognise that there are good anti-fascists within UAF, but feel that our own involvement helps neither Searchlight nor the UAF.

We wish you all well and will no doubt continue to work with many of you in the future.

In solidarity,

Steve Silver

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