THIS is a critical time for all of us who believe in a fairer, more tolerant, more equal society.

We’re seeing a more confident, more dangerous far-right movement. We’ve seen a shocking rise in racist hate crimes and attacks by far-right thugs against Muslim and Jewish people, the LGBT community, disabled people and migrant workers since 2016 here in Britain.

And internationally we face the biggest threat from the far right since the 1930s with the worrying rise of nationalism.

Whether it’s Steve Bannon or Tommy Robinson, the English Defence League, Football Lads Alliance or Britain First, the far right has been given a new lease of life, spurred on by Brexit, the election of Donald Trump and the rise of populism. 

A new global movement is emerging — digitally savvy, globally networked and generously funded. Pretending to be on the side of ordinary working people, they’ve been whipping up hostility against Muslims and immigrants, pitting worker against worker and seeking to sow discord in our communities.

And this far right is more organised and better resourced than ever before. It’s exploiting austerity and years of stagnant living standards to press its politics of hate.

Encouraged also by our government’s hard-line “hostile environment” immigration policy that treated the sons and daughters of Windrush so appallingly. 

People born and bred here, working here and paying their taxes here, who were made to feel like foreigners in their own country.
We in the trade union movement will step up, take on the far right and speak up for our values of equality and justice.

Anti-racism and anti-fascism are in our DNA. Thousands of trade unionists died resisting the nazis in Germany and across occupied Europe. 

Thousands more joined the International Brigades to fight Franco’s armies in Spain, including the former leader of the T&G union, Jack Jones. More recently, unions led the mobilisation against the National Front here in Britain.

And now the TUC is developing new ways to take on the far right again. New political messages to counter the far right’s appeal. And working with our trade union friends in Europe to co-ordinate action across the continent.

Trade unions bring people together, build friendships and community and break down hatred and division. 

We’ll keep demanding decent jobs, homes and public services, standing up for a new deal for working people and against racism, anti-semitism and Islamophobia.

And wherever the far right marches or tries to attack mosques and synagogues, the trade union movement will be there. Working with communities to defend peace, public order and the places we live and work.

We know it’s not the fault of migrants that schools, hospitals and councils have been starved of funds. It’s not the fault of migrants that we haven’t built enough affordable housing. And it’s not the fault of migrants that unscrupulous employers have driven down wages.

It’s the fault of a Tory government that is bankrupting public services. It’s the fault of tax-dodging corporations that are too greedy to pay their share. And it’s the fault of bad bosses who undercut wages and driving decent employers out of business.

The national unity demonstration against racism and fascism in London tomorrow is our chance to get the message out loud and clear. 

We stand for decency, friendship and hope. Against racism, division and hate. Join us and help build a massive turnout tomorrow.

Never forget the potential and power in our collective action.

Together as workers standing shoulder to shoulder, mobilising, organising and fighting, we defeated fascism. We defeated apartheid. And together we will defeat the new far right.

Frances O’Grady is general secretary of the TUC.