THE crisis rapidly unfolding over Brexit is exposing this Tory government as one of the most profoundly weak and divided governments ever seen. 

The unnerving phenomenon that has developed over the last week, with groups of the far-right hanging around outside Parliament, launching attacks on anyone perceived as opposing Brexit — whether Owen Jones or Tory MP Anna Soubry — sharply illustrates the chaos and polarisation in the bizarre atmosphere of politics today. 
 
Far-right protesters have attempted to seize the “anti-Establishment” mantle of the gilets jaunes, or “yellow vest” movement in France, and attacked an RMT union picket line. 

The movement in France — centred on taking on Establishment austerity — is a long way off being a movement of the far right. 

The polarisation of politics across Europe has meant that elements of the far right and fascists in France have in some areas tried to hijack the movement, but they have been challenged by gilets jaunes local groups. It is the left that is dominating the nature and direction of the movement against Emmanuel Macron. 

In Britain, the far right is trying to seize its moment amid the crisis. This is a dangerous situation. It was this kind of climate that led to the murder of Jo Cox by a fascist. 

After years of the Tories, politicians and right-wing press intensifying a deliberate campaign of racist scapegoating, they have fuelled a toxic narrative of division and hate. 

They want to divert from their vicious austerity, and distract from their split, weak government. 

Theresa May was the architect of the “hostile environment,” with her “go-home” vans sent out to spread the racist message that working-class people in Britain should blame their migrant neighbours: doctors and nurses who care for their relatives, bus drivers who get them to work, or cleaners who keep our society functioning. 

Boris Johnson created the ground for a rise in racist attacks on Muslim women with his abhorrent comments on the niqab that were not only racist but also a fundamental assault on every woman’s rights. 

Sajid Javid generated the latest wave of racist rhetoric against refugees fighting to survive in desperate conditions in the darkest depths of winter. 

This barrage of racism from the state is an expression of a bankrupt Establishment playing with fire. 

It has breathed oxygen into forces of the far right — with fascists, such as “Tommy Robinson” (Stephen Yaxley-Lennon), the rump of the defeated English Defence League and a new alt-right that has expressed itself on campuses in the vilest ways. 

The backdrop is the role of Donald Trump. As leader of the “free world,” he has taken a giant megaphone and held it up for voices of the far right, racists and even fascists to be projected and legitimised. 

Across Europe, and in Brazil, we have seen the growth of far-right and fascist forces. The normalisation of certain forms of racism, particularly Islamophobia, has opened the door to other forms: as the far right gains confidence we have seen a rise in anti-semitism. 

When Robinson mobilised 15,000 in June, alarm bells rang across the trade union and labour movement, and more widely. 

In Stand Up To Racism we have fought to work with as broad forces as possible to take on this new far right. With many counter-mobilisations, working with unions, the TUC, the Labour leadership, faith groups and the mushrooming of activity in local groups, it has been a challenging few months. 

Yet the anti-racist movement has begun to make a dent in turning the tide. After seeing a growth of the Football Lads Alliance and its offshoot, the so-called Democratic Football Lads Alliance, anti-racists have helped to break their momentum. 

The #N17Unity march put 30,000 on the streets in a positive, diverse and united march that managed to express the voice of the anti-racist majority after a gruelling experience of far-right marches outnumbering us. 

Another important step was the 15,000-strong united counter-demonstration on December 9, where despite differences we came together with an array of groups to oppose the noxious combination of fascist Robinson and racist Ukip and their “Brexit Betrayal” march. 

Their attempt to seize the initiative over the Brexit crisis failed to provide them the scale of mobilisation they were after, with anti-racists outnumbering them three to one. 

It was paramount that we did not allow our anti-racist opposition to become framed by opposition to Brexit — this was the trap the far right would have liked us to fall into. 

Facing the challenges of the coming months, we need to continue to stress that whether people voted Leave or Remain, we must unite in opposition to the far right. 

We cannot allow them to claim the mantle of over 17 million people. They represent a tiny minority of all those who voted for Brexit for a wide array of reasons. We must isolate and expose them. 

As the Brexit debacle continues we can expect the state to rely increasingly on their crutch of racist rhetoric. The far right has suffered some setbacks, and the anti-racist movement should be proud to have inflicted some of these. 

But in such a volatile situation, there is no room for complacency. We are only scratching the surface — in every union, workplace, community and college we have to dig deeper and mobilise the spirit of active anti-racism. 

When the far right targets picket lines, we must provide support. When they target our Muslim sisters and brothers, our Jewish sisters and brothers, we have to respond collectively with solidarity. 

On March 16, UN Anti-Racism Day, big demonstrations will take place in London, Glasgow and Cardiff, across Europe and the US. 

This is a major opportunity. Huge marches that oppose all forms of racism, bring together visual blocs of every element of anti-racist campaigning, and celebrate our multiculturalism, can help shape the atmosphere and break that feeling of grim passivity as we watch carnage play out at the top. 

It can demoralise the forces of fascism and the far right and, vitally, fill all those outraged by the rise in racism with the confidence that we can have an impact when we act. 

Weyman Bennett is co-convener of Stand Up To Racism.