Stop the racists in Falkirk – Fight for council homes, jobs and public services for all
By Gary Clark, retired branch secretary Scotland No.2 branch CWU
This Saturday will see a large anti-racist protest to counter a demo called by a ‘community group’.
The demo has been called against asylum seekers being accommodated in the Cladhan Hotel in Falkirk. It has the backing of the Reform councillor Claire Mackie-Brown, who was elected as a Tory councillor in 2022 before coming an independent and in 2024 joining Reform. The Reform leadership have apparently told her not to attend.
This anti-asylum protest is the latest in a number of similar events across the UK – which have targeted hotels housing asylum seekers placed there by the Westminster government. Many of these have been organised or have involved sections of the far-right or those influenced by them.
There have been stories in social media about sexual crimes and blaming the asylum seekers from those calling themselves “concerned parents”. And who are demanding the closing down of the hotel.
This group, Save Our Future and Our Kids Future, has attracted some of the local community. Those who have targeted the hotel have said they are not racist and they want a peaceful protest, but it’s clear there are some hard right groups involved who are playing on some genuine fears among the local community.
Locally, the trade unions and anti-racist groups have called a counter protest on Saturday with the aim stopping racism in the area and defending the people housed in the hotel.
The campaign of the so called ‘community group’ has included coming out and attacking the trade union movement and even threatening to call a protest outside the home of the secretary of Falkirk Trades Council.
This is an effort to silence the trade union movement, yet it is something that has only resulted in more and more trade unionists getting involved. The whole movement needs to show our strength and offer a way towards working-class unity and expose the racists from who they are and what they stand for.
The influence of the far right and racism can be cut across by the trade union movement offering a lead and fighting for the resources our communities need: council homes, fully funded services – including violence against women services – and well-paid jobs which can be won by uniting the working class and rejecting racism and division.
