Hi John, 

In the next few weeks, there will be a by-election in Batley & Spen. This seat is important to HOPE not hate and we will campaign in the area in the run-up to the election day. At the end of this email, I am going to ask you to contribute to our special by-election fund, but I am going to take a moment to explain the background first.

Batley and Spen is an area we know well. HOPE not hate has worked there over the years as it is an area where the BNP managed to build some support, including winning council seats in the past. It is also where our friend, Jo Cox, was the MP before she was murdered by a far right terrorist. 

Since Jo's tragic murder in 2016, the far right remain at large and undeterred. Unified along anti-migrant and anti-Muslim lines, they've attracted the likes of Tommy Robinson (real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon) who waded into and turned his supporters on a young Syrian schoolboy involved in a playground attack. He is now being sued for libel for accusations made against the now 17 year old.

The far right have also sought to further inflame the tensions around Batley Grammar School, where a school teacher was suspended after showing derogatory cartoons of the Prophet Muhammed, drawing the ire of the local Muslim community.

Our intelligence suggests that at least one, maybe even several, far right candidates will be on the ballot paper. This is a combustible situation, both for the election but also the ongoing cohesion in the area.

Last week, I instructed my team to create a dedicated unit focused on the by-election and its aftermath. Over the coming days and weeks, we'll swing into action:

• We're gathering information to better understand the far right's intentions and we'll prepare to expose the reality of any candidates
• We're researching the seat to understand how parties of all stripes could seek to bring the community together, not push people apart
• We're building a campaign team to ensure that everyone in the community is registered to vote
• We'll get ready to campaign on the ground
• We'll build a local infrastructure in the area that can deal with any upsurge in extremism caused by the election

There is a very real risk that far right extremists will use this high profile election to stir up hatred and division and given the history of the area this could be really dangerous to the community cohesion.

We had not planned for this by-election. It's not in our budget for the year - which has already been stretched thin by the COVID crisis. That means I need to ask for your help. 

I am calling on HOPE not hate supporters to step in and fund our work through the special Batley & Spen by-election fund. To ensure this unit can do the work it needs to, we need to raise £9,500 by the end of May. The far right are gearing up for this, and we need to too.

Thank you for your support. There'll be a lot more to say on this one - I'll stay in touch.

Nick

Nick Lowles
CEO, HOPE not hate