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Diane Abbott MP was the first black women to be elected to the U.K. parliament. Her constituency is one of the most diverse areas in Britain and she has been at the forefront of UK anti-racist campaigning for decades.
teleSUR spoke to her ahead of the UN anti-racism day and he march in London that she will be addressing.
TS: The UN International day takes place against the rise of the far-right in Europe. Why do you think these forces are growing?
DA: I think the far right in Europe is growing because of the underlying economic conditions.
We went through a crash a few years ago — most European countries are still suffering from that; there’s been an increase in unemployment; the value of people’s wages has gone down; and people just feel more insecure.
And we know historically that when people feel economically insecure, they look for a scapegoat. In the 1930s it was the Jewish community, and now it is East European migrants.
What role have mainstream politicians played in the far-right's growth?
I think mainstream politicians have been too willing to pander to far-right politicians by echoing their narrative about immigration.
It’s very sad to see social democratic parties like the Labour Party echoing UKIP narrative on immigration, which goes against the economic interests of the U.K., it goes against common sense, and it goes against decency.
And how do you think these groups are best challenged?
By countering what they have to say with the facts.
It’s not Eastern European migrants who are driving down wages, it’s a liberalized labor market, and the fact that trade unions have had their rights and freedoms diminished.
And of course the main thing which creates low wages and insecurity is predatory employers. Most people don’t realize that in 2013-2014 not a single person was prosecuted in the UK for not paying the minimum wage.
We need to be dealing with predatory and exploitative employers, not scapegoating immigrants.
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