In his first interview since finishing third last week in the [Clacton] election, Owusu-Nepaul insisted he had fought hard, and said he understood the need for the national campaign to take priority. But he warned that Reform should be a cause for concern “because of the type of politics they represent”.
“It was my first time standing in a parliamentary election and I would be lying if I said that at times I didn’t feel concern for the safety of those around me on the campaign,” he said.
“I am not saying this was a direct consequence of Farage but from his supporters there was vitriol and from the very beginning a sense of intimidation. I had people tear my leaflets up. We had people come out and spit at us. I had my name constantly interrogated about where I was ‘really from’.
“On social media I got a torrent of abuse all day, every day. It has only given me further resolve to keep going because it made me realise that there are many people online, trolls or whoever they are, who want to silence me and silence others who share a similar belief system.”
He added: “It felt like I had become a proxy for some of the things they hated. My profile had kind of got bigger and with that there was endless abuse. It was from people who were quite explicit about their intentions and who they were going to support, and that was Reform.
“The campaign was never about me. It was about ensuring that principles and values were communicated to voters. But I did learn a lot about the role of ethnic minorities in public life.”
[…]
Owusu-Nepaul said he believed the political atmosphere had permeated through to the local community. He said: “I spoke to a lady who was telling me her eight-year-old son was beginning to experience racial abuse in the playground. She said that [I] have to vote for you because Nigel Farage’s party has been whipping up emotions. She was desperately sad and angry.“That really brought things home to me, the extent to which divisions were being stoked, and they were even manifesting in the school playground.”
He echoed Neil Kinnock – who has warned Labour not to ignore the nationalist threat posed by Farage – and said he believed the best way for the left and progressive politicians to defeat the surge in support for the populist right was to address people’s material concerns.
“In Clacton I saw the type of endemic poverty which is a problem all over the country and goes back generations. It’s also been juxtaposed with a lot of over-promising and under-delivery. It’s become ingrained while the scapegoating of others has become a way of avoiding doing anything,” Owusu-Nepaul said.
He predicted that Farage would be a “one-term MP” because he would use the platform to serve his own ideological interests while local people in Clacton would lose out.
It’s racism. The media have stoked the populace for years with talk of “illegal immigrants”, “foreigners taking our jobs” and the “country is full”. It’s all reactionary bullshit to sell papers, get clicks, and propel the media’s chosen politicians into power. But ultimately, underneath the headlines it’s all driven by racism not facts. Immigration brings in younger people, increases the workforce, boosts the economy, helps pay for an aging population. But those facts don’t stoke outrage and sell papers.
Personally I blame Gordon Brown. He should have stood up to that “bigoted old woman” during the 2010 election campaign instead of caving in. He legitimised the narrative and we have paid and are still paying the price.
