Regi Pilling – Westminster Kingsway College and NEC
Racists and the far right have grown in confidence in the US, across Europe and in the UK. Last year, fascist Tommy Robinson organised several large, racist demonstrations under the name “Uniting the Kingdom”, where speaker after speaker claimed Britain was “under attack” from multiculturalism, Muslims and the ‘woke agenda’.
They were hoping to spread their hatred and to normalise their bigotry under the guise of patriotism. Anti-racists successfully mobilised against them, but many were worried – several staff and students talked at our college about how they would stay home that day fearing attack by the racists.
Also last summer, the race riots sent a shock wave through many communities – these were incited and brutal. However, some of our students were clearly pulled by the narrative that the deaths in Southport were caused by immigration. And Reform UK’s anti-migrant propaganda, which is parroted by the media, Conservatives (and some Labour MPs), was repeated by some students.
Within our UCU branch, we decided to take on these lies and build a space for all who were feeling under attack and scared. We organised a Themed Learning Week: Celebrating Multiculturalism — a festival of diversity, protest and change. Staff and students from a wide range of subject areas developed their own projects, which were opened up to
other departments to collaborate with or to attend.
• Students studying Spanish led a debate on whether former colonial powers should apologise for colonialism.
• Fashion students created an exhibition of how fashion can be a form of protest and to celebrate multiculturalism, which was displayed in the main atrium.
• Politics and Sociology students invited Stand Up To Racism for a workshop on campaigning against Reform UK.
• Business students researched the impact and value of immigration to our country and then created an open student debate, and so on.
It was an empowering, enriching week where staff and students were able to take on the arguments and to create an atmosphere where people could feel proud and celebrate their cultural diversity. Through projects like these, we do more than teach. We arm our students with critical consciousness.
Since then, Trump was elected and recent opinion polls indicate that Reform UK could win a General Election if it was held now. And the Labour Party increasingly panders to racist narratives, racing to show it can deport more migrants and police borders harder than the right.
In the face of this onslaught, the role of educators and trade unionists is not simply important — it is urgent and essential. We must campaign against Reform wherever they stand, we must invite anti-racist organisations like Stand Up To Racism into our colleges and universities and we must keep pushing for anti-racist education.
Please support motions at Congress and FESC / HESC that will create policy to ensure UCU carries out this vital work (EQ3, EQ4, FE25, FE26 and HE34).