Helen Goodman

On Saturday, a successful meeting was held in Spennymoor bringing together a wide range of community and faith groups and a number of political parties to oppose the increase in racism and BNP activity in the local area.

The meeting, chaired by Helen, organised the first steps in a developing a broad-based cross-party coalition to combat the BNP.

Helen said:

“We arranged this meeting because we are united in our concern about the increase in racism and BNP activity in the Spennymoor and Shildon area.

We are 100% behind the non-political Hope Not Hate campaign, and we are all agreed that local people should know the truth about what is going on in our local communities.

This initiative is about showing that Bishop Auckland and South West Durham are united against racism and the BNP”.

This statement is endorsed by:

Cllr Richard Bell, Durham & Cleveland Conservative Party
Jim Tague, Bishop Auckland Conservative Association
John Cowey, Bishop Auckland Football Club
Neil Foster, Cllr Andrew Smith & Fred Ryder, Bishop Auckland Labour Party
Henry Nicholson, Communication Workers’ Union
Mariom Khan-Willis, Darlington & Durham Racial Equality Council
Paul Tucker, National Union of Teachers
Samantha Tucker & Dorothy Lyons, Respect Unity Coalition
Rev Rupert Kalus, St. John’s Church, Shildon
Rev. Linda Gough, St. Paul’s Church, Spennymoor
John Gilmore, Socialist Workers’ Party
Jim Smith, Spennymoor Town Council
Gordon Dalgleish Haine, The North East Ethnic Liaison Committee
Kevin Rowan, TUC North East
Paul Gibson, Tyne & Wear Anti-Fascist Association
Neville Hancock, Unison