Right time to build bridges

The new Dean of Blackburn Cathedral, whose son has married an Asian woman, says that he wants to build on the unifying efforts going on in the town. Meanwhile the Bishop of Burnley has spoken of 'false fears' which he believes are driving some people into the arms of the British National Party.

The bishop's words follow the high vote registered for the BNP in Burnley at last Thursday's General Election, a vote which echoed the party's success in trouble-hit Oldham. BNP candidate Steve Smith, meanwhile, has described the vote in Burnley as a breakthrough and believes his party can take power away from Labour at the next local elections.

Such claims are more than a little extravagant, but it is nevertheless the case that the

4,000 Burnley votes for the BNP represent a huge slap in the face for racial harmony. Whatever problems may exist in the town - and there is little point in pretending that there is no racial tension - the answer does not lie with the British National Party.

Peter Pike hits the nail on the head when he says that the vote reflects an air of genuine concern but that many people simply have not understood what they have voted for. The BNP's approach to most issues is sadly lacking in reason and serves only to stoke the fires of prejudice.

The people of Burnley do not want conflict but at the moment there does seem to be an absence of meaningful, constructive bridge-building going on.

The BNP success is a wake-up call for all right-thinking community leaders to join forces to tackle the problems that exist in the town. Housing is clearly a major issue and needs looking at in some detail, but the starting point should be to recognise that racial tension problems do exist.

Step one may be to set up a forum for discussion (and then action) amongst all community leaders to make sure that the forces for harmony seize the initiative. The alternative may well be to sleep walk towards potentially disastrous results at future elections.