Manchester City Council Leader, Sir Richard Leese and Manchester MEP Arlene McCarthy  welcomed a national campaign urging people to vote against the BNP at the local elections on May 1st. The 'Hope not Hate' campaign, sponsored by anti-fascist organisation Searchlight in conjunction with the Mirror Newspaper, rolls into Albert Square tomorrow (April 22 at 12.30pm) for an afternoon of fun & politics featuring music, celebrities and food from around the world.

Cllr. Leese said;
"Manchester people know that part of what makes Manchester great is that we are a cosmopolitan city where we celebrate diversity and where people from different ethnic, religious and cultural backgrounds can live and work together.

"At this years local elections the BNP will once again be pedalling their message of hate and intolerance. Once again the people of Manchester will thoroughly reject the BNP."    

Arlene McCarthy said;
"Having recently visited the Manchester Jewish Museum to discuss their plans for a national centre for tolerance I see no place for the BNP or its views in our City.

"We are a diverse multicultural City which retains a strong sense of community. I know that the people of Manchester will see through the thinly disguised veil of hatred that is the BNP and not support them in the forthcoming local elections."