Up to the 1990's Hackney had one of the lowest voter registration counts in the Country. Nowhere was this more true than in the old Brownswood wards. "Typical of many inner city areas", it might be said. True, to a certain degree. Obviously there are deep-rooted problems of disproportionate transience, social and economic exclusion, understandable cynicism and alienation.
But much was done subsequently to encourage as many people as possible onto the voter's list. Now it looks as if those glaring gaps in registration are reappearing, just like the prevalent rubbish tipping and dereliction. This is no complaint against the invariably assiduous and cheery foot-sloggers of the Electoral Registration Unit. But isn't it strange how their efforts are concentrated on those areas where the Labour administration in Hackney Town Hall might be expected to have the greatest electoral interest.
Whatever spin to the contrary, Labour has always subsisted on low expectations, low levels of political engagement, low voter turn-out. This has been an open invitation to the British National Party and other extremists in parts of London and elsewhere to fill the gap. In advance of the European elections and the threat of BNP representation through sheer inertia, it is going to be vital to boost voter registration and confront those who would provoke inter-community hostility, especially in such diverse areas as Finsbury Park and Manor House.
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