Mirror wins gong at bash to mark 100 years of anti-fascism battle

19 May 2023 , 20:52

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Billy Bragg speaks at the event

The Daily Mirror won a special HOPE not Hate award at an event to celebrate 100 years of anti-fascism.

CEO Nick Lowles thanked the Mirror for “always being by our side” in the organisation’s 20-year history of fighting the Far Right.

Mirror editor Alison Phillips presented musician Billy Bragg with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his anti-fascist activism.

The event was held at London’s City Hall, where guests included Mayor of London Sadiq Khan.

The Mirror’s history with HOPE not Hate dates back to 2005.

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In 2010, we joined forces to stop Nick Griffin’s British National Party taking over Barking and Dagenham Council. Mr Lowles said: “The Mirror took the courageous stand to tell readers what the BNP really stood for, and to campaign with us to drive the fascists out.”

Mirror's Alison present award to Billy

The Battle of Barking was also personal to Bragg, who grew up in the area. In his speech, he said he was inspired to fight fascism aged 19 by the 1978 Rock Against Racism festival in East London.

He said: “I want to tell you that music can change the world.”

The singer-songwriter staged a sell-out concert in aid of HOPE not Hate at the O2 Academy in Oxford last night.

Ros Wynne Jones