The View Fear Racism Is Spreading

THE View's Kieren Webster has spoken about how he fears racism is spreading throughout Scotland.

The Dundee band have contributed to the new Love Music Hate Racism album alongside stars including Hard-Fi, Maximo Park, Biffy Clyro and Dirty Pretty Things.

Speaking in NME, Kieren said: "Up north there are BNP rallies going on, and what's scary is there are a few people I know whose dads dragged them along."

The British National Party won 53 council seats and commanded seven per cent of the votes polled at the May 2006 elections and came close to winning a seat on the European Council - which would have earned them £2million in public funding.

Kieren continued: "In London, the Love Music Hate Racism shows have been happening for a while but in Dundee, no one knew it existed until we'd done something with it, so it does raise awareness."

The boys have recorded their track Fireworks and Flowers for the compilation, which has only previously been heard as a live track on the B-side of single, Don.

The CD, which is a cover mount on this week's NME magazine, was seen as a response to the BNP's plans to influence schoolchildren by issuing a CD on their label Great White records and distribute it outside the school gates.

Babyshambles' Drew McConnell said: "This stuff is creeping in. Some of it, if people haven't heard a different argument, can sound like common sense.

"They put on a suit and pretend they're respectable politicians."

Bloc Party's Kele Okereke added: "At every juncture it's got to be challenged."

For more information, log on to www.lovemusichateracism.com.

Daily Record, Oct 19 2007 Beverley Lyons And Laura Sutherland