DONALD Trump has fanned the flames of fear and hatred and is responsible for the growth of the American far-right, says the secretary of Swindon Trades Council.

The comments come after a group of local people gathered in Swindon on Sunday to remember 32-year-old Heather Heyer who died in Charlottesville in Virginia on Saturday.

Members of Swindon Trades Council were joined by various campaign groups, trade unions and members of the public as they “showed our solidarity” with Virginian legal assistant and staunch anti-fascist Ms Heyer.

As well as sending a message of solidarity, the group managed to raise almost £100 in donations to be sent to Ms Heyer’s family as part of a wider fundraising campaign which has raised nearly $170,000 in under 16 hours.

In light of the shocking scenes emanating from the US, Jon Timbrell, secretary of Swindon Trades Council, issued a brutal critique of the Trump administration.

He said: “Since the start of the Trump presidency, the American white-supremacist movement has been growing in confidence. Trump actively courted the far-right, installed white supremacists such as Steve Bannon in the White House and did all he could to whip up fear and hatred of foreigners and people of colour.

"The growth in confidence and violence of the American far-right has been the inevitable consequence.

“With our event, we wanted to show solidarity with the family of Heather Heyer, who was tragically murdered for standing up to bullying, intolerance and hatred.

“Heather died fighting for a better world, based on equality, solidarity and co-operation, the ideals that we as trade unionists hold dear.

“The least we can do is make sure that her family receive the support they need at this difficult time. Our solidarity will always be stronger than their hatred.”

On Saturday, white nationalists had assembled in Charlottesville to protest against plans to take down a statue of Confederate General Robert E Lee, and counter-demonstrators gathered in opposition.

Ms Heyer died apparently when 20-year-old Alex Fields drove his car into a crowd of counter-demonstrators. Fields, of Ohio, has been charged with second-degree murder.

Nikki Dancey, a Swindon Trades Council delegate, said: “It is fantastic that people in Swindon were able to turn out at such short notice and raise £100 to send to Heather’s family, but this is just the start.

“The American white supremacist movement has shown itself willing to terrorise, brutalise and murder.

"As well as continuing our fight against home-grown fascist groups such as Britain First and the EDL, we will be looking to hold fundraising events to ensure that the American anti-fascist movement is equipped with everything it needs to stay safe and effective and kick white-supremacy and all it stands for back into the dustbin of history, where it belongs.”

President Donald Trump yesterday condemned white supremacist groups by name, declaring "racism is evil", two days after the clashes.

At the White House, Mr Trump branded members of the KKK, neo-Nazis and white supremacists who take part in violence as "criminals and thugs".

The groups are "repugnant to everything that we hold dear as Americans," he said.

In his initial remarks on the violence on Saturday, the president did not single out the groups and instead bemoaned violence on "many sides".
Those remarks prompted stern criticism from fellow Republicans as well as Democrats, who urged him to seize the moral authority of his office to condemn hate groups.

Mr Trump's softer statement on Saturday had come as graphic images of a car ploughing into a crowd in Charlottesville were playing continually on television.