WHAT a delight to see that Matt Wrack, general secretary of the Fire Brigades’ Union (HAS, June 17), has mastered “PC speak” in relation to the British National Party: ie, chanting the words “racist” and “fascist” with the same monotonous regularity as drunken football supporters chant their stuff.

His next step should be to look up “fascism” in a dictionary. In Chambers, it is defined as comprising, first, “militarism”.

Given the large Labour/Tory military adventure in Iraq and the BNP’s opposition to this, the BNP cannot hold a candle to Labour’s fascist credentials here.

Another characteristic of fascism is “restrictions on personal freedom”. There have been numerous broadsheet newspaper articles cataloguing Labour’s attacks on civil liberties recently.

The BNP cannot compete with Labour on this one either.

Opposition to democracy is another characteristic of fascism.

Given that a large majority of voters think too many immigrants have been allowed into the UK, the BNP more accurately reflects voters’ opinions, at least on immigration, than does Labour.

As Max Beloff, Oxford’s former professor of government, said – there is something “dangerously fascist” about Labour. I cannot think of anyone better qualified to pass judgement on this point.

Ralph Musgrave, Durham.