The postwar GB extreme right

1
The post-war GB extreme right

• The far right political parties in Britain have
  been weak
• Therefore, with a few temporary exceptions, the
  GB extreme right has focused on
  extra-parliamentary methods, including violence
  and terrorism
• In its capacity as an extra-parliamentary
  movement, the British far right has, in a
  European perspective, been quite strong, and
  influenced similar groups in other countries

2
Oswald Mosley (1896-1980)

• Tory MP 1918, Ind. MP 1922, Lab. MP 1926
• Resigns from Lab government, then from the party,
  in 1930
• Leader of British Union of Fascists 1930s
• Interned during WWII
• Again politically active 1948- ca. 1970

3
Development since 1945 in brief

• Oswald Mosley forms Union Movement in 1948
• Stands in North Kensington (London) in 1959
  General Election, getting 2821 votes
• Mosley retires from politics in the late 1960s,
  and dies in 1980
• Other early post-war organisations include
  League of Empire Loyalists, Greater Britain
  Movement and British National Party (sic!)

4
National Front

• Formed as result of different mergers in 1966-67
• Gained strength in early 1970s, especially
  following entry of Ugandan refugees 1972
• Put up 303 candidates in 1979 General election,
  but lost every deposit (12.5 required to keep
  deposit)
• Weakened by 1979 debacle, and split in 1982
  (British National Party formed)

5
National Front (2000s)

• The current NF started in 1995. Has historical
  links with the party of the same name in the
  1960s-80s, but there have been many splits and
  defections
• More a loose network than a fully fledged
  political party
• The leader is usually named as Tom Holmes, who is
  the party chairman, but he is not a high-profiled
  representative of the party
• Contested 13 seats in 2005 General Election

6
British National Party (BNP)

• Todays BNP formed in 1982
• Leader 1982-1999 John Tyndall
• Leader since 1999 Nick Griffin
• Insignificant during 1980s and 90s, but gained
  support from circa 2000
• Close to EU parliament seat in 2004
• Circa 8,600 members (party claims higher figure)

7
BNP under Tyndall (1982-99)

• Limited participation in elections
• Had one councillor elected in 1993. Derek
  Beackon, in Tower Hamlets (Millwall). Kept seat
  for one year
• In 1997 General Election , BNP put up 57
  candidates. Best performances in east London (7.5
  per cent)
• Tyndall tried to get rid of thuggish, extremist
  image
• Nick Griffin defeats Tyndall in leadership
  contest in September 1999

8
BNP since 1999

• Battle between Griffin and Tyndall continues,
  until the latters death in 2005
• Griffin strives to speed up modernisation process
• In 2001 General Election, the party decides to
  focus its resources. Puts up 33 candidates. Gets
  3.3 in the constituencies contested
• Best result in Oldham West (Griffin, 16)

9
Concentration of resources

• has paid off also in local council elections.
  After 2001 the party has had notable local
  election success in, e.g., Burnley and, later,
  greater London (Barking Dagenham Epping
  Forest)
• Currently circa 48 councillors, at most around 60
• Fields 199 candidates in 2005 General Election.
  Gets 192,746 votes, or 0.7 (4.2 in the
  constituencies contested). 16.1 in Barking
  13.9 in Dewsbury

10
The current situation is that

• the BNP is arguably in a stronger position than
  any similar party has ever been in Britain
• Unlike the BUF in the 1930s, or NF in the 1970s,
  the BNP has been able to build up a stable
  organisation, and lasting local presence in some
  parts of England
• So far little or no success in Wales, Scotland or
  Northern Ireland, although the party exists here
• UK electoral system prevents a national
  breakthrough, but could benefit from PR system in
  EU elections

11
How can the relative success of BNP be explained?

• Our knowledge of factors contributing to BNP
  success is limited. Difficult to research a such
  small party, without a nationwide support base
• BNP has successfully targeted deprived areas with
  concentrated campaigning (e.g. Burnley)
• However, also some successes in more affluent
  areas (e.g. Broxbourne, Herts.)
• Campaign message often a mix of anti-
  immigration, attacks on other parties and local
  pavement issues (Racism plus X?)

12
The BNP is not making uniform progress

• Not always been able to build on local election
  successes
• Suffering from anti-BNP campaigns and changes in
  voting rules
• Has found it difficult to recruit able election
  candidates
• Many of the elected BNP councillors have
  defected, resigned or been expelled
• Still, the council experience could mean that the
  party will in the long term be able to build up a
  growing critical mass of experienced politicians
• So what kind of party is todays BNP?

13
BNP on economy

• Wants to renationalise monopoly utilities and
  services
• Protect GB companies from unfair foreign
  imports, but
• enhance domestic competition
• Tax punishment on companies that outsource work
  abroad
• Exchange income tax for tax on consumption
  (2005). Raise income tax threshold to 15,000
  (2007)
• Hence, not very right-leaning in economic issues.
  Anti-globalism elements of protectionism

14
BNP on immigration (2007)

• Deport all illegal immigrants
• Deport all non-Britons who commit crimes
• Review all grants of residence and citizenship
• Offer generous grants those of foreign
  descent who wish to leave permanently
• Until 2001 the policy was voluntary,
  incentive-based repatriation, followed by
  enforced expulsion of remaining non-white
  immigrants
• Stop new immigration except for exceptional
  cases
• Refuse asylum seekers who passed safe countries
  on their way to Britain

15
BNP on foreign security policy

• Leave the EU
• Wants an EU of traditional white nations, free
  and independent
• Establish independent trade and travel
  agreements with the EU and other countries
  (2007)
• Politely but firmly refuse to fight Americas
  wars (2005)
• US bases in UK may stay, as counterweight to EU,
  as long as US is on good behaviour (2005)

16
BNP on social policy, crime

• National preference
• Social benefits restricted to British citizens
• Authoritarianism
• Compulsory work scheme for those on unemployment
  benefit for more than 6 months
• Harder conditions in prisons, more severe
  sentences
• Electronically tagged chain gangs to do work,
  e.g. for coastal defence projects
• Death penalty

17
Racism, anti-semitism

• Claims not to be racist. Defines racism as racial
  hatred, and claims to respect the right of all
  races to their own identity, homeland, security
  etc
• Opposed to multiculturalism (i.e. new racism?)
• Often refers to race, white Britons, etc.
• Opposed to mixed marriages
• Website contains articles on racial differences,
  scientific evidence of the existence of race,
  etc.
• Griffin attacks conspiracy theorists in the
  party, but also claims that Jewish and Christian
  Zionists around President Bush have played a
  role in pushing for war in the Middle East

18
Nick Griffin (2003)

• Mankind is divided into races, and those races,
  while sharing many common features of humanity,
  are innately different in many ways beyond mere
  colour
• Does this amount to classical racism?
• nationalityis first and foremost decided by
  ethnicity
• Makes the party ethnically nationalist
• Sourcehttp//www.bnp.org.uk/articles/race_realit
  y.htm

19
UK Independence Party

• Founded in 1993
• Had 3 MEPs elected in 1999 (7 of UK vote)
• Robert Kilroy Silk joins in May 2004. Party gets
  16.1 and 12 seats in June EU election
• Not been near these results in General Elections
• Kilroy Silk leaves party in January 2005, after
  unsuccessful leadership bid
• Currently 10 MEPs, following defections
• Leader since September 2006 Nigel Farage
• UKIP not considered as extreme right. Demands UK
  exit from EU and stricter immigration control
• EU criticism from libertarian perspective

20
Veritas

• Formed by Robert Kilroy Silk in February 2005,
  following his defection from UKIP
• Contested 66 constituencies in 2005 General
  Election, but performed very disappointingly
• Leader since September 2005 Patrick Eston, after
  Kilroy-Silk resigned in July
• Opposed to political correctness and the EU.
  Advocates stricter immigration and more law and
  order

21
Combat 18

• Formed as body guards for BNP meetings in 1992,
  but the relationship with BNP soon soured
• 18 stands for A(dolf) H(itler)
• Has had links with football hooligan groups
• Selective elitist membership
• Has issued Redwatch, a list of enemies
  (anti-fascists, multiculturalists et c.)
• Effectively ceased to exist following revelations
  of MI5 infiltration, and imprisonment of leading
  members
• The name C18 is still in use, but the
  organisation is lacking in continuity