THE FUTURE OF THE FASCIST FAR-RIGHT IN BRITAIN

AND HOW WE CAN ALL HELP FIGHT IT!

By:

David Harney

From a personal view point, racism, and all its intrinsic and incept connotations, has always been of great political and social interest to me, since I was a child growing up on the outskirts of Bradford. I still vividly recall my best friend at that time, who was a black boy by the name of Trevor, being ridiculed and bullied at school due solely to him having dark skin. At that tender age, my emotion towards this school boy racism was not anger or a sense of injustice, but merely a sense of utter confusion. Why, I thought, should my friend be persecuted in such a manner, simply for being black? Why did the other boys not want to be friends with him, like I did? Why should they call him names? In fact, the word “racism” and its meanings, meant absolutely nothing to me.

My deeper understanding of racism only really began to develop, on leaving school, back in the early 1980s. My first job on leaving school at 16, was as an apprentice engineer. The Labour Party had organized a whip-round at the engineering factory where I worked, for the striking miners. Two young Asian men at the factory contributed a rather generous amount. Puzzled at this overt show of generosity, I asked them why they had contributed so much. Both men replied with the same answer which was, because the whip-round had been organized by the Labour Party. Still puzzled, I pressed them both on why they had given so much just because it was the Labour Party, and again, both replied with the same answer. They told me, that the Labour Party stood against racism, and for them, politics was as simple as that!

Events of that day stirred an interest in politics, and in racism. During the early 1980s, Bradford had a growing problem with the rise of the far-right, National Front (NF). A band of Swastika-waving skin-heads, who occupied certain city centre pubs, and who regularly physically attacked the city’s black and Asian people. I recall one of the National Front`s most vocal cheerleaders being a certain Nick Griffin, of course later to become leader of the far-right, British National Party (BNP).

I discussed all of this with my late grandfather, who relayed to me his recollections of Nazi Germany in 1945, when he entered Berlin, in order to help liberate the German people from Hitler’s lingering grip. He told me, how the National Front had little to do with freedom and democracy, but from what he could see, had much in common with Hitler’s Nazi Party. My grandfather used the term “fascism”, and went on to say that in his opinion, fascism was the politics of hate and blame. I agreed with him, and will always be indebted to his wisdom, and knowledge on the subject.

A young Nick Griffin, a prominent member of the fascist, National Front, here speading his racist dogma with fellow former NF member, Andrew Brons, who of-course would later become an MEP for the BNP. Speaking here, on a visit to Bradford.

The National Front, Nick Griffin, Andrew Brons, et al, of-course realised that a violence only policy was futile. Its audience was always going to be a limited one. Power was what they required, if their racist dogma was ever to become popular social practice. A notion that Hitler himself quickly realized, in early 1920s Germany. Hitler, of course, founded and fronted the fledgling National Socialist Party, or Nazi Party, so Nick Griffin would rather predictably form and front his British National Party, or BNP. Adolf Hitler’s attempts to mask the violent, hate-ridden beliefs of his Nazi Party in a cloak of democratic decency, was duly mirrored by the fledgling BNP’s attempts to do the same. The rationale was that only then would their unpopular racist agenda become acceptable and palatable with the majority. Only when this goal was achieved, could the full horror of their ideas be revealed to the people, and implemented as policy.

WRITING ON THE WALL! The 2011 British National Party Conference, was the lowest attended BNP Conference in its history. The break-up of the party had already begun, with many BNP members becoming hostile towards Griffin.

This is where the differences in the fortunes of the Nazi Party, and Griffin’s BNP, become rather stark. Of course we know power was indeed attained by Hitler, and sadly we all know the horrors that were to follow. With Griffin’s BNP, infected with fractious in-fighting, and power struggles, the inevitable break-up of the party is hardly a shock. Indeed it is a natural and inevitable conclusion.

One such disgruntled former BNP member decided to revert back to a group rather than a political party, and by doing so, he stopped seeking a popular democratic mandate for such hideous racist policies. His name is Stephen Lennon, His group, The English Defence League, or EDL.

Stephen Lennon, AKA Tommy Morrison. Founder, & Self appointed leader of the English Defence League (EDL)

(A fact that is about to change!)

Support from both within the party, and perhaps more importantly, from the British electorate, suffered a sharp and sustained decline towards Griffin’s BNP, yet the EDL have seen a sharp and sustained rise in numbers. This is a consequence, I believe, of a sharp rise in British poverty, in addition to social and economic meltdown, rather than the EDL’s claims of a rise in Islamic hardline teachings. I am convinced, without a shred of doubt, that until the scourge of unemployment, poverty, and social deprivation are addressed and eased, so we will continue to see the threat from groups such as the EDL.

Is it not a matter of fact, that the vast majority of members of such fascist groups are young, white, unemployed males from poverty inflicted areas? Is it also not a matter of historical fact, that after Hitler attained power in Germany, couldn’t he also reflect on his success, and attribute it to Germany’s crippling poverty, unemployment, and social meltdown? The evidence for this is glaring!

As with the defunct National Front, so we see the English Defence League. We see a group of thugs, attacking British Muslims in the street, waving not Swastikas but Union Jacks and the Cross of St George. They wave them with precisely the same set of racist, hateful, divisive and the same dangerous views as the old National Front.

Many of us will have heard of the Hope Not Hate campaign group, who help fight such racist views and actions. Hope Not Hate has many famous, and high-profile supporters and patrons, who have come together in the battle against intolerance, bigotry and racism, in a non-violent and successful way. It is by my close interest in Hope Not Hate, that I can now inform you of the future plans of the EDL, in addition to a rather little known far-right political party known as The British Freedom Party, or BFP.

 

Stephen Lennon (AKA Tommy Morrison) is to merge his racist EDL with The British Freedom Party and will become its deputy leader.

Two years ago, a fledgling British right-wing political party was founded by a fascist, by the name of Paul Weston. The British Freedom Party has gladly, failed to gain any meaningful ground since its formation, whose members mainly consist of disaffected BNP members, and sympathisers of ‘National Socialism’ -fascism.

A meeting of the fledgling far-right political party,

the British Freedom Party.

Paul Weston.

Founder, and self-appointed leader of the British Freedom Party.

Stephen Lennon (also known as Tommy Morrison) will soon be at his side.