British Movement
This article may need to be rewritten to comply with Wikipedia's quality standards. (August 2021) |
British Movement | |
---|---|
British National Socialist Movement | |
Headquarters | Coventry |
Newspaper | The Phoenix, British Patriot |
Youth wing | National Youth Movement |
Ideology | Neo-Nazism |
Political position | Far-right |
International affiliation | World Union of National Socialists |
Colours | Red White Blue |
Party flag | |
Website | |
britishmovement.info | |
The British Movement (BM), later called the British National Socialist Movement (BNSM), is a British
Formation
The NSM had come to an end sometime after Colin Jordan was imprisoned in early 1967 for distributing a racist leaflet The Coloured Invasion and following his release Jordan had met
Violence
Not long after its formation the BM gained coverage in Leicester, where a growing Midlands branch was being organised by Ray Hill, when local members attacked students who were supporting an Anti-Apartheid Movement protest against a South African trade delegation visiting the city.[4] Direct action activities such as this, which usually ended in violence, became the stock in trade of the BM during its early days.[4] An underground cell, the National Socialist Group, was also established in Blackheath by David Courtney and this undertook paramilitary training exercises in Scotland whilst also seeking to build links between the BM and like-minded groups in Europe. The group vanished suddenly in 1969 when Special Branch began to investigate them, with Courtney in particular dropping out of the far-right scene for some time afterwards.[5]
Despite this setback violence remained on the agenda as the party maintained a Leader Guard of violent members whom it encouraged to join the
Convictions were not uncommon. Crane was jailed in 1981 for his part in an ambush on black youths at Woolwich Arsenal station. An Old Bailey judge described Crane as "worse than an animal" after his part in the May 1978 bus stop attack in Bishopsgate.[8] Other BM members felt the force of the law as was the case in January 1981 when three members, Rod Roberts, Harvey Stock and Robert Giles, were arrested for possession of illegal weapons and attempted arson with Roberts imprisoned for seven years as a result.[9]
Political activity
The BM entered electoral politics in 1969 when Jordan put himself forward as a candidate for the Birmingham Ladywood by-election. The campaign made no attempts to hide the party's support for Nazism and violence became the hallmark, not least on the election night itself when scuffles at the count were televised nationally.[10] The 3.5% vote share that the BM secured was treated as a success by activists who felt that it proved that even with a Nazi message nearly 300 people were still prepared to vote for an anti-immigration candidate.[11] Indeed, the BM members had openly worn the German Nazi Swastika symbol, and party literature featured pictures of Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.[12]
The BM contested the
Jordan's run as leader came to an end in 1975 when he was arrested in the Coventry branch of Tesco on a charge of shoplifting. Jordan declared that the event, and the reports that the item he had stolen were a pair of women's knickers, was a frame-up, but soon after he resigned as leader of the BM to take on an advisory role.[17]
Post-Jordan
After Jordan stood down as leader of the BM, Michael McLaughlin, a former milkman from Liverpool, became the leader.[18] McLaughlin, who was seen as a talented organiser but weak leader, was largely believed to have been chosen as little more than a "front" leader who could be controlled by Jordan from behind the scenes.[19] McLaughlin quickly rejected this notion and made it clear that Jordan's time was over, resulting in the former leader retiring to Yorkshire from where he still published his own journal Gothic Ripples from time to time, the pages of which were regularly filled with criticism of McLaughlin.[19]
McLaughlin, in contrast to Jordan, was under no delusions that the BM might gain a broad following and instead he felt that its best area of possible support was amongst young, working-class males. The BM journals, The Phoenix and British Patriot, thus changed to become much more simplistic and aggressive publications largely shorn of Jordan's pseudoscientific racialism in favour of more basic notions.[20] The BM had also gained some publicity in 1976 when "race martyr" and sometime party activist Robert Relf went on hunger strike in protest at the Race Relations Bill but this proved short-lived as Tyndall quickly signed Relf up to the NF.[21] Relf had gained national attention after he advertised his house as being "For Sale - to a white family only".[22] Meanwhile, McLaughlin's baser ideas struck a chord with the growing White power skinhead movement and large numbers of these youths, many of whom were involved in regular acts of violence against non-Whites, flocked to the BM.[23] By 1980 it claimed to have 4,000 members and 25 branches.[6]
The notion of recruiting violent youths to form a street army appealed to
Ray Hill's return
In 1980, Ray Hill, who had been a leading member of the BM under Jordan before emigrating to South Africa, rejoined the group and soon became one of its leading figures, a decision prompted by the anti-fascist magazine Searchlight, for whom Hill had become a mole.[27] Hill was appointed Area Leader in the East Midlands where he was given responsibility for enticing disaffected NF members to join the BM. Before long Hill had added about thirty members in Leicester and had also built a close working relationship with the British Democratic Party in the city.[26] Hill also managed to ensure publicity for the BM from the Leicester Mercury after a riot in the city, a fact that won him the admiration of McLaughlin.[28]
Following an incident at a
Under Searchlight direction Hill sought to take charge of the BM and he launched his campaign at a demonstration in Welling in October 1980 organised by Crane. Attending in McLaughlin's stead after the BM leader had asked him to Hill made frequent references to other organisers present about allegations that McLaughlin was letting them do the work whilst he stayed behind at BM headquarters in Lampeter collecting membership fees.[31] A speech criticising the police at a BM rally in Paddington helped to cement Hill's popularity amongst the rank and file membership, most of whom held police in contempt.[32]
After he opened contact with Jordan, Hill was expelled from the BM by McLaughlin in 1981.[citation needed] Hill was backed by his Leicester branch, London organiser Tony Malski and Robert Relf and his lieutenant Mike Cole, all of whom backed Hill to replace McLaughlin as leader.[33] Hill released a statement to BM members rejecting the expulsion and threatening a court injunction to overturn the expulsion.[34] With legal advice provided by British Democratic Party leader Anthony Reed Herbert, Hill soon issued the writ against McLaughlin, who attempted to get around the problems by renaming the BM the British Nationalist and Socialist Movement and claiming that the BM in fact no longer existed.[35]
Collapse
About half of the members of the BM went with Hill out and joined the newly launched British National Party in 1982, a huge blow to McLaughlin's group.[35] The party failed to contest the 1983 general election, although a single candidate had attempted to stand in Peterborough as a Labour Party candidate; he was barred by the returning officer after several signatures on the nominating papers were found to be invalid.[36] McLaughlin finally announced the closure of the BM in September 1983 and in the statement blamed the court case brought by Ray Hill which had severely depleted BM funds.[37]
New group
A group calling itself the British Movement continued to operate after September 1983 under the leadership of Stephen Frost, a
The BNSM was soon attempting to re-activate the old BM membership and followed the old template of encouraging members to undergo military training through the
The progress of the BNSM was halted in the early 1990s by the emergence of Combat 18 with much of the membership switching allegiance to this new group.[48] The new BM re-emerged during the mid-1990s by becoming heavily involved in the distribution of white power music.[49] By this time Michael 'Micky' Lane had taken over as leader (BM National Chairman) of the group from Daniel Tolan (with Stephen Frost becoming BM National Secretary), a position that meant Lane's name appeared on an alleged Combat 18 hitlist due to the rivalries between the groups.[50] Although a British Movement still exists, it has a tiny, largely inactive, membership.[51] It does, however, maintain a presence on the internet,[52] publishes a monthly newspaper called The Emblem, a monthly BM members' newsletter called The Sunwheel and a quarterly magazine called Broadsword, and is occasionally the subject of newspaper reports and media attention.[53]
The Annual State of Hate Report for 2021 published by
Michael Gove assessment
On 14 March 2024, Michael Gove, the secretary of state for levelling up, housing and communities, speaking in Parliament, named the organisation as one of several regarded as "a cause for concern" and which will be assessed against a newly introduced official UK government definition of extremism.[55]
Footnotes
- ^ Martin Walker, The National Front, Glasgow: Fontana, 1977, p. 77.
- ^ R. Hill & A. Bell, The Other Face of Terror - Inside Europe’s Neo-Nazi Network, London: Collins, 1988, p. 116.
- ^ Hill & Bell, The Other Face of Terror, p. 117.
- ^ a b Hill & Bell, The Other Face of Terror, p. 36.
- ^ Hill & Bell, The Other Face of Terror, pp. 117–118.
- ^ a b Peter Barberis, John McHugh, Mike Tyldesley, Encyclopedia of British and Irish Political Organizations, 2002, p. 177.
- ^ Geoffrey Harris, The Dark Side of Europe: The Extreme Right Today, Edinburgh University Press, 1994, p. 123.
- ^ a b c d Kelly, Jon (6 December 2013). "Nicky Crane: The secret double life of a gay neo-Nazi". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 4 February 2017.
- ^ Hill & Bell, The Other Face of Terror, pp. 141–142.
- ^ Hill & Bell, The Other Face of Terror, p. 37.
- ^ Hill & Bell, The Other Face of Terror, pp. 37–38.
- ^ Hill & Bell, The Other Face of Terror, p. 38.
- ^ S. Taylor, The National Front in English Politics, London: Macmillan, 1982, p. 22.
- ^ Martin Walker, The National Front, Glasgow: Fontana, 1977, p. 134.
- ^ Hill & Bell, The Other Face of Terror, pp. 135–136.
- ^ Michael Billig, A Social Psychological View of the National Front, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1978, p. 239.
- ^ Hill & Bell, The Other Face of Terror, pp. 119–120.
- ^ R. Hill & A. Bell, The Other Face of Terror, p. 124.
- ^ a b R. Hill & A. Bell, The Other Face of Terror, p. 120.
- ^ R. Hill & A. Bell, The Other Face of Terror, p. 121.
- ^ Walker, The National Front, p. 195.
- ^ "Facing the Crisis". Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 26 October 2007.
- ^ R. Hill & A. Bell, The Other Face of Terror, pp. 121–122.
- ^ Richard Thurlow, Fascism in Britain A History, 1918-1985, Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 1987, p. 282.
- ^ N. Lowles & S. Silver, White Noise, London: Searchlight, 1998.
- ^ a b Hill & Bell, The Other Face of Terror, p. 125.
- ^ Hill & Bell, The Other Face of Terror, p. 126.
- ^ Hill & Bell, The Other Face of Terror, p. 130.
- ^ Hill & Bell, The Other Face of Terror, pp. 131–132.
- ^ Hill & Bell, The Other Face of Terror, p. 133.
- ^ Hill & Bell, The Other Face of Terror, p. 134.
- ^ Hill & Bell, The Other Face of Terror, p. 139.
- ^ Hill & Bell, The Other Face of Terror, pp. 139–141.
- ^ Hill & Bell, The Other Face of Terror, pp. 145–146.
- ^ a b Hill & Bell, The Other Face of Terror, p. 146.
- ^ "United Kingdom Parliamentary Election results 1983-97: English Boroughs part 2". Archived from the original on 11 May 2015. Retrieved 30 April 2007.
- ^ Hill & Bell, The Other Face of Terror, p. 147.
- ^ David Boothroyd, The Politico's Guide to the History of British Political Parties, London: Politico's, 2001, p. 20.
- ^ Goodrick-Clarke, Nicholas. Black Sun: Aryan Cults, Esoteric Nazism, and the Politics of Identity. NYU Press, 2003. pp. 40–41.
- ^ European Parliament, Committee of Inquiry on Racism and Xenophobia - Report on the Findings of the Inquiry, Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, 1991, p. 38.
- ^ N. Lowles & S. Silver, White Noise, London: Searchlight, 1998.
- ^ Harris, The Dark Side of Europe, p. 165.
- ^ Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke, Black Sun: Aryan Cults, Esoteric Nazism, and the Politics of Identity, New York University Press, 2003, p. 41.
- ^ Goodrick-Clarke, Black Sun, pp. 41–42.
- ^ Goodrick-Clarke, Black Sun, p. 42.
- ^ Lowles & Silver, White Noise, p. 17.
- ^ Lowles & Silver, White Noise, p. 19.
- ^ Goodrick-Clarke, Black Sun, p. 44.
- ^ Nick Lowles. "1990-1999 Ballot-box to Bomb - Fighting On All Fronts". Searchlight. Archived from the original on 29 December 2006.
- ^ Nick Ryan, Homeland: Into a World of Hate, Edinburgh: Mainstream, 203, p. 123.
- ^ Searchlight, January 2006.
- ^ "British Movement".
- ^ See, for example,
- Joe Tyler (18 October 2010). "Residents unhappy with far-right meeting in Royston". 'Royston Crow.
- James McCarthy (25 May 2014). "Welsh far-right group under fire for recruiting children". Wales Online. Retrieved 24 January 2019..
- Hywel Griffith (17 June 2015). ""Far right 'targeting new, younger generation'". BBC News. Retrieved 24 January 2019.
- Mark Townsend (18 June 2016). "Why has the far right made West Yorkshire a home?". The Guardian.
- Ian Cobain (24 November 2016). "Britain's far right in 2016: fractured, unpredictable, dispirited and violent". The Guardian..
- Craig Smith (8 March 2017). "Concern as Fife targeted by far right fascist propaganda". The Courier. Retrieved 24 January 2019.
- Matthew Collin (12 January 2018). "Take the next far right for "The Road Ahead"". Hope not Hate. Retrieved 24 January 2019.
- Nathan Hyde (21 January 2019). "This is the neo Nazi group that joined the Leeds yellow vest protest". Leeds Live. Retrieved 24 January 2019.
- Nigel Slater (26 February 2019). "Derbyshire is awash with far right extremist stickers". Derby Telegraph.
- Joseph Reaidi (1 April 202). "Neo-Nazi stickers and anti-vax graffiti in West Hampstead". Hampstead & Highgate Express.
- Joseph Reaidi (20 April 2023). "Deep concern over neo-Nazi stickers in Camden streets". Hampstead & Highgate Express.
- Paul McAuley (7 March 2024). "Horrific Nazi posters found in Liverpool city centre". Liverpool Echo. - ^ Billy Briggs (22 March 2021). "Neo-nazis active in Scotland use Instagram and Telegram to recruit youngsters". The Ferret.
- ^ "Gove names groups as he outlines new extremism definition in Commons". BBC News. 14 March 2024. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
External links
- Official website
- A Century of British Fascism 1969-1979
- Ladywood by-election film footage including an interview with British Movement leader Colin Jordan in 1969
- Image of a British Movement demonstration in 1980
- Film clip of a British Movement march in London in 1979
- Thames News documentary about the British Movement produced in 1981
- Excerpts of the Thames Television TV Eye programme broadcast in 1980 including interviews with British Movement supporters, representatives of the Board of Deputies of British Jews and archive footage of BM marches
- Excerpts of the Channel 4 documentary The Other Face of Terror about the British Movement and other far-right groups broadcast in 1984