English Democrats: Ready to finish off the BNP and EDL?

Matthew Collins - 19 11 12
Dowson and Griffin in happier times

Dowson and Griffin in happier times

The English Democratic Party (EDP) has been cock-a-hoop since their strong showing in last week’s undersubscribed PCC elections.

As the PCC results came in on Friday, the EDP (ED’s) had already held excited conference calls celebrating the overnight confirmation that the British National Party was a long way from recapturing its past form.

Yesterday the party’s Executive Council met to plot their next move.

The ED’s have been desperate to replace the BNP as the main party on the far-right and in attempting to do this, have wasted no time recruiting large number of former BNP officials and activists. In fact, whole swathes of BNP branches moved over to the EDP last year as the BNP’s demise became irreparable once Nick Griffin made it clear he would not stand down as party leader.

The EDP stepped up their campaign to surpass the BNP earlier this year when they jumped into a business relationship with controversial former BNP fundraiser Jim Dowson. Despite having his own party, Britain First, and being a Scottish Unionist, Dowson will fight anybody’s war for the right price.

Getting into bed with a hardline Loyalist like Dowson meant that the ED’s had to abandon an unpopular decision by some to try and link up with Sinn Fein, the political wing of the Provisional IRA. Nor do the ED’s leadership seem to mind that Dowson is currently a wrecking ball among the rest of the far-right. Or perhaps that pleases them?

Certainly, some people have been keen to suggest that legal papers served on behalf of Dowson on the British Freedom Party’s leader Paul Weston were at least given the once-over by EDP leader Robin Tillbrook, a solicitor. Dowson is rather perplexed however that Weston has still not responded, neither has Kevin Carroll, who also had papers served at his home last week.

As well as legally trying to break the BFP and EDL, Dowson is keen to launch his own street gang, which will be called the “St George’s Brigade” when they don their boots for an attempted riot in Southend next month. Most of those preparing for the excursion are of course, former EDL activists whose palms Dowson has greased with promises of silver.

Over the last three days, the English Dems sent an email to an enormous list of right-wing activists across the political spectrum-from BNP to UKip members- gloating over the state of the BNP and describing UKip as “nothing but compliance, internal division and broken dreams” and a “phony (sic) anti-EU party”.

As Dowson revels in the praise heaped upon him by the party hierarchy for his Midas touch, the EDP are stepping up their campaign in Rotherham By-election where there is already BNP, UKip and an (EDL aligned) Independent.

The ED’s have promised internally to “smash” what they describe in their email as the “toxic” BNP. Having Dowson on side, as toxic as he is himself promises if anything, it will be a bumpy and dangerous ride for the EDP. With Nick Griffin and Jim Dowson, things are more than a little personal.

You can read more about the ED’s growing “Militant Tendency” in the latest edition of Hope Not Hate magazine:

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