Update: important trial at the Old Bailey

An alleged member of National Action has pleaded guilty to plotting to murder Labour MP Rosie Cooper, and threatening to kill a police officer, Vicky Henderson.

The evidence against Jack Renshaw was brought to the attention of the authorities by HOPE not hate, through an undercover source inside the banned terrorist group.

National Action is a dangerous nazi group, which was banned in 2016. It has its roots in the British National Party’s (BNP) youth wing and in the English Defence League (EDL). It has conducted harassment campaigns, had a slick social media operation, and had long talked publicly about being ready to commit acts of violence and terrorism.

This trial has come about because some members attempted to make good on those threats. All six deny charges of membership of National Action.

HOPE not hate is Britain’s leading anti-fascist and anti-racist organisation. We use tried and tested research methods to track, and expose, extremists, along with grassroots and online campaigning to defeat the far right. We ensured that nail bomber David Copeland was brought to justice, and we helped to defeat the BNP.

This court case has come about because of the great work of our research team and the courage of a young man who operated inside National Action and has stepped forward to testify about their activities, the centrepiece of which was a plot to kill Labour MP Rosie Cooper and a police officer.

This trial of alleged NA members is expected to last for several weeks. Although the case can be reported on by the media, HOPE not hate staff are under strict restrictions to remain silent until they have given evidence in court. We will be updating hopenothate.org.uk regularly with what’s happening in court.

At the end of the trial we’ll be free to tell the full story of how National Action was stopped in its tracks – and what the government must do to defeat the growing threat of far-right terrorism.