Read HOPE not hate’s new report into Britain First, the far-right group standing a candidate in the Wakefield by-election.
Britain First report
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Our report, Britain First: Dysfunctional, Dangerous and in our Communities, describes how Britain First remains one of the most active far-right groups in the UK, undertaking weekly activities, such as recruitment drives, harassment of asylum seekers in their accommodation and other stunts, while also being home to criminals, racists and those with violent pasts.
As the British National Party (BNP) was in the early throes of its protracted death spiral in 2011, a small group of formerly key activists launched “Britain First”, a splinter group that they promised would be free of the flaws afflicting the BNP:
“If you are fed up of derisory election results, financial scandals, infighting and factionalism, self-inflicted media disasters, disintegration and ridicule, then your place is with us!”
The above now reads very much like a checklist of Britain First’s own manifold failures over the eleven years that have followed. However, despite the relentless infighting, financial scandals and political setbacks, the group has managed to avoid disintegration and remains an active and aggressive far-right threat to communities across the country.
Our report into this chaotic yet determined movement highlights how:
- Multiple party members and supporters have been convicted of terrorism offences, as well as other crimes such as assault and burglary. Among the group’s current key members is one of the UK’s most notorious football hooligans who has dozens of convictions for violence and other offences. Another activist had prior convictions for stamping on his ex-partners head before joining the group.
- The party has a strong pro-Putin stance, with leader Paul Golding having heaped praise on the Russian President, travelled to Russia three times and appeared on Russian state television.
- The party plays a leading role in harassing asylum seekers and refugees in this country, accounting for 41% of anti-migrant accommodation visits across the UK since the start of 2021.
- Party members openly espouse highly racist and offensive views and conspiracy theories. Ashlea Simon, the party’s current Chair and Wakefield candidate, has said: “English people can’t be black, English blood is white.”
- The group has also pushed the racist “Great Replacement” conspiracy theory alleging that white Europeans are being “replaced” by a sustained influx of immigrants, for example claiming in a 2021 article that “white Westerners” are being subjected to an “pernicious and evil campaign” that amounts to “genocide”.
- Britain First is scamming its supporters by deliberately making donation buttons confusing. Banks think withdrawals are being made as a standing order, whilst the donor thinks they have just made a one-off donation. We have reports of low income pensioners desperately trying to get their money back and being ignored.
Britain First report
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