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| '''Graham Williamson''' is a long-time far right activist in the United Kingdom, having been active at the top levels of fascist and far right groups including the ], the ] and ] |
'''Graham Williamson''' is a long-time far right activist in the United Kingdom, having been active at the top levels of fascist and far right groups including the ], the ] and ]. Most recently, he is a leading member of the ] which contested the ] with eight candidates in the ] election being held in May 2014.<ref name=nomination>Regional Returning Officer for London, , published 28 April 2014</ref> | ||
| ⚫ | Williamson is also a director of the Human Rights Campaign group ]. He is a former British humanitarian aid worker in ] and founded ACT NOW with fellow aid workers after seeing human rights violations and mass killings directed against the ].<ref>ACT NOW press release: 27 March 2009<br>- , ''TamilNnet'',1 February 2010</ref> | ||
| ⚫ | It was through his work with Act Now that Williamson developed a strong relationship with the Tamil community in Britain, to the extent that he has persuaded Tamils and other ethnic minority people to join and contest elections for the National Liberal Party. What is clear is that while they were aware of his aid work, they were not aware of Williamson's political background.<ref name=C4news>''Channel 4 News'', , posted in ''Searchlight'', 3 May 2014</ref> | ||
| ==Political background== | ==Political background== | ||
| Williamson is a former deputy chairman of the ]. Active in the movement during the 1980s, he was closely associated with the ] (ONF) wing of ], ] and ] which was opposed by the ] of ] and ].<ref>Luciano Cheles, Ronnie Ferguson & Michalina Vaughan, ''Neo-Fascism in Europe'', Longman, 1991, p. 255</ref> Like most of his fellow members of the tendency Williamson had began as a member of the Young National Front.<ref>Nigel Copsey, ''Contemporary British Fascism: The British National Party and the Quest for Legitimacy'', Palgrave Macmillan, 2004, p. 33</ref> Williamson's membership of the NF dated back to 1975.<ref>Copsey, ''Contemporary British Fascism'', p. 183</ref> Williamson attracted coverage when he and Harrington attended the 1988 ] march to show their support for Islamic extremists, a position that was advocated by the ONF faction.<ref>Cheles, Ferguson & Vaughan, ''Neo-Fascism in Europe'', p. 260</ref> | |||
| Williamson is a former deputy chairman of the ] and a member of the executive of the ] (BNP)-supported "trade union" ]. With ], he founded the National Liberal Party in 1999. | |||
| ==National Liberal Party== | |||
| Harrington is the staff manager for the BNP leader ] and a former leading figure in the National Front, and general secretary of Solidarity. |
With Patrick Harrington, he founded the National Liberal Party in 1999. Harrington is the staff manager for the BNP leader ] and a former leading figure in the National Front, and general secretary of ] (BNP)-supported "trade union" ]. Williamson also served as a member of the executive for that organisation. With Harrington he ran a nationalist think tank for more than twenty years called the ], named after the third-positionist strategies influenced by the ideology of ], an Italian fascist. Third-positionist ideas were a great influence on the "]" faction of the National Front, which included Williamson, Harrington and Griffin.<ref name=C4news/> | ||
| Among Fiore's ideas was that far right white nationalist groups should form alliances with national liberation movements and separatists. Williamson and Harrington pioneered this in the National Front in the 1980s, but apart from allowing them to say they were not racists because they had black allies, the policy was not a success. The National Liberal Party has kept up this strategy, appealing for ethnic minority votes by focusing on national struggles abroad and with particular emphasis on injustices in Sri Lanka and India. | Among Fiore's ideas was that far right white nationalist groups should form alliances with national liberation movements and separatists. Williamson and Harrington pioneered this in the National Front in the 1980s, but apart from allowing them to say they were not racists because they had black allies, the policy was not a success. The National Liberal Party has kept up this strategy, appealing for ethnic minority votes by focusing on national struggles abroad and with particular emphasis on injustices in Sri Lanka and India. | ||
| Despite the far right and fascist backgrounds of its leaders, the party is contesting elections in London on a multicultural election list including ], ] and ] candidates. The party manifesto gives no indication of its far right origins. It says, "The National Liberal Party is putting forward a team of 8 ethnically and racially diverse candidates – Tamil, Sikh, Azerbaijan, Kurdish, English, north Borneo (sabah-sarawak), to represent the real grassroots London."<ref name=C4news/> | Despite the far right and fascist backgrounds of its leaders, the party is contesting elections in London on a multicultural election list including ], ] and ] candidates. The party manifesto gives no indication of its far right origins. It says, "The National Liberal Party is putting forward a team of 8 ethnically and racially diverse candidates – Tamil, Sikh, Azerbaijan, Kurdish, English, north Borneo (sabah-sarawak), to represent the real grassroots London."<ref name=C4news/> | ||
| ==Charity== | |||
| ⚫ | Williamson is also a director of the Human Rights Campaign group ]. He is a former British humanitarian aid worker in ] and founded ACT NOW with fellow aid workers after seeing human rights violations and mass killings directed against the ].<ref>ACT NOW press release: 27 March 2009<br>- , ''TamilNnet'',1 February 2010</ref> | ||
| ⚫ | It was through his work with Act Now that Williamson developed a strong relationship with the Tamil community in Britain, to the extent that he has persuaded Tamils and other ethnic minority people to join and contest elections for the National Liberal Party. What is clear is that while they were aware of his aid work, they were not aware of Williamson's political background.<ref name=C4news>''Channel 4 News'', , posted in ''Searchlight'', 3 May 2014</ref> | ||
| ==References== | ==References== | ||
| {{reflist}} | {{reflist}} | ||
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| {{DEFAULTSORT:Williamson, Graham}} | {{DEFAULTSORT:Williamson, Graham}} | ||
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Revision as of 23:45, 14 May 2014
Graham Williamson is a long-time far right activist in the United Kingdom, having been active at the top levels of fascist and far right groups including the National Front, the Third Way and Solidarity. Most recently, he is a leading member of the National Liberal Party which contested the 2014 European Parliament election with eight candidates in the London constituency election being held in May 2014.
Political background
Williamson is a former deputy chairman of the National Front. Active in the movement during the 1980s, he was closely associated with the Official National Front (ONF) wing of Nick Griffin, Derek Holland and Patrick Harrington which was opposed by the Flag Group of Andrew Brons and Ian Anderson. Like most of his fellow members of the tendency Williamson had began as a member of the Young National Front. Williamson's membership of the NF dated back to 1975. Williamson attracted coverage when he and Harrington attended the 1988 Quds Day march to show their support for Islamic extremists, a position that was advocated by the ONF faction.
National Liberal Party
With Patrick Harrington, he founded the National Liberal Party in 1999. Harrington is the staff manager for the BNP leader Nick Griffin and a former leading figure in the National Front, and general secretary of British National Party (BNP)-supported "trade union" Solidarity. Williamson also served as a member of the executive for that organisation. With Harrington he ran a nationalist think tank for more than twenty years called the Third Way, named after the third-positionist strategies influenced by the ideology of Roberto Fiore, an Italian fascist. Third-positionist ideas were a great influence on the "political soldier" faction of the National Front, which included Williamson, Harrington and Griffin.
Among Fiore's ideas was that far right white nationalist groups should form alliances with national liberation movements and separatists. Williamson and Harrington pioneered this in the National Front in the 1980s, but apart from allowing them to say they were not racists because they had black allies, the policy was not a success. The National Liberal Party has kept up this strategy, appealing for ethnic minority votes by focusing on national struggles abroad and with particular emphasis on injustices in Sri Lanka and India.
Despite the far right and fascist backgrounds of its leaders, the party is contesting elections in London on a multicultural election list including Tamil, Sikh and Kurdish candidates. The party manifesto gives no indication of its far right origins. It says, "The National Liberal Party is putting forward a team of 8 ethnically and racially diverse candidates – Tamil, Sikh, Azerbaijan, Kurdish, English, north Borneo (sabah-sarawak), to represent the real grassroots London."
Charity
Williamson is also a director of the Human Rights Campaign group ACT NOW. He is a former British humanitarian aid worker in Sri Lanka and founded ACT NOW with fellow aid workers after seeing human rights violations and mass killings directed against the Tamil population.
It was through his work with Act Now that Williamson developed a strong relationship with the Tamil community in Britain, to the extent that he has persuaded Tamils and other ethnic minority people to join and contest elections for the National Liberal Party. What is clear is that while they were aware of his aid work, they were not aware of Williamson's political background.
References
- Regional Returning Officer for London, Statement of parties and individual candidates nominated and Notice of Poll, published 28 April 2014
- Luciano Cheles, Ronnie Ferguson & Michalina Vaughan, Neo-Fascism in Europe, Longman, 1991, p. 255
- Nigel Copsey, Contemporary British Fascism: The British National Party and the Quest for Legitimacy, Palgrave Macmillan, 2004, p. 33
- Copsey, Contemporary British Fascism, p. 183
- Cheles, Ferguson & Vaughan, Neo-Fascism in Europe, p. 260
- ^ Channel 4 News, "Exposed: far-right veteran seeking London multicultural vote ", posted in Searchlight, 3 May 2014
- ACT NOW press release: Four Hundred Tons of Medical Aid Sets Sail for Sri Lanka 27 March 2009
- Self-polls of Tamils make contrast to State-polls of Sri Lanka, TamilNnet,1 February 2010