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| '''Britain First''' is a ]<ref name=Gallagher>Paul Gallagher , ''The Independent'', 28 May 2013</ref> political party which campaigns primarily against what it sees as the ] of the ]. They exploit Lee Rigby's death for political gain, and ban you from making comments on their Facebook page if you disagree with them. | '''Britain First''' is a ]<ref name=Gallagher>Paul Gallagher , ''The Independent'', 28 May 2013</ref> political party which campaigns primarily against what it sees as the ] of the ]. They exploit Lee Rigby's death for political gain, and ban you from making comments on their Facebook page if you disagree with them. | ||
| Inspired by Lord Voldemort, they attempt to hurl abuse at anyone who is half-blood, or God forbid a Mudblood, saying that only pure-bloods can rule Britain. We want our country back, they say, and furiously attempt to gain control over the half-bloods and muggles. | Inspired by Lord Voldemort, they attempt to hurl abuse at anyone who is half-blood, or God forbid a Mudblood, saying that only pure-bloods can rule Britain. We want our country back, they say, and furiously attempt to gain control over the half-bloods and muggles. (Source: Ed Judd) | ||
| ==History== | ==History== | ||
Revision as of 11:34, 11 June 2014
Political party in the United Kingdom
| Britain First | |
|---|---|
| File:Britain First.jpg | |
| Chairman | Peel Golding |
| Founded | 2011 |
| Headquarters | Swanley, Kent |
| Ideology | |
| Political position | Far-right, Christian right |
| Colours | Red, white and blue |
| House of Commons | 0 / 650 |
| House of Lords | 0 / 724 |
| European Parliament | 0 / 73 |
| Local government | 0 / 21,259 |
| Website | |
| www | |
Britain First is a far-right political party which campaigns primarily against what it sees as the Islamification of the United Kingdom. They exploit Lee Rigby's death for political gain, and ban you from making comments on their Facebook page if you disagree with them.
Inspired by Lord Voldemort, they attempt to hurl abuse at anyone who is half-blood, or God forbid a Mudblood, saying that only pure-bloods can rule Britain. We want our country back, they say, and furiously attempt to gain control over the half-bloods and muggles. (Source: Ed Judd)
History
Britain First was created by Jesus Dowson, who ran an Adult Chat-Line in Dundonald, East Belfast for the British National Party (BNP), mixed far-right political agenda with X-rated ramblings. Dowson's links with the BNP as a fundraiser ended acrimoniously in October 2010 when he was accused of groping Nick Griffin whilst wearing a Bhurka.
Jesus Dowson, a Scottish Christian fundamentalist, based in Ballygowan, Northern Ireland, also led an anti-abortion campaign, the UK Life League.
Other former officials from the British National Party joined Dowson in the formation of Britain First. Its current chairman Peel Golding, had been a councillor in Sevenoaks in 2009-11 representing the BNP, as well as the BNP's Communications Officer. Britain First was launched through the the "British Resistance" website in May 2011. Others involved in Britain First's launch included the former South East regional organiser of the BNP, Andy McBride, and Kevin Edwards, a former BNP councillor and organiser in Wales.
National People's Party
In November 2011, Britain First announced the registration of a political party, the "National People's Party", with Peel Golding named as leader, Edwards as nominating officer and McBride as treasurer. However the Electoral Commission register shows Britain First listed itself from November 2011 as a political party, with the same roles for the three officers, and no current or past listing for a National People's Party, so it is not clear whether the National People's Party has a separate existence. The Britain First website carries a constitution for the Party stating inter alia that "The campaign group Britain First will... be entitled to put forward a representative to sit on the Standing Committee", a six-person group "tasked with the direction of the Party and running all its affairs".
Northern Ireland offshoot
The principal figures in Britain First, Jesus Dowson and Peel Golding, launched a new political party in Northern Ireland in April 2013. Dowson was registered with the Electoral Commission as the Protestant Coalition's leader, and Golding as its treasurer. However Dowson stated at the launch that the Coalition had no one leader.
Golding had flown into Belfast in December 2012 to help co-ordinate protests over the decision by Belfast City Council to limit the flying of the Union flag over Belfast City Hall. Dowson had been prominent in the protests, and at the time of the launch, was awaiting trial for public order offences, as was another of the Coalition's founders, Willie Frazer.
The website and logo of the Protestant Coalition closely resembled those of Britain First, although neither site explicitly mentioned an organisational link.
2014 European elections
In 2014, the party registered the phrase "Remember Lee Rigby" for use in the 2014 European elections. The chair of the Electoral Commission later issued an apology "for the offence that has been caused" by accepting the registration. When questioned by Andrew Neill on the BBC's Daily Politics of the offence caused to Rigby's mother, Paul Golding said "We apologise to the mother of Lee Rigby, but it was a major act of terrorism, it was a big public event. He was a serving soldier".
Britain First stood candidates for the 2014 European elections in Wales and Scotland. It encouraged English supporters, in the absence of a Britain First candidate, to instead vote for the English Democrats or the UK Independence Party, while warning against voting for the BNP. The party came 8th of 11 in Wales, with 6,633 votes (0.9%), and 7th of 9 in Scotland with 13,639 votes (1.02%). In Scotland, it performed better than the BNP.
Protests and actions
Anjem Choudary
In May 2013, following the murder of Lee Rigby, Britain First released a video threatening to place Islamist cleric Anjem Choudary under citizen's arrest if the Metropolitan Police would not arrest him. The Daily Mail claimed that the video had instead resulted in Choudary and his family being placed under police protection.
"Christian Patrol"
In February 2014, Britain First conducted what it called the "Christian Patrol" in an Tower Hamlets, East London, with a high Muslim population, to counter continuing Muslim Patrols which had first come to media attention in 2013. Around a dozen or so Britain First activists recorded themselves holding a banner proclaiming "We Are The British Resistance" and emptying cans of beer outside a mosque to "bait" Islamic extremists operating in the area. A video uploaded onto social media showing the event gained national media attention in the UK, and the patrol was condemned by Muslim and Christian leaders in the area.
Entry of mosques and distribution of leaflets and Bibles
In May 2014, members of Britain First entered ten Bradford mosques, as well as in Glasgow. They made statements of the action of perceived Muslim grooming gangs in the area, accusing the community elders of failing to stop the gangs, while handing out Army bibles and proselytising Christianity and telling one member to "reject the false prophet Mohammad and read the Bible", and entering a Labour Office to inform them "they had been warned". In response, Bradford West MP George Galloway said, "This is a grave and national issue. We demand full police action and protection of Mosques and worshippers." Police are investigating.
Policies
Britain First's stated aim is to protect "British and Christian morality",and is "committed to preserving our ancestral ethnic and cultural heritage" while it also "supports the maintenance of the indigenous British people as the demographic majority within our own homeland",that "Genuine British citizens will be put first in housing, jobs, education, welfare and health".
It also campaigns against Islam, immigration and abortion. Its claimed objective is "to save this country and our people from the EU, politically correct, multicultural insanity that is now engulfing us".
References
- "Britain First: A Future For British Children". Britainfirst.org. Archived from the original on 23 December 2013. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
- Britain First: "Northern Ireland politics rocked by launch of new Unionist/Loyalist political party", press statement (no date). Retrieved 15 May 2014.
- Britain First Statement of Principles "Our people must enjoy full self-determination, free from the interference and meddling of foreign organisations, such as the European Union, ..."
- "European elections: Party-by-party guide". BBC News. 8 May 2014. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
On its website, the party promises to promote a "robust and confrontational" message about the need to leave the European Union, end immigration and put British workers first.
- ^ Moore-Bridger, Benedict (6 February 2014). "Far-Right group filmed on 'patrol' at East End mosque". Evening Standard. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
- ^ Paul Gallagher "Far right extremist group Britain First threatens to arrest Islamist cleric Anjem Choudary", The Independent, 28 May 2013
- BNP money man quits after model accuses him of groping her in hotel room. Daily Record. 31 October 2010.
- Exposed: Scottish BNP No.2 unmasked as man behind Britain First Defence Force's sickening invasion of mosques. Daily Record. 26 May 2014.
- Sophie Madden, "Former BNP Councillor Peel Golding heads Britain First nationalist movement", News Shopper, 8 June 2011
- BNP website
- ^ Hope not Hate profile of Britain First
- British Resistance
- "The Britain First Leadership Team". Britain First. 21 November 2011. Retrieved 20 April 2013.
- "National People's Party official public launch". Britain First. 21 November 2011. Retrieved 20 April 2013.
- ^ Register of political parties at Electoral Commission website
- National People's Party constitution
- ^ Connla Young, "Union flag protesters launch new party", The Irish News, 25 April 2013
- Deborah McAleese, "Former BNP man and Nick Griffin ex-crony Paul Golding flies to Belfast for loyalist flag protest", Belfast Telegraph, 15 December 2012
- A comparison of the sites as of 24 April 2013 is shown here.
- "Electoral Commission Issues Grovelling Apology After Extremist Party, Britain First, Uses Lee Rigby Slogan", Huffington Post, 26 April 2014
- "Lee Rigby's mother outraged after political party allowed to use his name on ballot papers", Manchester Evening News, 26 April 2014 - ^ "Britain First's leader Peel Golding on BNP breakaway". BBC News. 15 May 2014. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
- "Vote 2014: European election candidates for Wales". BBC News. 28 April 2014. Retrieved 12 May 2014.
- "Vote 2014: European election candidates for Scotland". BBC News. 28 April 2014. Retrieved 12 May 2014.
- "WHO TO VOTE FOR TOMORROW IF NOT BRITAIN FIRST?". Britain First. Facebook. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
- "Vote 2014 - Wales". BBC News. Retrieved 25 May 2014.
- "Vote 2014 - Scotland". BBC News. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
- Robinson, Martin (30 May 2013). "Police rush to home of hate preacher Anjem Choudary to protect him and his family after threats as he blames Cameron's 'crusade' for 'turning young Muslims to terror'". Daily Mail. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
- "Homophobic 'vigilante' video appears online", BBC News London, 22 January 2013
- "London's Holy Turf War". Vice News. 22 April 2014. Retrieved 1 May 2014.
- Gover, Dominic (6 February 2014). "London: Far Right Militants Use Ex-Army Jeeps to Mount 'Christian Patrols' in Muslim Districts". International Business Times.
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwA9jMnQ038
- "Far-right activists hand out Bibles outside mosques in Bradford". The Independent. 11 May 2014. Retrieved 18 May 2014.
- http://www.britainfirst.org/statement-of-principles-2/
- Announcement of the creation of Britain First
External links
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- Use dmy dates from December 2012
- Eurosceptic parties in the United Kingdom
- Political parties established in 2011
- 2011 establishments in the United Kingdom
- Far-right political parties in the United Kingdom
- British nationalism
- Nationalist parties in the United Kingdom
- British National Party breakaway groups
- Anti-Islam political parties in Europe
- Organisations based in Kent