British Movement

The British Movement (BM) was a British neo-Nazi political party founded by Colin Jordan in 1968. It grew out of the National Socialist Movement, which was founded in 1962.

Development

Under Jordan's leadership, the BM campaigned on an openly neo-Nazi platform; with members wearing the German Nazi Swastika symbol, and party literature featuring pictures of Nazi leader Adolf Hitler. [R. Hill & A. Bell, "The Other Face of Terror- Inside Europe’s Neo-Nazi Network", London: Collins, 1988] It published a journals such as "British Patriot" and "British Tidings". One leading member in the party's early years was Robert Relf,who gained national attention in 1976 after he advertised his house as being "For Sale - to a white family only". [ [http://www.revolutionary-history.co.uk/otherdox/SMP/Smp3.html 'Facing the Crisis'] ]

The BM contested the UK general elections in 1970 and in February 1974. The party failed to attract much support in those elections due to its openness about its support for Nazism, and because most of the far right vote went to the National Front (NF). The group's highest result was the 2.5% share which Jordan captured in Birmingham Aston in 1970. [S. Taylor, "The National Front in English Politics", London: Macmillan, 1982, p. 22]

After Jordan left the BM Michael McLaughlin, a former milkman from Liverpool, became the leader in 1975. [R. Hill & A. Bell, "The Other Face of Terror- Inside Europe’s Neo-Nazi Network", London: Collins, 1988, p. 124] Support for the BM grew in the late 1970s and early 1980s when the NF fragmented. The BM was particularly popular with violent youths and white power skinheads who had previously supported the NF. A key strategy for gaining publicity and members was by encouraging violence at football matches and concerts. Nicky Crane, one of the leading figures of the neo-Nazi skinhead movement, joined the BM and became an organiser in Kent. With its new members, the BM began to concentrate less on mainstream politics and more on provocative marches and violence. [N. Lowles & S. Silver, "White Noise", London: Searchlight, 1998]

Collapse

In 1980, Ray Hill, who had been a leading member of the BM under Jordan before emigrating to South Africa, rejoined the group and soon became one of its leading figures. Hill was later revealed to be a mole for the anti-fascist magazine "Searchlight". Soon after rejoining the BM, Hill criticized what he claimed was McLaughlin's dictatorial style of leadership, and accused McLaughlin of wasting BM funds on himself. Hill, who was a popular figure with racist skinheads due to his own propensity for street violence, was expelled in 1982 and immediately sued McLaughlin. Hill fought the case with the legal services of his ally Anthony Reed Herbert. McLaughlin was forced to call on party funds, leaving the BM in a shaky financial situation. [Hill & Bell, op cit, pp. 137-141]

About half of the members followed Hill out and joined the newly-launched British National Party in 1982. [Hill & Bell, op cit, p. 146] The party failed to contest the 1983 general election, although a single candidate had attempted to stand in Peterborough as a Labour Party candidate; he was barred by the returning officer after several signatures on the nominating papers were found to be invalid. [ [http://www.election.demon.co.uk/1983EB2.html English election results] ] The BM failed to recover from the split and the financial hardships, and McLaughlin announced the group's liquidation in September 1983. [Hill & Bell, op cit]

New group

A group calling itself the British Movement continued to operate after McLaughlin folded the initial BM. The existing group is believed to be led by long-standing members Steve Frost, Danny Tolan, Micky Lane and Benny Bullman. The new group attempted to act as a rallying-point for white power skinheads, although this role was later filled more successfully by Blood and Honour. The new BM re-emerged during the mid 1990s by becoming heavily involved in the distribution of white power music. [N. Lowles, [http://www.searchlightmagazine.com/features/century/cbf.php?include=page9 "1990-1999 Ballot-box to Bomb - Fighting On All Fronts"] ] Although a British Movement still exists, it has a tiny, largely inactive, membership. ["Searchlight", January 2006]

Footnotes

External links

* [http://www.searchlightmagazine.com/features/century/cbf.php?include=page7 A Century of British Fascism 1969-1979]
* [http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/british/images/vc131.jpgImage of a British Movement demo in 1980]