12-05-2014, 01:50 AM
Quote:Britain First is a British far-right[SUP][3][/SUP] political party and pressure group, registered in November 2011 as a political party, although it is also associated with an unregistered [B]National People's Party and the Northern Ireland-based Protestant Coalition. It campaigns primarily on what it perceives as the Islamification of the United Kingdom.
[/B]Britain First was launched in May 2011 with as its chairman Paul Golding, who had been a councillor in Sevenoaks in 2009-11 representing the right-wing British National Party (BNP).[4] Golding had also been the BNP's Communications Officer,[5] and editor of the BNP's main magazine.
The group was created by Jim Dowson, a former fundraiser for the BNP. Dowson's links with the BNP had ended acrimoniously in October 2010 and he then campaigned against its leader, Nick Griffin, through the "British Resistance" website.[6][7] Dowson, a Scottish Christian fundamentalist, based in Ballygowan, Northern Ireland, also led an anti-abortion campaign, the UK Life League.
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[edit]
In November 2011 Britain First announced the registration of a political party, the "National People's Party", with Golding named as leader, Edwards as nominating officer and McBride as treasurer.[8][9] 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,[10] 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".[11]
Northern Ireland offshoot[edit]
The principal figures in Britain First, Dowson and Golding, launched a new political party in Northern Ireland in April 2013.[12] Dowson was registered with the Electoral Commission as the Protestant Coalition's leader, and Golding as its treasurer.[10] However Dowson stated at the launch that the Coalition had no one leader.[12]
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.[13] 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.[12]
The website and logo of the Protestant Coalition closely resembled those of Britain First, although neither site explicitly mentioned an organisational link.[14]
Christian Patrol incident in East London[edit]
In February 2014, Britain First conducted what it called the "Christian Patrol"[15] in a heavily Muslim area in Tower Hamlets, East London, to counter continuing Muslim Patrols which had first came to media attention in 2013.[16][17] 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.[18]
Use of Lee Rigby[edit]
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.[19]
Policies
Britain First seeks to protect "British and Christian morality", and campaigns against Islam, immigration and abortion.[6] Its objective is "to save this country and our people from the EU, politically correct, multicultural insanity that is now engulfing us".[20]