88.
Right Wing Political Organisations Briefing
Introduction
The purpose of this briefing is to examine right
wing political organisations in Scotland. Branches will be aware
that one of UNISON's priorities is to oppose racism by combating
the far right and promoting community cohesion. As part of the
work on this issue, we will be opposing far-right political parties
and organisations that pose a greater threat to community relations
than ever before.
This briefing is to supplement briefings Numbers
79 and 82 on the British National Party (BNP) in Scotland.
National Front (NF)
Since a high point in the 1970's, the National
Front has been torn apart by internal splits. It describes itself
as ""Britain's longest-lived White Nationalist Movement,
poised on the brink of the new millennium ready to mushroom again".
It has links to violent gangs and hard-line Nazis.
Its race-hate politics are similar to the BNP:
"Send all non-whites back to their country
of origin. The only way to live in a peaceful society is when
all members originate from the same race".
In Scotland, they claim to be active in Dundee,
Hamilton, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen. They have a particular
interest in Aberdeen. During the 2003 Council Elections they contested
the Seaton ward in Aberdeen City Council, their candidate also
happens to be their Aberdeen area organiser, Dave MacDonald standing
as National Front Pensioners Before Refugees, managed 44 votes.
Contesting the Queen's Cross ward Aberdeen in
a by-election on 1st April 2004, their candidate Christopher
Sean Willet contested this ward as a Scottish National Front candidate
polling 9 votes.
NF was recently featured in the Daily Record
for applying to Aberdeen City Council to stage a parade through
the city's Union Street. Organiser Dave MacDonald has singled
out Sunday 28th November 2004 for this and this can
only be seen as an attempt by NF to highjack St Andrew's Day.
Dave MacDonald quit the BNP last year because
he believed they are not right wing enough.
NF spread their poisonous message of hate in
Scotland via the Scottish section of their website and their quarterly
publication The Flame. In their attempt to appear as a mainstream
political party, they operate a structure similar to the BNP.
They are also registered with the Electoral Commission as a political
party.
Combat 18
The 1 and the 8 comes from A and H in Adolf Hitler.
They were named in tribute to Hitler and they are indeed neo-nazis.
They were formed in 1992 as a stewarding group
for the BNP. They are a highly secretive group that has been linked
to a number of violent racist attacks across the UK. Like the
BNP and NF, its recruiting ground has been amongst football hooligans
and skinhead gangs. Many members of the BNP and NF have been linked
to Combat 18 and their activities.
Combat 18 have also been linked with Ulster Loyalist
Terrorist groups in the past. Combat 18's website has direct links
to Redwatch, White National Party and November 9th
Society. They also have links to numerous Blood and Honour and
Combat 18 groups across Europe. They have links to worldwide nazi
and extreme right wing organisations such as Klu Klux Klan and
Aryan Unity.
They have in the past organised numerous Blood
and Honour (Nazi music (skinhead) festival) events across the
UK. BNP vice-chair Scott McLean has been known for his attendance
at these events.
Combat 18 have a "cell" operating in
Scotland.
Most of those previously connected to C18
in Scotland have switched their allegiance to the BNP in recent
years. This includes Warren Bennett (Edinburgh), now BNP Chief
Steward and Steve Cartwright (Glasgow).
November 9th Society (N9S)
What is the significance of November 9th?
" On November the 9th 1923,
16 National Socialists were murdered in Munich, while peacefully
marching for National Socialism. We choose to honour those fallen
comrades by using the date of their murder as our party name,
so that we, and every National Socialist, would be reminded of
their sacrifice".
The November 9th Society take pride
in describing themselves as "a modern day National Socialist
political party changing the way people see Britain".
These self confessed Nazis are intending to
contest a string of Council elections (England and Wales 2005)
and are also intending to have candidates in place for the next
General Election. N9S is led by 39 year old Bradford based Kevin
Quinn, who calls himself the National Director. N9S advocate idolising
and the worship of Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler and their policies
and In a recent article in the Sunday Mirror exposing their election
plans for next year, Quinn bragged, " it costs us just £150
to register as a party and the Royal Mail will have to deliver
our leaflets for free. No politicians or police can stop us".
Quinn is a former Territorial Army officer and father-of-three
who boasts of being a tough kick boxer. He claims the N9S have
a membership of 3 000 plus members and an income of £73 000 a
year. The N9S message of hate is spread via their website and
their publication titled Britain Awake (they have recently produced
a Scotland edition of this). They also produce a youth magazine,
which includes sickening comic style graphics called White Wolf.
They have recently been targeting school children with this publication
spreading their sick message of ethnic cleansing. And in a cynical
bid to attract more young members to join them they have made
membership of their party free to them.
They recently applied to Renfrewshire Council,
seeking permission to stage a town centre demonstration in Paisley.
Thankfully this event did not take place. The Paisley Daily Express
when reporting on this quite rightly classed them as "scum".
White National Party (WNP)
The White National Party is best described as
right wing nazi extremists. The London based WNP has been considered
to be too right wing even by the BNP, who have even banned there
own members from associating with them.
The WNP's symbol is a Celtic-style cross, which
draws on the colours of the swastika (NF and N9S use similar colours
for their symbols).
WNP have been attempting to organise in Scotland
since last summer. The Scotsman ran an article on them
in September 2003 which highlighted their application to Glasgow
City Council for permission to hold it's "Campaign against
Asylum Seekers" event in George Square where they anticipated
that they would be joined by 60 WNP members from all over the
UK. The article also highlighted that they would be joined by
Scot's "fed up with asylum seekers draining vital medical
and social services". Permission to stage this event was
refused.
Over the last few months the Barrhead News
have exposed their campaigns towards paedophiles.
The WNP calls itself the UK arm of Aryan Unity
and was formed in May 2002 and claims to be committed to a future
for " white children". Policies of the WNP include,
" The outlawing of homosexuality and gross pornography and
the creation of a morally correct society where our children are
safe from vileness and perversion".
Action for Branches
Branches to forward any information they have
on these organisations and their activities across Scotland on
to the Policy and Information Team. As part of UNISON's commitment
in opposing racism we will continue to produce anti-racist material.
We would also encourage branches to attend anti-racist
initiatives such as the STUC's St Andrew's March and Rally Against
Racism and Fascism and the numerous Love Music Hate Racism events
that are being organised across Scotland.
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