British Movement

The original BM grew out of the National Socialist Movement which was founded by Colin Jordan in 1962, reconstituting itself as the British Movement in 1968. Under Jordan's leadership the BM campaigned on an openly neo-Nazi platform, with members wearing the swastika and picture of Adolf Hitler appearing on party literature. It published a number of journals including British Patriot and British Tidings. Leading members in these early years would include Robert Relf, who later became a popular cause for his desire to sell his house only to a white family.

The BM contested the general elections of 1970 and February 1974, although it failed to attract much support due to its openness about its Nazism and the far right vote going to the National Front.

[edit] Change of leadership

Following a conviction for shoplifting women's underwear (an incident which did not go down well with the Movement's violently homophobic membership) Jordan left the British Movement with leadership falling into the hands of Michael McLaughlin, a Liverpudlian former milkman, in 1975. McLaughlin initially proved an able leader and support for the British Movement grew at the end of the 1970s and beginning of the 80s when the National Front fragmented. It was particularly popular with the violent youth and racist skinhead element who had formerly supported the Front. A key part of its tactic for gaining both publicity and members was in formenting violence at football matches and music gigs. Around this time Nicky Crane, one of the leading figures of the skinhead movement, joined the BM and became organiser in Kent. With its new membership, the BM began to concentrate less on political activity and more on organising provocative marches and violence.

[edit] Collapse of the British Movement

In 1980 Ray Hill, who had been a leading member of the BM under Colin Jordan before emigrating to South Africa, rejoined the group and soon became one of tis leading figures. Hill, who was later revealed to be a "mole" for the anti-fascist Searchlight magazine, soon became critical of what he claimed was McLaughlin's dictatorial style of leadership whilst also accusing him of wasting BM funds for himself. Hill, who was a popular figure with the skinheads due to his own propensity for street violence, was expelled in 1982 and immediately sued McLaughlin. Hill fought the case by making use of the legal services of his ally Anthony Reed Herbert, but McLaughlin was forced to call on party funds, leaving the BM in a very shaky financial situation. On top of this, around half of the membership of the group followed Hill out and eventually joined the newly launched British National Party in 1982. The BM failed to recover from the split and the resulting financial hardships and McLaughlin announced its liquidation in September 1983.^[1]

[edit] Post-McLaughlin activism

A group calling itself the British Movement has continued to operate since McLaughlin wound up the initial BM and attempted to act as a rallying-point for Nazi-Skinheads (although this role was later filled more successfully by Blood and Honour). They re-emerged in a fairly strong position in terms of skinhead activity during the mid 1990s by becoming heavily involved in the distribution of white power music.^[2] Since then however the group has declined in significance once again and, whilst a British Movement still exists, this BM does not function beyond holding an Annual General Meeting and very occasionally publishing a pamphlet, whilst it has only a tiny, largely inactive, membership.

Neither the current group using the name nor the historical BM are directly related to the present group called the National Socialist Movement, which was formed in 1997.

[edit] References

^ R. Hill & A. Bell, The Other Face of Terror- Inside Europe’s Neo-Nazi Network, London: Collins, 1988
^ N. Lowles, "1990-1999 Ballot-box to Bomb - Fighting On All Fronts"