| Editor | Nick Lowles |
|---|---|
| Categories | Politics |
| Frequency | Monthly |
| Publisher | Gerry Gable |
| First issue | 1975 |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Website | http://www.searchlightmagazine.com/ |
Searchlight is a British anti-fascist magazine, founded in 1975 by Gerry Gable, which publishes exposés about racism, antisemitism, and fascism in the UK.
Searchlight's main focus is on the British National Party (BNP), Combat 18, the English Defence League (EDL) and other sections of the far right. The magazine is published by Gerry Gable and edited by Nick Lowles, and was founded by Maurice Ludmer.
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The current Searchlight magazine was preceded in the early 1960s by a magazine of the same name, edited by left-wing Labour Party Members of Parliament Reg Freeson and Joan Lestor with Gerry Gable as "research director". It ceased publication in 1967, but Gable, Ludmer and others stayed together as Searchlight Associates before re-launching a regular journal. The pilot issue of the new Searchlight appeared in February 1975, with Maurice Ludmer as its editor.[1]
Ludmer and Gable were also amongst the first sponsors of the Anti-Nazi League, with Ludmer sitting on its first steering group.[2]
In the Ludmer years, Searchlight had a close relationship with CARF, the Campaign Against Racism and Fascism, whose magazine was published as an insert from 1979.
After Ludmer's early death in 1981, British academic Vron Ware briefly took over the editorial role until 1983.[3]
Publisher Gerry Gable is known to have links with MI5. His leaked 1977 London Weekend Television Memo stated that he had "given names I have acquired to be checked out by British/French security services".[4] A 1987 profile referred to Gable's "wide range of contacts, including people in the secret services."[5]
At the insistence of the British National Party, Searchlight and the associated Searchlight Educational Trust were investigated by the British Charity Commission of England and Wales as a result of a complaint that claimed that the Educational Trust had been engaging in political activity incompatible with its charitable status.
The Commission's report stated that, in its opinion, the Searchlight Educational Trust had gone beyond the Commission's guidelines on political activities, and found there was a need for a greater distinction between the public activities of Searchlight Magazine and the educational trust. No action was taken as the charity agreed to follow the Commission's recommendations.[6] Searchlight is now divided into three main bodies; Searchlight magazine, the monthly anti-fascist and anti-racist magazine, Searchlight Information Services, a research and investigatory body which briefs governments, politicians, journalists and the police, and finally Searchlight Educational Trust, a charity devoted to teaching the dangers of racism and fascism.[7]
The magazine has hostile relations with some other anti-fascist groups in Britain. The magazine group was original part of the steering committee of Unite Against Fascism, but resigned their position after differences over tactics.[8]
Despite this however, Searchlight magazine maintains friendly relationships with other groups, such as Australia's FightDemBack and some other groups.
Searchlight relies for its material on those involved in the far-right. This includes a range of infiltrators, defectors and casual informers.
Its most famous defectors have been Ray Hill[9] and Sonia Hochfelder. Most of its material, however, comes from informers, who do so because of feuds with their fellow right-wingers and not from any conviction of Searchlight's cause.
In the early years of the 21st century, Searchlight launched two interlinked anti-BNP and anti-racism campaigns, Stop the BNP and Hope not Hate. Hope not Hate has received endorsement and national publicity from the Daily Mirror newspaper, and revolves around an annual two week bus tour in the run-up to local elections.[10][11]
In the 2010 general election campaign Searchlight spent in excess of £319,000, primarily targeting the BNP.[12]