Denis Pirie

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Denis Pirie is a veteran of the British far right scene who took a leading role in a number of movements.

He began his career as a member of the 1960s British National Party and was appointed a member of the party's national council not long after its foundation.^[1] He soon became associated with the more openly Nazi wing under Colin Jordan and took an active role in his and John Tyndall's attempts to set up a paramilitary wing, 'Spearhead'. Pirie was arrested at one of their drills in 1961 and was sentenced to three months imprisonment for his role. After the court passed sentence Pirie gave a Hitler salute to the court.^[2]

After his release from prison Pirie followed Jordan and Tyndall into the National Socialist Movement in 1962. Whilst here, he joined Tyndall in attempting to procure funds from Egypt for the NSM, although nothing came of this.^[3] During the quarrel between Jordan and Tyndall, Pirie largely sided with Tyndall and so followed him into the Greater Britain Movement in 1964. Pirie joined the National Front at the same time as the rest of the GBM and continued to feature prominently, gaining a seat on the NF Directorate. Pirie was dismissed from the Directorate in 1973 after it came to light that he attended celebrations for Hitler's birthday, although he had regained his place by the following year.^[4]

Around this time, Pirie enrolled as a mature student at the University of Sussex and soon became friendly with Richard Lawson, a young activist in the NF. Pirie's political outlook changed and he abandoned the neo-Nazism which had previously defined his politics, adopting a Strasserite outlook and becoming associated with this faction. Grouped around The Beacon, a party newspaper, the Strasserites initially represented an independent faction within the NF but soon became associated with the populists of John Kingsley Read in his struggle against Tyndall. As a result Pirie became a founder member of the National Party and took a leading role in this group during its fairly brief existence.^[5] Following its collapse he became involved with the League of Saint George for a time.^[6]

When the National Party floundered, Pirie left active politics until the mid-1980s when he collaborated with Martin Webster in organising Our Nation. Initially taking a leading role in the group, Pirie's involvement was curtailed when the press leaked the story of his membership of the group while working in a potentially sensitive role as a civil servant in Whitehall.^[7] With Our Nation holding only a few meetings and Pirie's involvement compromised by the press leak, he retired from active politics after this incident.

References

↑ J. Bean, Many Shades of Black, London: new Millennium, 1999, p. 155
↑ M. Walker, The National Front, Glasgow: Fontana, 1977, p. 45
↑ G. Gable, 'Griffin and the separatists - A well trodden path', Searchlight
↑ M. Walker, The National Front, Glasgow: Fontana, 1977, p. 152
↑ M. Walker, The National Front, Glasgow: Fontana, 1977, pp. 187-90
↑ R. Hill & A. Bell, The Other Face of Terror, London: Grafton, 1988, pp. 205-6
↑ G. Gable "The Far Right in the United Kingdom" in L. Cheles, R. Ferguson & M. Vaughan (eds.), Neo-Fascism in Europe, London: Longman, 1991, p. 252

v t e Far right in the United Kingdom

Pre-1945 groups	British Brothers League British Fascists British People's Party British Union of Fascists The Britons Britons Publishing Society English National Association Imperial Fascist League The Link National Fascisti National Party National Socialist League Nordic League

Defunct post-1945 groups	British Democratic Party British Empire Party British Freedom Party British League of Ex-Servicemen and Women British League of Rights British Movement British National Party Column 88 Constitutional Movement Flag Group Freedom Party Greater Britain Movement League of Empire Loyalists National Democratic Party National Democrats National Fellowship National Independence Party National Labour Party National Party National Socialist Action Party National Socialist Movement New Britain Party New Nationalist Party Northern League Official National Front Our Nation Patriotic Party Racial Preservation Society Spearhead Union Movement White Defence League White Nationalist Party

Active groups	Blood & Honour Britain First British Democratic Party British National Party British People's Party Candour Casuals United Christian Council of Britain Combat 18 England First Party English Defence League International Third Position League of Saint George National Front National Socialist Movement Nationalist Alliance November 9th Society Racial Volunteer Force Redwatch Stop Islamisation of Europe Woden's Folk

Pre-1945 people	Mary Sophia Allen John Amery Henry Hamilton Beamish John Beckett MP Hastings Russell, 12th Duke of Bedford Brigadier-General R.B.D. Blakeney A. K. Chesterton MC Dr John Henry Clarke Thomas Haller Cooper Roy Courlander Admiral Sir Barry Domville Henry Drummond Wolff MP Josslyn Hay, 22nd Earl of Erroll Major Sir William Evans-Gordon MP Robert Forgan MP Sir Harold Elsdale Goad Sir Reginald Goodall Captain Robert Gordon-Canning MC Group Captain Sir Louis Leisler Greig Neil Francis Hawkins Major-General J.F.C. Fuller William Joyce Arnold Leese Rotha Lintorn-Orman Frank McLardy The Hon. Diana Mitford, Lady Mosley The Hon. Unity Mitford Lady Cynthia Mosley Sir Oswald Mosley Gerard Wallop, 9th Earl of Portsmouth David Bertram Ogilvy Freeman-Mitford, 2nd Baron Redesdale Sir Alliott Verdon Roe Alexander Raven Thomson Lieutenant-Colonel Graham Seton Hutchison Nesta H. Webster Arthur Wellesley, 5th Duke of Wellington Henry Williamson Brigadier-General Sir Ormaonde de L'Epee Winter

Post-1945 people	Tim Ablitt Ian Anderson Richard Barnbrook A.F.X. Baron Derek Beackon John Bean Jane, Lady Birdwood Eddy Butler Jonathan Bowden Andrew Brons MEP Kevin Bryan A.K. Chesterton Mark Collett David Copeland Mark Cotterill Nicky Crane Simon Darby Sharon Ebanks Richard Edmonds Lieutenant Commander Andrew Fountaine Nick Griffin MEP Jeffrey Hamm Anthony Hancock Patrick Harrington Ray Hill Derek Holland Tom Holmes Colin Jordan Arthur Kemp John Kingsley Read Alan Lake Richard Lawson Tony Lecomber Michael McLaughlin Eddy Morrison John Morse David Myatt John O'Brien Roy Painter Denis Pirie Kevin Quinn Anthony Reed Herbert Robert Relf Tommy Robinson Simon Sheppard Ian Stuart Donaldson Keith Thompson John Tyndall Richard Verrall Martin Webster Martin Wingfield John Graeme Wood

Related articles	Anglo-German Fellowship Battle of Cable Street British National Party election results Europe a Nation List of British fascist parties List of British far right groups since 1945 National Democrats election results National Front election results Organisation for the Maintenance of Supplies Political Soldier

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Name	Pirie, Denis
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