Britain First
Type: British far-right political party
Affiliations: White supremacist organisations across Europe and USA (ex: National Front and English Defence League)
Organisational Ideology: British Fascism/Ultranationalism/White Supremacism/Anti-Islam/Anti-immigrant
Founded: 2011
Founder(s): Jim Dowson
Key Members: Paul Golding (leader)/Jayda Fransen (former deputy leader)
Headquarters: Manchester, United Kingdom
Online Resources
Britain First (official website)
Banned
Banned
Banned
38.1K followers
Overview
Britain First describes itself as “a patriotic political party and street movement” and “a patriotic resistance and ‘frontline’ for our long-suffering people”. The political party was founded in 2011 by Jim Dowson, a former Calvinist minister and a Scottish Christian fundamentalist. Currently, the party is led by former BNP councillor, Paul Golding (read his profile here).
A fundamental focus of British First’s campaign centres around its opposition to multiculturalism and its stance against what it views as the “Islamisation” of the United Kingdom, all while aiming to safeguard traditional British culture. The group garnered attention due to its Christian patrols and interventions at British mosques.
Social media has played a significant role in Britain First’s influence, as well as the reluctance of tech companies to regulate speech on their platforms. The response from Facebook, when pressed about the issue of allowing Britain First to use its platform, was simply “Facebook is used by people of all political persuasions to campaign on issues that are dear to their hearts.” Britain First declared on its Facebook page back in November 2015 that it had more ‘likes’ than any other British political party, including former British Prime Minister David Cameron.
That same month, Facebook suspended the party’s account for breaching its community guidelines and violating policies. In 2017, the party rebuilt a strong presence on the platform with over 2 million followers, however, the tech giant re-suspended the party, claiming that the group has “repeatedly posted content designed to incite animosity and hatred against minority groups.”
In July 2014, Jim Dowson, the founding leader of Britain First, parted ways with the party. In statements to the Daily Mirror and The Independent, Dowson asserted that he left because the party's mosque invasions were provocative, counterproductive, and went against his principles as they were deemed unacceptable and unchristian. He also remarked that the group's actions were "just as bad" as those of Anjem Choudary (read his profile here). However, Paul Golding’s response to Dowson’s resignation was that Britain First was, “as far as right-wing organisations go, relatively scandal-free.”
After failing to renew its registration on time, Britain First lost its status as a political party, as the Electoral Commission deregistered it in February 2017. Nevertheless, in September 2021, the Electoral Commission granted approval for the group to be recognised again as a political party, saying that “the party’s application had met the legal criteria.”
Ties to Extremism
Britain First has faced significant criticism for its ties to extremism, particularly concerning its anti-immigration and anti-Muslim activities. The party’s strong opposition to immigration, multiculturalism, and what it perceives as the “Islamisation” of the United Kingdom has raised concerns about its extremist ideologies.
The party gained attention through its aggressive stance towards Muslims, organising demonstrations and campaigns specifically targeting mosques and Muslim communities. These actions often led to confrontations and tensions, and the group’s so-called “Christian patrols” involved members entering Muslim-majority areas, claiming to defend British culture. However, these activities were widely condemned as provocative and intimidating.
In August 2016, Britain First campaigners were banned from entering mosques across England and Wales for three years, following a successful injunction obtained by the police from the High Court. Additionally, the party’s leaders, Paul Golding and Jayda Fransen, were prohibited from entering or directing their supporters to the town of Luton, as they were accused of “causing community tensions” in the area. The possibility of an appeal was also noted, with the potential risk of bankruptcy if they pursued such a course of action.
Additionally, Britain First’s involvement in violent incidents against asylum seekers further raised alarms about its extremist tendencies. Some of its members have been linked to physical altercations, and the party’s confrontational tactics have been seen as promoting hatred and division within diverse communities. For example, in April 2021, Britain First sympathisers staged protests and entered hotels used by the Home Office to house asylum seekers, engaging in disruptive behaviour such as banging on bedroom doors and antagonising the asylum seekers present.
Some high-profile individuals affiliated with Britain First have been involved in violent incidents. For instance, in 2017, party leader Paul Golding was charged with religiously aggravated harassment for verbally abusing a woman wearing a hijab.
The party has used social media platforms to spread anti-Muslim propaganda and inflammatory content. For example, they have shared misleading videos and messages that demonise Muslims and incite hatred against the community. In March 2018, Facebook announced that it had taken down several pages linked to Britain First, including the pages of its leaders, for consistently violating community standards. Their posts included content that promoted Islamophobia, encouraged hateful anti-Muslim comments, and made comparisons between Muslim immigrants and animals.
The extremism of Britain First lies in its confrontational and divisive approach, which promotes hate and engages in activities that contribute to an atmosphere of fear and hostility towards specific religious and ethnic communities.
