Richard Lawson (UK politician)
Richard Lawson has been a member of various far right groups in the United Kingdom.
Lawson was the Student Organiser for the British National Front[1]. In 1976 he was part of the Strasserite split away from the NF which formed the National Party.[2]
He founded the NF-affiliated IONA (Islands of North Atlantic) group in the mid 80s for the purpose of "the study, revival, promotion and development of the islands of the North Atlantic".[3] Presnting itself as an intellectual elite concerned with British culture and environment, it was closely linked to the far right magazine Scorpion.[4] IONA has subsequently been characterised as a Nazi group. [5].
Lawson contributed articles to Michael Walker's Scorpion magazine, as well as co-organising at least one conference with the publication.[6][5][7]
In 1989 Lawson was involved with setting up the Transeuropa Collective[1] to discuss "European identities, autonomies and initiatives". Transeuropa published ten issues of a journal titled Perspectives. The magazine was criticised by Searchlight magazine for anti-semitism and for infiltrating the green movement.[7]. Here & Now magazine's review stated that Perspectives "says 'Green' but means 'White'" [8].
In 1995 Lawson launched the Fluxeuropa website as "A postmodernist cultural review of art, books, films and music focusing on the creative tension between tradition and modernity."[9] Around this time, he also became involved with Alternative Green magazine along with Troy Southgate.
In 1997 Transeuropa launched a new magazine called Radical Shift. Searchlight magazine described the magazine's intention as "to delegitimise anti-racism, anti-fascism and liberal democracy in favour of... ethnic separation, bigoted regionalism and chauvinistic nationalism".[10]
[edit] References
- ^ a b Searchlight, April 1997, page 14.
- ^ "From Ballots To Bombs: The Inside Story of the National Fronts' Political Soldiers", page 4. Searchlight, 1989.
- ^ "From Ballots To Bombs: The Inside Story of the National Fronts' Political Soldiers", page 24. Searchlight, 1989.
- ^ Peter Barberis, John McHugh, Mike Tyldesley, Encyclopedia of British and Irish Political Organizations, 2002, p. 184
- ^ a b Bernard O'Mahoney - Future Books - HATELAND - Articles - ??/??/?? - Fascism today - groups in Britain
- ^ "From Ballots To Bombs: The Inside Story of the National Fronts' Political Soldiers", page 25. Searchlight, 1989.
- ^ a b Searchlight, August 1995, page 12.
- ^ Here & Now issue 16/17, p57.
- ^ fluxeuropa.com - Site Information from Alexa
- ^ Searchlight, April 1997, page 15.
