England First Party
Encyclopedia
The England First Party (EFP) is a minor English nationalist
political party. It had two councillors on Blackburn with Darwen
council between 2006 and 2007.
who had been the founder and chairman of American Friends of the British National Party
(BNP). However, he began to disagree with the BNP politically, and so formed the EFP, after a spell in the White Nationalist Party
.
The EFP differs from the BNP in its analysis of the United Kingdom
. It criticises British nationalism
and supports English nationalism
instead. Most members of the EFP are former BNP members like their chairman, Cotterill.
The EFP campaign against the creation of regional assemblies across England. They also campaign on issues such as opposing immigration; and opposing the UK's continued membership of the European Union
.
On the economy, the EFP support the gradual nationalisation of most national and public services
in attempts to achieve autarky
. While not aiming to abolish capitalist
ownership, the EFP claim the interests of workers is paramount and subsequently support worker co-operatives
. The EFP would also end the connections between trade union
s and the Labour Party while encouraging trade union membership. The EFP would re-nationalise the coal
mines and would re-open mines which had a "reasonable working life".
According to the accounts filed with the Electoral Commission
the party had 27 full members at year-end 2004 and 85 'supporters'. By the end of 2005 this had increased to 39 paid members and 97 registered supporters. For the year end 2007 the party recognised "100 supporters".. By year end 2010, England First had 42 full members and recognised 111 supporters .
It even sells its Heritage and Destiny paper-magazine that sells 4 issues every year since July 1999 which gives out the news on the progress of racial nationalism in Britain, Europe and America.
South ward in Lancaster the EFP polled 14%. In the May 2004 local elections, the EFP contested 3 seats in Blackburn, Preston and Macclesfield
, polling an average of 18% of the vote.
Two candidates contested the May 2006 local elections in Blackburn, polling an average of 37% of the vote and both were elected as councillors. In a by election in the East Rural ward of Blackburn in September 2006, they polled 13%. They also contested a by election in the Danehouse and Stoneyholme ward in Burnley
in February 2007, polling 7%. Despite the party campaigning for a ban on mixed-race marriages it was revealed that one of the two elected councillors was reported to have a grandfather from Cameroon
. Steven Smith and Simon Bennett stood in the Cliviger with Worsthorne and Queensgate wards respectively, at the 2007 Burnley council elections
. Smith came a very distant 2nd with Bennett 3rd in a closer vote.
In Stoke it came fourth place with 606 votes in the Longton North ward, fifth place with 117 votes in the Weston and Meir ward and sixth place in the Fenton ward with 236 votes in the Stoke-on-Trent local elections.
In the Preston Ribbleton ward, Mark Cotterill
came fourth place with 315 votes; it came fourth place in the St James ward in Oldham with 425 votes, in the Bradley ward of Pendle it received 279 coming fourth place and sixth place in the Ince ward of Wigan with 134 votes.
cartoon of Jesus
on YouTube
, while Cotterill—who remains a leading EFP activist—has put his decision down to a work-related move to Preston.
councillor, John Gamble, confirmed that he has defected to the EFP, after criticising the BNP. In the preceding months, he had become increasingly disillusioned with the BNP’s national and local leadership, this resulted in him being expelled from the BNP. He sat as an Independent for a few days and then he decided to "join a party that offers a serious, radical challenge to the corrupt political establishment".
However, on 12 March 2010, John Gamble defected to the National Front. This was after he told The Star newspaper in Sheffield he had 'jumped ship' to the NF because he wanted to join a 'more active' organisation than England First.
On 1 April 2010, John Gamble changed his political allegiance yet again and defected back to England First because he stated to The Star, "I am not aware of the severity of these opinions" when some of the NF's recorded views were put to him.
On 5 April 2010 England First refused to take him back. England First's chairman, Mark Cotterill, said: "While we have nothing against Cllr. Gamble, the fact is that despite his various and contradictory public statements he has had no involvement with the EFP – and is no longer an EFP member."
Mr Cotterill went on to release a statement to The Sheffield Star saying, "We don't want anything to do with Councillor Gamble. He has done nothing for the party, and when he left we washed our hands of him."
English nationalism
English nationalism refers to a nationalist outlook or political stance applied to England. In a general sense, it comprises political and social movements and sentiment inspired by a love for English culture, language and history, and a sense of pride in England and the English people...
political party. It had two councillors on Blackburn with Darwen
Blackburn with Darwen
Blackburn with Darwen is a unitary authority area in Lancashire, North West England. It consists of Blackburn, the small town of Darwen to the south of it, and the surrounding countryside.-Formation:...
council between 2006 and 2007.
Formation and policies
They were formed in 2004 by Mark CotterillMark Cotterill
Mark Adrian Cotterill is a far right political figure who has been involved in a number of movements throughout his career...
who had been the founder and chairman of American Friends of the British National Party
British National Party
The British National Party is a British far-right political party formed as a splinter group from the National Front by John Tyndall in 1982...
(BNP). However, he began to disagree with the BNP politically, and so formed the EFP, after a spell in the White Nationalist Party
White Nationalist Party
The White Nationalist Party was a neo-fascist British political party, founded in May 2002 as "the British political wing of Aryan Unity"...
.
The EFP differs from the BNP in its analysis of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. It criticises British nationalism
British nationalism
Far right politics in the United Kingdom have existed since at least the 1930s, with the formation of fascist and anti-semitic movements. It went on to acquire more explicitly racial connotations, being dominated in the 1960s and 1970s by self-proclaimed white nationalist organisations that oppose...
and supports English nationalism
English nationalism
English nationalism refers to a nationalist outlook or political stance applied to England. In a general sense, it comprises political and social movements and sentiment inspired by a love for English culture, language and history, and a sense of pride in England and the English people...
instead. Most members of the EFP are former BNP members like their chairman, Cotterill.
The EFP campaign against the creation of regional assemblies across England. They also campaign on issues such as opposing immigration; and opposing the UK's continued membership of the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
.
On the economy, the EFP support the gradual nationalisation of most national and public services
Public services
Public services is a term usually used to mean services provided by government to its citizens, either directly or by financing private provision of services. The term is associated with a social consensus that certain services should be available to all, regardless of income...
in attempts to achieve autarky
Autarky
Autarky is the quality of being self-sufficient. Usually the term is applied to political states or their economic policies. Autarky exists whenever an entity can survive or continue its activities without external assistance. Autarky is not necessarily economic. For example, a military autarky...
. While not aiming to abolish capitalist
Capitalism
Capitalism is an economic system that became dominant in the Western world following the demise of feudalism. There is no consensus on the precise definition nor on how the term should be used as a historical category...
ownership, the EFP claim the interests of workers is paramount and subsequently support worker co-operatives
Worker cooperative
A worker cooperative is a cooperative owned and democratically managed by its worker-owners. This control may be exercised in a number of ways. A cooperative enterprise may mean a firm where every worker-owner participates in decision making in a democratic fashion, or it may refer to one in which...
. The EFP would also end the connections between trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
s and the Labour Party while encouraging trade union membership. The EFP would re-nationalise the coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
mines and would re-open mines which had a "reasonable working life".
According to the accounts filed with the Electoral Commission
Electoral Commission (United Kingdom)
The Electoral Commission is an independent body set up by the UK Parliament. It regulates party and election finance and sets standards for well-run elections...
the party had 27 full members at year-end 2004 and 85 'supporters'. By the end of 2005 this had increased to 39 paid members and 97 registered supporters. For the year end 2007 the party recognised "100 supporters".. By year end 2010, England First had 42 full members and recognised 111 supporters .
It even sells its Heritage and Destiny paper-magazine that sells 4 issues every year since July 1999 which gives out the news on the progress of racial nationalism in Britain, Europe and America.
Policies on religion
The EFP has been criticised in the past for a section of its manifesto that promised "the abolition of all non-European faiths and religions". On June 4, 2010 Mark Cotterill issued a statement that "[f]ar from wishing to ‘abolish’ any religion (from the East or West!), the EFP is committed to traditional English values of religious freedom." The current version of the party manifesto, last edited 28 April 2010, does not contain the call for abolition of non-European religions.Elections
In their first electoral test, a local government by-election in February 2004 for the HeyshamHeysham
Heysham is a large coastal village near Lancaster in the county of Lancashire, England. Overlooking Morecambe Bay, it is a ferry port with services to the Isle of Man and Ireland. Heysham is the site of two nuclear power stations which are landmarks visible from hills in the surrounding area...
South ward in Lancaster the EFP polled 14%. In the May 2004 local elections, the EFP contested 3 seats in Blackburn, Preston and Macclesfield
Macclesfield
Macclesfield is a market town within the unitary authority of Cheshire East, the county palatine of Chester, also known as the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The population of the Macclesfield urban sub-area at the time of the 2001 census was 50,688...
, polling an average of 18% of the vote.
Two candidates contested the May 2006 local elections in Blackburn, polling an average of 37% of the vote and both were elected as councillors. In a by election in the East Rural ward of Blackburn in September 2006, they polled 13%. They also contested a by election in the Danehouse and Stoneyholme ward in Burnley
Burnley
Burnley is a market town in the Burnley borough of Lancashire, England, with a population of around 73,500. It lies north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River Brun....
in February 2007, polling 7%. Despite the party campaigning for a ban on mixed-race marriages it was revealed that one of the two elected councillors was reported to have a grandfather from Cameroon
Cameroon
Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon , is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the...
. Steven Smith and Simon Bennett stood in the Cliviger with Worsthorne and Queensgate wards respectively, at the 2007 Burnley council elections
Burnley Council election, 2007
Elections to Burnley Council in Lancashire, England were held on 3 May 2007. One third of the council was up for election and no party won overall control of the council. The winner of the Rosegrove with Lowerhouse ward had to be drawn by lot after the Labour and BNP candidates received an...
. Smith came a very distant 2nd with Bennett 3rd in a closer vote.
2010 Elections
The EFP fielded 7 candidates for the 2010 local elections three of them to compete against the BNP in Stoke, but it did not stand in the General election and they had encouraged EFP supporters to vote for the NF.In Stoke it came fourth place with 606 votes in the Longton North ward, fifth place with 117 votes in the Weston and Meir ward and sixth place in the Fenton ward with 236 votes in the Stoke-on-Trent local elections.
In the Preston Ribbleton ward, Mark Cotterill
Mark Cotterill
Mark Adrian Cotterill is a far right political figure who has been involved in a number of movements throughout his career...
came fourth place with 315 votes; it came fourth place in the St James ward in Oldham with 425 votes, in the Bradley ward of Pendle it received 279 coming fourth place and sixth place in the Ince ward of Wigan with 134 votes.
Resignations
In March 2007 the EFP's two councillors announced their intention to quit. Michael Johnson stated that he would be joining a new party created by himself and Tony Melia For Darwen, while Mark Cotterill signalled his intention to stand down as a councillor and party leader at the 3 May local elections. Johnson's move followed a rift with the party after he objected to an anti-IslamicIslamophobia
Islamophobia describes prejudice against, hatred or irrational fear of Islam or MuslimsThe term dates back to the late 1980s or early 1990s, but came into common usage after the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States....
cartoon of Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
, while Cotterill—who remains a leading EFP activist—has put his decision down to a work-related move to Preston.
Defection to England First Party
On 1 May 2009, a former British National PartyBritish National Party
The British National Party is a British far-right political party formed as a splinter group from the National Front by John Tyndall in 1982...
councillor, John Gamble, confirmed that he has defected to the EFP, after criticising the BNP. In the preceding months, he had become increasingly disillusioned with the BNP’s national and local leadership, this resulted in him being expelled from the BNP. He sat as an Independent for a few days and then he decided to "join a party that offers a serious, radical challenge to the corrupt political establishment".
However, on 12 March 2010, John Gamble defected to the National Front. This was after he told The Star newspaper in Sheffield he had 'jumped ship' to the NF because he wanted to join a 'more active' organisation than England First.
On 1 April 2010, John Gamble changed his political allegiance yet again and defected back to England First because he stated to The Star, "I am not aware of the severity of these opinions" when some of the NF's recorded views were put to him.
On 5 April 2010 England First refused to take him back. England First's chairman, Mark Cotterill, said: "While we have nothing against Cllr. Gamble, the fact is that despite his various and contradictory public statements he has had no involvement with the EFP – and is no longer an EFP member."
Mr Cotterill went on to release a statement to The Sheffield Star saying, "We don't want anything to do with Councillor Gamble. He has done nothing for the party, and when he left we washed our hands of him."