Patrick Harrington
Encyclopedia
Patrick "Pat" Harrington (born 24 May 1964) is a British
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...

 Politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...

, currently General Secretary of Solidarity – The Union for British Workers
Solidarity – The Union for British Workers
Solidarity – The Union for British Workers is a United Kingdom trade union formed in late 2005 that is closely associated with the British National Party and Third Way think tank. It is named after the Polish trade union Solidarność, and its logo also appears to be derived from that of the Polish...

 an organisation affiliated to 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...

, and a Director of the Third Way (UK)
Third Way (UK)
The National Liberal Party – The Third Way is a United Kingdom political party that was formed on 17 March 1990 as The Third Way. In 2006, the Third Way registered the name National Liberal Party – The Third Way with the Electoral Commission....

 think-tank (since 1989). He was previously a leading member of the National Front in the 1980s.

Early years and education

Pat Harrington was born in Kennington
Kennington
Kennington is a district of South London, England, mainly within the London Borough of Lambeth, although part of the area is within the London Borough of Southwark....

 and his secondary education was at the Pimlico Comprehensive School and Tenison's School. His Higher and Further Education was at Westminster College (1980-1982), Polytechnic of North London
University of North London
The University of North London was a university in the United Kingdom from 1992 to 2002. On 1 August 2002, it merged with London Guildhall University to form London Metropolitan University. The former University of North London premises now form the new university's north campus, situated on...

 (1982-1985), Edinburgh's Telford College (1994-1995), West London Technology Centre (1993), Kensington & Chelsea College (1992-1993), College of the Distributive Trades (1991-1993) and the University of Greenwich
University of Greenwich
The University of Greenwich is a British university located in the London Borough of Greenwich, London, England. The main campus is located on the grounds of the Old Royal Naval College, a central location within the Maritime Greenwich UNESCO World Heritage Site.-History:The history of the...

 (1997-1999).

Polytechnic of North London protests

In 1984 Pat Harrington was the subject of protests by students at the Polytechnic of North London
University of North London
The University of North London was a university in the United Kingdom from 1992 to 2002. On 1 August 2002, it merged with London Guildhall University to form London Metropolitan University. The former University of North London premises now form the new university's north campus, situated on...

 (later the University of North London, now part of London Metropolitan University
London Metropolitan University
London Metropolitan University , located in London, England, was formed on 1 August 2002 by the amalgamation of the University of North London and the London Guildhall University . The University has campuses in the City of London and in the London Borough of Islington.The University operates its...

), who picket
Picket
Picket may refer to:* Picketing , a form of protest* A climbing tool used to anchor a rope* Picket fence* Screw picket, a tethering device* Picket line, to tether horses* Picket , a military formation* Picket, a piece in fairy chess...

ed his lectures to protest his being able to study philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...

 while a prominent member of the National Front
British National Front
The National Front is a far right, white-only political party whose major political activities took place during the 1970s and 1980s. Its popularity peaked in the 1979 general election, when it received 191,719 votes ....

 (NF), which he joined in 1979, and deputy editor of their publication NF News. Students argued that his presence made life intolerable for ethnic minority students. Harrington disputed this and insisted on his right to attend lectures. He obtained a court injunction
Injunction
An injunction is an equitable remedy in the form of a court order that requires a party to do or refrain from doing certain acts. A party that fails to comply with an injunction faces criminal or civil penalties and may have to pay damages or accept sanctions...

 to stop the picketing; the protestors, backed by their students' union
Students' union
A students' union, student government, student senate, students' association, guild of students or government of student body is a student organization present in many colleges and universities, and has started appearing in some high schools...

, ignored this. Two student leaders were sent to jail for 16 days for contempt of a court order preventing them from barring Harrington from college.

In December 1984, Dr. David MacDowall, the Polytechnic's director, resigned after pressure from the Inner London Education Authority
Inner London Education Authority
The Inner London Education Authority was the education authority for the 12 inner London boroughs from 1965 until its abolition in 1990.-History:...

 (ILEA) to make a complaint against Harrington for remarks he made in a radio interview. ILEA said the remarks were racist, which Harrington denied. In his resignation letter, MacDowall admitted that he had acted "in a totally fascistic manner" over the issue, and wished "all the picketing students the best of luck with their campaign." Harrington subsequently faced a college hearing for a television interview in which, in line with NF policy, he questioned the right of black people to citizenship.

In January 1985, with final exams approaching, the students' union, Harrington and the Polytechnic administration agreed a deal in which all of Harrington's classes would be taught in an annexe away from the main building. His fellow students boycotted these lectures and many lecturers taught them informally. Harrington eventually graduated with a Philosophy degree.

Official National Front

In the late 1980s the NF underwent a schism
Schism (religion)
A schism , from Greek σχίσμα, skhísma , is a division between people, usually belonging to an organization or movement religious denomination. The word is most frequently applied to a break of communion between two sections of Christianity that were previously a single body, or to a division within...

. Harrington sided with the Political Soldier
Political Soldier
Political Soldier is a political concept associated with the Third Position. It played a leading role in Britain's National Front from the late 1970s onwards under young radicals Nick Griffin, Patrick Harrington and Derek Holland of the Official National Front...

 group that included Nick Griffin
Nick Griffin
Nicholas John "Nick" Griffin is a British politician, chairman of the British National Party and Member of the European Parliament for North West England....

 (subsequently leader 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...

) and Derek Holland. This group eventually termed itself the Official National Front
Official National Front
The Official National Front was one of two far-right groups to emerge in the United Kingdom in 1986 following a split within the National Front...

. Harrington was a regular contributor to NF publications on a range of subjects, including providing research for an article that supported Ernst Zündel
Ernst Zündel
Ernst Christof Friedrich Zündel is a German Holocaust denier and pamphleteer who was jailed several times in Canada for publishing literature which "is likely to incite hatred against an identifiable group" and for being a threat to national security, in the United States for overstaying his visa,...

's holocaust denial
Holocaust denial
Holocaust denial is the act of denying the genocide of Jews in World War II, usually referred to as the Holocaust. The key claims of Holocaust denial are: the German Nazi government had no official policy or intention of exterminating Jews, Nazi authorities did not use extermination camps and gas...

. There is no suggestion that Harrington has ever denied the Holocaust. The ideas of Harrington and his allies led to alienation of some NF supporters with the Flag Group
Flag Group
The Flag Group was a British political party, formed from one of the two wings of the National Front in the 1980s. Formed in opposition to the Political Soldier wing of the Official National Front it took its name from The Flag, a newspaper the followers of this faction formed after leaving and...

 splitting off to follow more traditional NF ideas. Harrington was involved in one of the most notorious manifestations of these divisions in the 1989 Vauxhall by-election
Vauxhall by-election, 1989
A by-election for the United Kingdom House of Commons was held in the constituency of Vauxhall on the 15th June 1989, following the resignation of sitting Member of Parliament Stuart Holland....

 when, as a candidate, one of his opponents was Ted Budden
Ted Budden
Edward Budden was a veteran of the far right in the United Kingdom who was well known in such circles for his satirical columns that appeared in a number of publications down the years....

 of the Flag Group

In September 1988 the three men visited Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....

 as a guest of the Gaddafi regime. In November, the Political Soldier NF was the subject of a Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...

 documentary, Disciples of Chaos; interviewed for the programme, Harrington refused to condemn the Irish Republican Army
Provisional Irish Republican Army
The Provisional Irish Republican Army is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation whose aim was to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and bring about a socialist republic within a united Ireland by force of arms and political persuasion...

 (IRA) as terrorists.

There was another schism in 1989 when Harrington and Graham Williamson parted company with Griffin and Holland. The ONF had opened dialogue with groups like the Nation of Islam
Nation of Islam
The Nation of Islam is a mainly African-American new religious movement founded in Detroit, Michigan by Wallace D. Fard Muhammad in July 1930 to improve the spiritual, mental, social, and economic condition of African-Americans in the United States of America. The movement teaches black pride and...

 and the Pan-Afrikan International Movement. According to Harrington's account of the split, when he opened discussion with racial-separatist
Racial separatism
Racial separatism refers to a belief that people of different races should live apart. It can be used in either the sense of:* Racial segregation* White separatism or Black separatism...

 rabbi Mayer Schiller
Mayer Schiller
Mayer Schiller is an American Hasid based in Monsey, New York, who identifies himself as a member of Skver and Rachmastrivka groups and serves as spokesperson for the Skver community in New Square. Schiller also maintains active ties to the Modern Orthodox community and has advocated for a...

 (see section on Harrington's ideological development below) and advocated a two-state solution
Two-state solution
The two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the consensus solution that is currently under discussion by the key parties to the conflict, most recently at the Annapolis Conference in November 2007...

 to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
Israeli-Palestinian conflict
The Israeli–Palestinian conflict is the ongoing conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. The conflict is wide-ranging, and the term is also used in reference to the earlier phases of the same conflict, between Jewish and Zionist yishuv and the Arab population living in Palestine under Ottoman or...

, he was attacked as a "Zionist
Zionism
Zionism is a Jewish political movement that, in its broadest sense, has supported the self-determination of the Jewish people in a sovereign Jewish national homeland. Since the establishment of the State of Israel, the Zionist movement continues primarily to advocate on behalf of the Jewish state...

". For their part, Griffin and Holland claimed that Harrington's refusal to condemn the IRA had been the cause of many problems. Party members in Ulster sided with Harrington. In late 1989 Harrington voted for the disbandment of the Official National Front and joined with others to form the Third Way (UK)
Third Way (UK)
The National Liberal Party – The Third Way is a United Kingdom political party that was formed on 17 March 1990 as The Third Way. In 2006, the Third Way registered the name National Liberal Party – The Third Way with the Electoral Commission....

 in 1990. Griffin and Holland formed the International Third Position
International Third Position
International Third Position ' was a neo-fascist organization formed by the breakaway faction of the neofascist British National Front and Italian neofascists led by Roberto Fiore....

. Later Griffin left this group and joined the BNP.

Relationship with Skrewdriver/Blood & Honour

As an official of the NF, Harrington was involved in administering the White Noise Club, which organised white power music concerts featuring among others Skrewdriver
Skrewdriver
Skrewdriver was an English punk rock band formed by Ian Stuart Donaldson in Poulton-le-Fylde in 1976. They later evolved into one of the first neo-Nazi rock bands, playing a leading role in the Rock Against Communism movement and becoming known as the most prominent white power skinhead...

. In 1987, the Political Soldier group fell out with Ian Stuart, the lead singer of Skrewdriver
Skrewdriver
Skrewdriver was an English punk rock band formed by Ian Stuart Donaldson in Poulton-le-Fylde in 1976. They later evolved into one of the first neo-Nazi rock bands, playing a leading role in the Rock Against Communism movement and becoming known as the most prominent white power skinhead...

. Stuart responded by setting up his own group, Blood & Honour, whose eponymous publication openly attacked his former NF associates. They in turn denounced Stuart. Harrington and Holland are allegedly the subjects of the Skrewdriver
Skrewdriver
Skrewdriver was an English punk rock band formed by Ian Stuart Donaldson in Poulton-le-Fylde in 1976. They later evolved into one of the first neo-Nazi rock bands, playing a leading role in the Rock Against Communism movement and becoming known as the most prominent white power skinhead...

 song "A Time of Change", included on their 1988 album After the Fire.

Allegations of links with state security

In February 1990 Searchlight magazine alleged that Harrington had ongoing connections to Special Branch
Special Branch
Special Branch is a label customarily used to identify units responsible for matters of national security in British and Commonwealth police forces, as well as in the Royal Thai Police...

 and MI6.

Directorship of the Third Way

Third Way advocates Direct Democracy along Swiss
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....

 lines using referenda and citizens' initiatives, and is strongly influenced by distributism
Distributism
Distributism is a third-way economic philosophy formulated by such Catholic thinkers as G. K...

 and Social Credit
Social Credit
Social Credit is an economic philosophy developed by C. H. Douglas , a British engineer, who wrote a book by that name in 1924. Social Credit is described by Douglas as "the policy of a philosophy"; he called his philosophy "practical Christianity"...

. It supports small business and co-operative ownership, while opposing over-centralised government and promoting decision making at the lowest practical level. It recruits from all religious and ethnic communities. According to 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...

, in 2004 Third Way had 20 members and cashflow of approximately £1,400. The Third Way constitution distinguishes between 'Members', 'Registered Supporters' and 'Supporting Subscribers', and they also operate through a number of Limited Companies and Associations. In the 2005 General Election they fielded 2 candidates who received 376 votes between them but they have scored far better in elections at local level. (See article on Third Way
Third Way (UK)
The National Liberal Party – The Third Way is a United Kingdom political party that was formed on 17 March 1990 as The Third Way. In 2006, the Third Way registered the name National Liberal Party – The Third Way with the Electoral Commission....

 for more details.)

General Secretary of Solidarity union

In January 2006 Pat Harrington was appointed General Secretary of Solidarity. In November 2007, following independently scrutinised elections, he was returned unopposed for a five year period.

The current Union Executive consists of Pat Harrington (General Secretary), Simone Clarke
Simone Clarke
Simone Clarke is an English ballerina and former Prima Ballerina of English National Ballet company. In 2006, she was the centre of controversy when it was revealed that she was a member of the British National Party...

 (Treasurer), Gary Aronsson, David Durant, Mark Walker, Adam Walker (President) and David Kerr.(See article on Solidarity
Solidarity – The Union for British Workers
Solidarity – The Union for British Workers is a United Kingdom trade union formed in late 2005 that is closely associated with the British National Party and Third Way think tank. It is named after the Polish trade union Solidarność, and its logo also appears to be derived from that of the Polish...

 for more details.)

Expulsion from RMT

Harrington ascribes his involvement in Solidarity to his expulsion from the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers
National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers
The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers is a trade union in the United Kingdom which unionises transport workers. It has more than 80,000 members, and its current general secretary is Bob Crow...

 (RMT) on June 27 2003. The RMT claimed in a press release that he had joined under a false name and was expelled when his 'identity' was discovered; Harrington responded that he joined under his married name and that he was known to the Union by both names and challenged the grounds for expulsion. He has claimed that the reasons given for his expulsion were a pretext to cover a political motive and accused the RMT of supporting a 'New McCarthyism'.

Ideological development

Harrington claims to have undergone substantial ideological change since he voted to disband the NF in 1989. In his profile on the Third Way website, he cites Rabbi Mayer Schiller
Mayer Schiller
Mayer Schiller is an American Hasid based in Monsey, New York, who identifies himself as a member of Skver and Rachmastrivka groups and serves as spokesperson for the Skver community in New Square. Schiller also maintains active ties to the Modern Orthodox community and has advocated for a...

 as a particular influence on this development. Schiller is also the subject of a biography on the Third Way website, although his role in the party is unclear.

In an interview with Wayne John Sturgeon of Alternative Green
Alternative Green
Alternative Green is a UK magazine set up by former Green Anarchist contributor and editor Richard Hunt in 1991 to promote the ideas later set out in his book 'To End Poverty, The Starvation of the Periphery by the Core' ....

 magazine, Harrington said:
"I voted for the disbandment of the National Front in 1989 which I think speaks for itself. Since that time I have worked with my Third Way colleagues for harmony and progress in our country. There are aspects of my involvement with the NF which I deeply regret. I wasted a lot of time trying to move people to more positive, inclusive positions. I should have broken with them earlier. The past, however, is gone and cannot be changed. I have rethought, rejected or refined many of my past positions. This is a process which has led me to where I am now. I hope that people would judge me on my current ideas and actions rather than re-fight the battles of the past."


Wayne John Sturgeon has been closely associated with Troy Southgate
Troy Southgate
Troy Southgate is an author, musician and leading National-Anarchist activist based in the United Kingdom.-Politics:Originally from Crystal Palace, in South London, Southgate is of English-Scots descent and moved to the small village of Jarvis Brook, East Sussex, in his teenage years...

's various nationalist-anarchist
Nationalist anarchism
Anarchism and nationalism both emerged in Europe following the French Revolution, and have a long relationship going back at least to Mikhail Bakunin and his involvement with the Pan-Slavic movement prior to his conversion to anarchism. There has been a long history of anarchist involvement with...

 groups, from the National Revolutionary Faction (NRF) to the New Right
New Right (UK)
New Right is a UK-based pan-European nationalist, conservative revolutionary think tank and school of thought, led by national-anarchist Troy Southgate and Jonathan Bowden....

, which describes itself as "opposed to liberalism, democracy and egalitarianism". Alternative Green
Alternative Green
Alternative Green is a UK magazine set up by former Green Anarchist contributor and editor Richard Hunt in 1991 to promote the ideas later set out in his book 'To End Poverty, The Starvation of the Periphery by the Core' ....

 was founded by Richard Hunt
Richard Hunt (editor)
Richard Hunt is a green anarchist activist, and editor of various environmentalist magazines, such as Green Anarchist and Alternative Green. He was widely criticised in the anarchist community for his perceived sympathies for nationalism, and wrote an editorial for Green Anarchist expressing...

, who has also been associated with the NRF and once featured both Southgate and Sturgeon, as well as fellow NRF/New Right activist, Jonathan Boulter, on its editorial board, but they are believed to have left the board before the issue which published Sturgeon's interview with Harrington.

In "I Rejected National Front", an article written for The Voice (a publication aimed at the British Afro-Caribbean community) and apparently published on February 13 2006 (but reproduced on Third Way's website), Harrington wrote:
"Third Way, which I helped form in 1990, advocates harmonious relationships between all communities. Third Way welcomes the vibrant contribution that this variety brings but we are also aware that there can be friction between communities.

"We must be honest about these difficulties and work to solve problems together in a spirit of unity. Third Way policy is very different from that of the BNP which we have stood against in elections."

Ongoing connection to Nick Griffin and the BNP

Harrington continues to be associated with Nick Griffin
Nick Griffin
Nicholas John "Nick" Griffin is a British politician, chairman of the British National Party and Member of the European Parliament for North West England....

 and 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...

, but he denies that these associations imply ideological agreement. In September 2005, he edited, and Third Way published, a pamphlet entitled Taking Liberties (see below), featuring an article by Griffin. In the editorial of this issue Harrington wrote:
"Let me nail my colours to the mast. I believe that speech (and other forms of expression) should be protected regardless of content or viewpoint. I am against any law that seeks to discriminate against any religious, racial or political group. I'm also against any law that favours one such interest group over another."


Harrington defends his decision to publish an article from Griffin on civil liberties grounds.
His role as General Secretary of Solidarity, and its association with the BNP, is discussed above.

Currently

Patrick Harrington is currently self-employed. He holds a teaching qualification from the University of Greenwich
University of Greenwich
The University of Greenwich is a British university located in the London Borough of Greenwich, London, England. The main campus is located on the grounds of the Old Royal Naval College, a central location within the Maritime Greenwich UNESCO World Heritage Site.-History:The history of the...

. He is a committed and lifelong vegetarian
Vegetarianism
Vegetarianism encompasses the practice of following plant-based diets , with or without the inclusion of dairy products or eggs, and with the exclusion of meat...

. He has two children and lives in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...

.

Publications

Harrington's published works include:
  • The Third Way - An Answer to Blair (ISBN 0-9535077-0-X)
  • The Third Way Manifesto 1997 (ISBN 0-9544788-7-8)
  • The Third Way Manifesto 2001 (with Cliff Morrison) (ISBN 0-9535077-9-3)
  • The Third Way Manifesto 2005 (editor) (ISBN 0-9544788-4-3)
  • Catholic Social Teaching (with Anthony Cooney and John Medaille) (ISBN 0-9535077-6-9)
  • Tolkien and Politics (with Anthony Cooney and David Kerr) (ISBN 0-9544788-2-7)
  • Taking Liberties - A Third Way Special on Attacks on Civil Liberties in the UK (with Nick Griffin
    Nick Griffin
    Nicholas John "Nick" Griffin is a British politician, chairman of the British National Party and Member of the European Parliament for North West England....

    , Graham Williamson, Tim Bragg and David Kerr) (ISBN 0-9544788-5-1)
  • Taking Liberties 2 - The New McCarthyism (with Sean Gabb, Henry Falconer, Robert Henderson and Tim Bragg) (ISBN 0-9544788-6-X)
  • Counter Culture Anthology (Edited by Tim Bragg with many essays by Harrington)(ISBN 1-84728-118-4)

Third Way links


Altculture links


Other external links

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