White Defence League

White Defence League
White Defence League
Abbreviation	WDL
Leader	Colin Jordan
Founder	Colin Jordan
Founded	1957
Dissolved	1960
Preceded by	League of Empire Loyalists
Succeeded by	British National Party
Headquarters	Arnold Leese House, Notting Hill, London
Newspaper	Black and White News; The Nationalist
Ideology	Neo-Nazism; British nationalism; White nationalism; Anti-capitalism; Anti-communism; Antisemitism
Political position	Far-right
Colours	Red White Blue
Party flag
	Politics of the United Kingdom; Political parties; Elections;

The White Defence League (WDL) was a British neo-Nazi political party. Using the provocative marching techniques popularised by Oswald Mosley, its members included John Tyndall.

Formation

The WDL had its roots in Colin Jordan's decision to split from the League of Empire Loyalists in 1957. Jordan had wanted a ban on Jews and non-white members enshrined in the League but this had been rejected by League chief A. K. Chesterton, due to the group's links to the Conservative Party. Jordan further called for the building of a mass party but this too was rejected due to the Tory links.^[1] At the time Jordan was also close to the Britons Publishing Society and both groups ran out of Arnold Leese House, the name given to 74 Princedale Road, the Notting Hill home of the late Imperial Fascist League leader which Leese's widow Mary allowed Jordan to use as his base of operations.^[2] Mary Leese also provided most of the group's funding.^[3] Because of this shared space with the Britons the WDL was able to publish its own magazine, Black and White News, as soon the group was founded, and it reached a circulation of around 800 with a focus on anti-immigration rhetoric.^[4] A further WDL paper, The Nationalist, appeared in 1959, focusing more on antisemitism and the desire for racial purity.^[5]

Ideology

Unlike the LEL, which stressed British identity and patriotism, the WDL was fairly open in its admiration for Adolf Hitler and Nazism.^[6] Seeking to distance itself from LEL conservatism and to build links with like-minded groups in continental Europe, the party's journals became notorious for their rabid racial hatred.^[7] By personal conviction Jordan's main belief was in antisemitism but, whilst the WDL did stress the Jews as an enemy "out-group", the League also emphasised anti-immigration rhetoric.^[8] However the WDL has been contrasted with the Union Movement, a contemporary group led by Oswald Mosley as, whilst the Union Movement had a coherent ideology that sought to remodel pre-Second World War fascism, the WDL was more crudely racist and had a much less developed political programme.^[9] Hans-Georg Betz has characterised the WDL as part of a tendency within British fascist extremism to place a "recidivist or radical neo-nazism" as the ideological core rather than the populism of Scandinavian protest parties or the "hybrid appeal" that fuses elements of fascism to populism typified by the likes the Front National (italics are after Betz).^[10]

Activities

The WDL gained notoriety after members of the group were widely reported in the press as having taken part in the 1958 Notting Hill race riots.^[11] Indeed, during that summer the WDL held rallies through immigrant neighbourhoods on a nightly basis.^[8] Towards the end of the riots Antiguan immigrant Kelso Cochrane was murdered and local black opinion often suggested that the WDL was responsible although ultimately no one was arrested for the killing.^[12] Like the Union Movement, which was also active in the local area, the WDL co-operated with gangs of racist Teddy boys who harassed and launched attacks on blacks in the area.^[13] Indeed, in the run-up to the riots followers of the Union Movement and the WDL had come into immigrant neighbourhoods in the area to indulge in what they called "nigger hunts".^[14]^[15]

In 1959 the WDL began to co-operate with the National Labour Party, a group led by another former LEL dissident John Bean which was also active in Notting Hill. The WDL helped Bean's group with their election campaigns and the two groups held a joint rally called Stop the Coloured Invasion in Trafalgar Square in May 1959 with banners that read Keep Britain White.^[2] Some marchers wore armbands containing the WDL logo; a white sun wheel within a red circle on a dark blue background. Jordan, who had developed a network of international contacts through The Nationalist, impressed both Bean and Andrew Fountaine and in February 1960 the two groups fused to form the British National Party, which was also to be based at Arnold Leese House.^[5]

References

^ Walker 1977, p. 31.
^ ^a ^b Walker 1977, p. 33.
^ Stephen E. Atkins, Encyclopedia of modern worldwide extremists and extremist groups, Greenwood Publishing Group, 2004, p. 162
^ Walker 1977, pp. 33–34.
^ ^a ^b Walker 1977, p. 34.
^ Peter Barberis, John McHugh, Mike Tyldesley, Encyclopedia of British and Irish political organizations: parties, groups and movements of the 20th century, Continuum International Publishing Group, 2000, p. 194
^ Richard Thurlow, Fascism in Britain A History, 1918-1985, Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 1987, p. 263
^ ^a ^b Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke, Black Sun: Aryan Cults, Esoteric Nazism, and the Politics of Identity, New York University Press, 2003
^ David Stephen Lewis, Illusions of grandeur: Mosley, fascism, and British society, 1931-81, Manchester University Press ND, 1987, pp. 241-242
^ Hans-Georg Betz, Stefan Immerfall, The new politics of the Right: neo-Populist parties and movements in established democracies, Palgrave Macmillan, 1998, p. 143
^ Ray Hill & Andrew Bell, The Other Face of Terror, London: Grafton Books, 1988, p. 79
^ Grant Farred, What's my name?: Black vernacular intellectuals, U of Minnesota Press, 2003, p. 188
^ Richard Jones, Gnanapala Welhengama, Ethnic Minorities in English Law, Trentham Books, 2000, p. 9
^ Winston James, Clive Harris, Inside Babylon: the Caribbean diaspora in Britain, Verso, 1993, p. 155
^ Vijay Prashad, The Karma of Brown Folk, U of Minnesota Press, 2000, p. 77

Bibliography

Walker, Martin (1977). The National Front. London: Fontana. ISBN 978-0-00-634824-5.

[FOOTNOTEWalker197731-1] Walker 1977, p. 31.

[FOOTNOTEWalker197733-2] Walker 1977, p. 33.

[3] Stephen E. Atkins, Encyclopedia of modern worldwide extremists and extremist groups, Greenwood Publishing Group, 2004, p. 162

[FOOTNOTEWalker197733–34-4] Walker 1977, pp. 33–34.

[FOOTNOTEWalker197734-5] Walker 1977, p. 34.

[6] Peter Barberis, John McHugh, Mike Tyldesley, Encyclopedia of British and Irish political organizations: parties, groups and movements of the 20th century, Continuum International Publishing Group, 2000, p. 194

[7] Richard Thurlow, Fascism in Britain A History, 1918-1985, Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 1987, p. 263

[Clarke33-8] Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke, Black Sun: Aryan Cults, Esoteric Nazism, and the Politics of Identity, New York University Press, 2003

[9] David Stephen Lewis, Illusions of grandeur: Mosley, fascism, and British society, 1931-81, Manchester University Press ND, 1987, pp. 241-242

[10] Hans-Georg Betz, Stefan Immerfall, The new politics of the Right: neo-Populist parties and movements in established democracies, Palgrave Macmillan, 1998, p. 143

[11] Ray Hill & Andrew Bell, The Other Face of Terror, London: Grafton Books, 1988, p. 79

[12] Grant Farred, What's my name?: Black vernacular intellectuals, U of Minnesota Press, 2003, p. 188

[13] Richard Jones, Gnanapala Welhengama, Ethnic Minorities in English Law, Trentham Books, 2000, p. 9

[14] Winston James, Clive Harris, Inside Babylon: the Caribbean diaspora in Britain, Verso, 1993, p. 155

[15] Vijay Prashad, The Karma of Brown Folk, U of Minnesota Press, 2000, p. 77

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v t e Far-right politics 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 Array English Mistery English National Association Imperial Fascist League The Link Militant Christian Patriots National Fascisti National Party National Socialist League Nordic League Right Club
Defunct post-1945 groups	British Democratic Party British Empire Party British Freedom Party British People's Party British League of Ex-Servicemen and Women British League of Rights British National Party Column 88 Conservative Democratic Alliance Constitutional Movement England First Party European Liberation Front Flag Group For Britain Football Lads Alliance Greater Britain Movement International Third Position League of Empire Loyalists Liberty GB National Democratic Party National Democrats National Fellowship National Independence Party National Labour Party National Party National Socialist Action Party National Socialist Movement National Socialist Movement Nationalist Alliance New Britain Party New Nationalist Party Northern League Official National Front Patriotic Party Racial Preservation Society Revolutionary Conservative Caucus Spearhead Union Movement United Country Party White Defence League White Nationalist Party Western Goals Institute
Active groups	Blood & Honour Britain First British Democratic Party British Movement British National Party (BNP Youth) Christian Council of Britain Combat 18 English Defence League English Democrats (some members) Friends of Oswald Mosley Homeland Party League of Saint George London Forum National Action National Front National Liberal Party November 9th Society Patriotic Alternative Protestant Coalition Pie and Mash squad Order of Nine Angles Racial Volunteer Force Sonnenkrieg Division Stop Islamisation of Europe Traditional Britain Group
Pre-1945 people	Mary Sophia Allen John Amery Henry Hamilton Beamish John Beckett Hastings Russell, 12th Duke of Bedford R. B. D. Blakeney A. K. Chesterton John Henry Clarke Thomas Haller Cooper Barry Domvile Henry Drummond Wolff Josslyn Hay, 22nd Earl of Erroll William Evans-Gordon Robert Forgan Rolf Gardiner Patrick Boyle, 8th Earl of Glasgow Harold Elsdale Goad Reginald Goodall Robert Gordon-Canning Louis Greig Neil Francis Hawkins J. F. C. Fuller William Joyce Arnold Leese Rotha Lintorn-Orman Frank McLardy Unity Mitford Diana Mosley Cynthia Mosley Oswald Mosley Gerard Wallop, 9th Earl of Portsmouth Archibald Maule Ramsay David Mitford, 2nd Baron Redesdale Alliott Verdon Roe Edward Russell, 26th Baron de Clifford Alexander Raven Thomson Graham Seton Hutchison Herbert Vivian John Warburton Charlie Watts Nesta Helen Webster Arthur Wellesley, 5th Duke of Wellington Henry Williamson Ormonde Winter Francis Yeats-Brown
Post-1945 people	Ian Anderson Richard Barnbrook A. F. X. Baron James Larratt Battersby Derek Beackon John Bean Jane, Lady Birdwood Jonathan Bowden Andrew Brons Kevin Bryan Jack Buckby Eddy Butler A. K. Chesterton Mark Collett David Copeland Mark Cotterill Nicky Crane Simon Darby Sharon Ebanks Richard Edmonds Jim Dowson Andrew Fountaine Jayda Fransen Paul Golding Nick Griffin Jeffrey Hamm Anthony Hancock Patrick Harrington Ray Hill Derek Holland Tom Holmes Katie Hopkins Peter Huxley-Blythe David Irving Colin Jordan Raheem Kassam Arthur Kemp Alex Kurtagić John Kingsley Read Alan Lake Richard Lawson Tony Lecomber Michael McLaughlin Eddy Morrison John Morse David Myatt John O'Brien Roy Painter Neema Parvini Roger Pearson Denis Pirie Kevin Quinn Anthony Reed Herbert Robert Relf Jack Renshaw Colin Robertson Tommy Robinson Robert Row Simon Sheppard Kenny Smith Troy Southgate Ian Stuart Donaldson Keith Thompson John Tyndall Richard Verrall Adam Walker Anne Marie Waters Paul Joseph Watson Martin Webster Robert West Paul Weston Graham Williamson Martin Wingfield John Graeme Wood Milo Yiannopoulos
Related articles	Anglo-German Fellowship Battle of Cable Street British Fascism British National Party election results Cliveden set Europe a Nation List of British fascist parties National Front election results Organisation for the Maintenance of Supplies Political Soldier Rock Against Communism
Active notable publications	Candour Redwatch

White Defence League

Formation

Ideology

Activities

See also

References