Far Right Groups Activity in Britain
- Far right groups in Britain, though small and decentralized, are still active and visible on the streets.
- These groups mainly recruit white men in their 30s from working-class backgrounds with little education.
- Academic Stéphane Porion highlights the ongoing presence and recruitment tactics of these far right groups.
In the wake of a tragic knife attack in Southport on July 29, which resulted in the deaths of three young girls and injuries to a dozen others, the UK has witnessed a disturbing rise in racist riots targeting Muslim communities. The violence erupted in early August across more than 20 towns and cities in England, as well as in Belfast, where demonstrators chanted xenophobic slogans. This surge in hostility has raised concerns about the resurgence of far-right movements, previously thought to be marginalized since the Brexit referendum in 2016. Historically, the far right in the UK has been characterized by small, openly racist parties with roots in Nazi ideology. The National Front, for instance, saw a decline after a violent demonstration in 1977, while the British National Party attempted to rebrand itself under Nick Griffin but ultimately faced a similar fate. The political landscape shifted with the rise of populist movements like UKIP and the Brexit Party, which have been associated with figures like Nigel Farage. The recent riots have reignited attention on groups such as the English Defence League (EDL) and its former leader, Tommy Robinson. Analysts are now questioning whether this wave of violence represents a renaissance of far-right extremism, a mutation of its ideology, or a new manifestation altogether. The events have sparked a national dialogue about the state of race relations and the influence of far-right rhetoric in contemporary British society.