frontation The Populists recently appeared to be carrying all before them. good reasons for this. They were not tarred with the brush or Nazism Inat could so easily be applied to Tyndall and Webster. They understood the potential value to the NF of mass campaigns and how to use every repressive measure or the state to build their own forces. The NF has therefore become the most enthusiastic partisan of the Special Patrol Group, the Prevention of Terrorism Act, RHETORIC In some respects they understood the his supporters. In the final analysis, fascism must become a mass movement that defends capitalism and attempts to ULstoy me Dour movemento bund a mass movement, it is essenual to utilise a pseudo-radical retonic tnat is superficially anti-establishment.
Ine paper or une ropust racuon -Britain First - has made a regular habit of attacking the international finance system and the multinational companies. It has posed as a paper defending the interests or brush (read wnite) workers and has raised demands for import controls to defend jobs, for worker participavon, tor interest-tree loans to local coun cils, and for taking over the banks.
The Populist team was made up largely of ex-Tories, and generally exuded a more respectable aura than Tyndall, Webster, and the rest of the gaol birds. This enabled Kingslev Reed to make some small - but potentially very important - contacts with big business. The Populists could also convincingly demonstrate to the NF rank and file that they were just as racist and lust as willine to consider violence as the Tyndallites at the end of the day.
The progress of the Populists appeared to be all conquering. moved as snamman orme we and men TO For some time a severe crisis has wracked the extreme right-wing National Front. In very rough terms, two major factions have existed - though sophisticated observers of the Front claim that up to five political currents can be found. On one side are the "hardliners' - such as Tyndall, Webster and Andrew Fountaine - and on the other are the self-styled 'Populists"
was expanded, while the circulation of Spearhead (Tyndall's journal) was deliberately restricted. It also looked as if Lynaan s od comrade martin wester with une Dracused eve or a seasoned opportunist, had jumped onto the Populist band waggon.
The NF claims a membership of over ten tnousand. In reality, less than two thousand of these are active. therefore waged a fight-back by building up suppor amonest mese acuvists. boear the NF Directorate. He also organised a whole series of taction meetings up and down the country.
Webster - out but not dowr The fruits of this campaign were gathered at the recent Front AGM, when Tyndall and his allies won a majority of seats on the Directorate: they took twelve seats. me ronuisis aot six and tnere were twu waverers. Webster came back to the fold. and the third member of the hardliners team was wealthy landowner Andrew Mountaine who had previously been expelled from the Front for extremism, but is now National Vice-Chairman. Some of the Havour or the debate at tne AGM car be gathered from the intervention of Webster, who argued that the time was *they no longer need a political party they need an armv!
More recent events show just how fierce their faction fight has now become. The six Populists on the Directorate called a secret meeting and suspended the twelve Tyndallites. They then made an with a group of men armed with pick handles, changed the locksand refused admittance to an indignant Martin WebSECT Birmingham where they drew up a list of branch officers for every NF branch and are in the process of attempting a purge or rivals at tne base or une organisa tion. Plans are afoot to expel Kingsley Read from the Blackburn branch, while Iohn Finnegan the Populists and a personnel manager at Tyndall GKN -tion of Midlands. organiser. To complete his discomfiture. Mr Finnegan was visited by three masked men who beat him up with iron bars.
General Meeting of the Front in the New Year but it is impossible to predict at this stage what will be the precise outcome or me present cuisis. rascist groups have in the past proved able to paper over worse splits than this. NOT A PINCH is not certain which wing, in the long term, will be the victor. Both are essentially thoroughly fascist and, in their differing ways, pose dangers to the working Class. ated and have a far firmer grip on the sort of strategy needed to build a large fascist movement, but a number of Tyndallites also understand the need for mass work and radical demagogy. There is not a pinch to choose between them when it Comes to neousness ane olence One clear lesson, however, can be drawn now. The crisis in the NF was created by the anti-fascist activities of the Left. It was this pressure that cut down on the NF's room for manoeuvre and so built up the internal tension to its PICSCHE DILCH. group can be disrupted and disoriented Dy une activities or anti-lascists. ever finally happens to the NF, it will still be as crucial for the left to fight fascism wherever i shows is nead and in what ever disguise.
ANDREW JENKINS restrictive legislation.
early morning raid on the NF headquarters The Tyndallites then held a meeting in illegal abortions!
La leading light amongst birth control.
- has been removed from the posiThe Tyndallites now intend to call a of its real price.
Even if the NF does break in two it lem.
ne rovuusts are more soonisac Sw natLed by US doctors, ON DEM ahe une woldr
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- who include NF chairman Kingsley Read, and Roy Painter. The tension between these two wings has now developed into a dramatic public con-