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Homeland Party (United Kingdom)

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Homeland Party
Plaid y Famwlad (Welsh)
Tìr-Dhàimh (Scottish Gaelic)
AbbreviationHP
ChairmanKenny Smith
FoundedMay 2023; 18 months ago (May 2023)
Registered31 January 2024[1]
Split fromPatriotic Alternative
HeadquartersKirknewton, West Lothian, Scotland
Membership400+
Ideology
Political positionFar-right[4][5]
Colours
  •   Green
  •   White
Website
homelandparty.org

The Homeland Party is a minor British nationalist political party in the United Kingdom. It was founded as a group in May 2023 by the activist Kenny Smith, and registered as a party in January 2024.[5]

History

The Homeland Party was formed predominantly by Scottish members who had abandoned the far-right Patriotic Alternative (PA).[6] Its chairman is Kenny Smith, who founded it in May 2023.[6][7] He was previously the national administration officer for PA, and the head of administration and an unsuccessful electoral candidate for the British National Party (BNP).[8]

The party's other registered officers also have connections with PA. Jerome O'Reilly was reportedly the Welsh regional organiser[9] and Ant Burrows East Midlands regional organiser for the group.[10]

The group first attempted to register as a political party in May 2023, but its application was rejected in August 2023 for being incomplete.[11] It was registered as a political party in January 2024.[1]

In September 2024, the Homeland Party held its annual conference in Derbyshire with guest speakers from right-wing organisations Alternative for Germany (AfD) and Confederation Liberty and Independence (Konfederacja). Also in attendance were the anti-immigration activists Steve Laws and Pete North, independent right-wing journalists who post as 'Steve Laws' and 'Northern Variant' on social media. There was some opposition from anti-fascist protestors outside.

In October 2024, it was revealed that Homeland's National Council had unanimously agreed for Identity England (IE), a small UK branch of the Identitarian movement,[12] to merge with the party.[13]

Political position

The group has been described as far-right by The National,[5] although its official website rebuts the use of the term and states its perspective on nationalism, emphasising self-determination, sovereignty and the principle of a nation-state based on ancestry.[14]

Election results

UK local elections

2024

Further information: Local elections in the UK
Council Ward Candidate Votes % Position Finish
Hart District Hartley Wintney Rodger Robertson[15] 355 13.5% Hart District Councillor[16] 3rd

Connections to neo-Nazism and terrorism

The party's nominating officer, Anthony Burrows, was found in court to have shared links to terrorist material.[17] Its founding members include former national officers, regional organisers and regional officers of PA.

In April 2023, Judge Manley ruled against Alec Cave, a prominent member of the party and the host for much of the party's video content,[18] in an employment tribunal relating to comments made by him about the actor John Boyega.[19] In her ruling Judge Manley said of Cave's views, "This is not just a belief that is shocking, offensive or disturbing to others, though it may well be all those things. It is a belief that, in at least some respects, is akin to Nazism."[20]

In October 2023, it was reported that David Gardner, a member of the party and treasurer of Forfar Community Council, had made racist and antisemitic comments and had taken part in a neo-Nazi chat group under a pseudonym.[21] Gardner responded to the article, describing it as a "hit piece".[22]

Later in October 2023, it was reported that James Munro, a member of the party, had been involved in the neo-Nazi group Scottish Nationalist Society.[23] The party responded that "Munro had been involved as a disenfranchised teenager but has since grown up".[citation needed]

References

  1. ^ a b "Registration summary – Homeland Party". The Electoral Commission. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
  2. ^ a b Kendix, Max (3 February 2024). "Scottish far-right splinter group registers as political party". The Times. News UK.
  3. ^ a b Morrison, Hamish (2 February 2024). "Far-right Homeland Party registers with elections watchdog". The National. Newsquest.
  4. ^ "The Fascist Fringe: Patriotic Alternative and its Splinter Groups". Hope not Hate. 5 December 2023.
  5. ^ a b c "Leading Scottish writers and actors back anti-racism rally outside Erskine hotel". The National. 19 May 2023. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
  6. ^ a b Mackay, Neil (7 May 2023). "How UK far right extremists have been shattered by a Scottish-led rebellion". The Herald. Archived from the original on 27 May 2023. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  7. ^ Morrison, Hamish (24 April 2023). "New far-right party 'eyeing power' following split from Patriotic Alternative". The National. Archived from the original on 27 May 2023. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  8. ^ Hume, Tim (27 April 2023). "'Dangerous': The UK's Most Powerful Fascist Group Has Just Split in Two". Vice. Archived from the original on 27 May 2023. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
    - Taylor, Matthew; Cobain, Ian; Evans, Rob (3 February 2007). "Revealed: the front organisation set up by BNP members to raise money in the US". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 27 May 2023. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
    - Briggs, Billy (22 March 2023). "Patriotic Alternative Scotland voices support for man who pleaded guilty to terror charges". The Ferret. Archived from the original on 27 May 2023. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
    - "Far-right extremists attempt 'hijack' of protest against asylum seeker hotel". The National. 1 February 2023. Archived from the original on 27 May 2023. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  9. ^ Shipton, Martin (30 August 2023). "Neo-nazi worked for Welsh exam body WJEC". Nation.Cymru. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
  10. ^ Davis, Gregory; Lawrence, David (26 November 2021). "Patriotic Alternative: Britain's Fascist Threat" (PDF). Hope Not Hate. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
  11. ^ "FOI 077-23" (PDF). Electoral Commission. 19 July 2023. p. 95. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 August 2023. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
    - "Party registration decisions". Electoral Commission. Archived from the original on 17 August 2023. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  12. ^ "CASE FILE: Identity England". hopenothate.org.uk. Hope not Hate. 6 March 2024.
  13. ^ @Homeland_Party (21 October 2024). "Party Announcement" (Tweet). Retrieved 22 October 2024 – via Twitter.
  14. ^ "Party Policy". Homeland Party. Retrieved 5 November 2023.
  15. ^ "Councillor joins the Homeland Party". Homeland Party. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
  16. ^ "district election". Hart Council. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
  17. ^ "Registration summary - Homeland Party". The Electoral Commission. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
    - Martin Naylor (29 August 2023). "Man's alleged links to far-right group see shotgun appeal fail". The Derby Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
  18. ^ Homeland Party's channel on YouTube
  19. ^ Murrer, Sally (22 May 2023). "Right-wing 'English nationalist' loses discrimination case after being sacked by Open University in Milton Keynes over tweet to Star Wars actor". Milton Keynes Citizen. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  20. ^ "A. Cave v The Open University" (PDF). 26 May 2023. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  21. ^ Mann, Jamie (15 October 2023). "Far right Homeland activists gain Scottish community councils seats". The Ferret. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
    - Mann, Jamie (15 October 2023). "Politicians urge probes into councillors over far-right allegations". The National. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  22. ^ "Democracy – but only for the left". Homeland Party. 15 October 2023. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  23. ^ Mann, Jamie (29 October 2023). "Former Scots neo-Nazi group member involved in Homeland". The Ferret. Retrieved 16 February 2024.


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