British National Party: Contemporary Perspectives

This book examines the recent development of the far right in Britain, with a particular focus on the British National Party (BNP) the most electorally successful far right party in British history. It brings fresh perspectives to our understanding of the BNP in order to make a significant contribution to scholarly debate on the nature of far right extremism both nationally and internationally.
The book is significantly different from other literature in the field primarily because of its focus on three important yet underdeveloped themes, which are reflected in the structure of the book itself. These are:


the ideological and cultural politics of contemporary BNP
responses to the BNP
the BNP’s place within the contemporary domestic and international far-right milieu.
Written by an outstanding line-up of renowned experts in this field, this is essential reading for all those with an interest in British politics, fascism, political parties, race relations and extremism.

Nigel Copsey is Reader in Modern History at Teesside University, UK. Major publications include Anti Fascism in Britain (2000) and Contemporary British Fascism (2004, 2008). He is also co-editor of British Fascism, the Labour Movement and the State (2005); and Varieties of Anti-Fascism (2010).

Graham Macklin was Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellow at Teesside University, UK (2007-2009). Major publications include Very Deeply Dyed in Black: Sir Oswald Mosley and the Resurrection of British Fascism after 1945 (2007).

Introduction: Contemporary Perspectives on the BNP Nigel Copsey Part 1: Ideological and Cultural Politics 1. Modernising the Past for the Future Graham Macklin 2. Race and Racial Difference: The Surface and Depth of BNP Ideology John E Richardson 3. Multiculturalism and the Sub-Cultural Politics of the BNP James Rhodes Part 2: Responses to the BNP 4. 'The Media = Lies, Lies, Lies!' The BNP and the Media in Contemporary Britain Nigel Copsey and Graham Macklin 5. Ambivalent Admiration: The Response of Other Extreme Right Groups to the Rise of the BNP Steven Woodbridge 6. From Direct Action to Community Action: The Changing Dynamics of Anti-Fascist Opposition Nigel Copsey 7. The BNP in Local Government: Support for the Far Right or for Community Politics? Karin Bottom and Colin Copus Part 3: International Perspectives 8. Assessing the Political Influence of Anti-Immigrant Parties: The BNP in Comparative European Perspective Anthony Messina 9. Alien Influence: Contextualising the ‘Modernised’ BNP Roger Griffin 10. Local Embedding as a Factor in Electoral Success: The BNP and NPD Compared Fabian Virchow and Nigel Copsey. Conclusion: Further Avenues for Research Graham Macklin