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Daily Record
6 days ago
- General
- Daily Record
Extremist sows seeds of racism to aid Reform in Scottish by-election
Richard McFarlane makes hate-filled banners and posters from his flat in Bellshill A far-right extremist injecting hate-filled racism into a bitter by-election contest is today exposed by the Daily Record. Richard McFarlane is a key activist for fascist group Patriotic Alternative and has produced a series of racist banners and leaflets urging voters to back Nigel Farage's Reform party. The Daily Record has previously exposed how Patriotic Alternative and Scottish extreme right wing influencer David Clews have agreed to support Reform, hoping their racist followers can infiltrate the party and increase their influence. Thursday's by-election in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse is their first serious attempt to put their plan into action. McFarlane has been targeting shoppers, motorists and even children with his megaphone rants in recent days, stirring hatred with banners that include 'Scotland Built By White People'. At the war memorial at Bothwell Bridge the former independence supporter has also customised racist messages like 'Scotland too white, Anas?' aimed at Scottish Labour Leader Anas Sarwar. McFarlane's banners are accompanied by 'Vote Reform' banners. One local who contacted the Record expressed disgust for McFarlane's antics, saying: 'He is, in most people's eyes, an oddball and an idiot. 'But he is screaming down his megaphone for people to vote for Reform - and Farage and co will happily take votes from wherever they get them. 'McFarlane's messages are direct and blunt and fairly vicious on immigration. He goes further than Reform would get away with, which is saying something. 'He is a very useful idiot for Reform and if he helps nudge them forward, Reform could get a good result. Even second place would be hugely significant and symbolic for them in a Scottish seat.' When approached by the Daily Record, McFarlane, 59, admitted being the man who painted a sign saying: 'Bothwell Bridge was built by white people.' He said: 'I'm campaigning at arm's length for Reform. 'We've focused a lot of our campaign at Bothwell Bridge because it as the scene of a historic battle and we believe we will overcome. 'We believe that all illegal immigrants should be repatriated immediately - but that is just a starting point. 'We are battling against a revisionism in our history, one that tells people that it was black people who built Stonehenge. We are fighting back.' The source said: 'If the rantings of McFarlane made a significant difference to this election it would be a tragedy.' In 2022 McFarlane was compared to a smurf by a sheriff when he turned up at court in blue face paint. He was convicted of sending a hate-filled homophobic letter to then First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. The rant was filled with references to Derek Mackay, a former SNP finance minister, and also contained several biblical quotations. The former soldier was reprimanded by Sheriff John Cook, who ordered him to wipe his face clean before the trial could commence. The letter sent by McFarlane, from Bellshill, Lanarkshire, stated that he believed homosexuality 'leads to paedophilia which leads to bestiality'. McFarlane, an unemployed HGV driver, was placed on a community payback ordered to carry out 80 hours of unpaid work. Reform's political rivals last night blamed Nigel Farage for providing a platform for extremist views. A spokesperson for Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said: 'The people of Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse will see through this pathetic and shameful attempt to sew division and hatred. 'Racism and conspiracy theory has no place in our society. 'Reform should be ashamed of these tactics by some of their supporters.' 'Anas Sarwar is a proud Scot that worked in our NHS. He is making the case every day for a better Scotland for all.' The spokesperson added: 'Regardless of our politics, his love and loyalty to our great country should be unquestionable.' The Daily Record previously revealed that Patriot Alternative made a pact with far right influencer and conspiracy theory obsessive David Clews - who runs the Unity News Network website - to openly infiltrate Reform UK. Clews and PA leader Mark Collett - a neo-Nazi and former BNP leader - urged their followers to take up positions within Reform in order for them to reap the political gains later. McFarlane's ranting in places like Hamilton, Stonehouse and Bothwell were the first evidence of their plan in action. The by-election campaign took an ugly turn last week when Reform openly launched an online attack advert on Sarwar. The online Facebook ad included an image of Sarwar next to the words: 'Anas Sarwar has said he will prioritise the Pakistani community.' Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. However, video playback proves that Sarwar did not say that he would 'prioritise' the Pakistani community. He accused Reform UK of racism. All eyes are on the by-election as it could show that Reform can make a real impact in areas where they would previously have lost their deposit due to meagre poll results. The party swept the board in English local elections, crushing Tory and Labour support up and down the country. First Minister John Swinney has tried to galvanise support by ruling out Labour's candidate Davy Russell - who has been accused of dodging any televised debate and being 'anonymous'. Swinney claims it is a two horse race between SNP candidate Katy Loudon and Reform's Ross Lambie. Reform UK has distanced itself from Patriotic Alternative. A Reform UK spokesman said: 'These banners are nothing to do with Reform UK, we have no connection whatsoever with this group.'
The Guardian
26-05-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Loss of sentence appeal over Southport tweet boosts far-right fundraising for Lucy Connolly
If Britain's far right were looking for a new cause célèbre after last year's Southport killings, many believe they have found it in the case of Lucy Connolly. The childminder and wife of a Conservative councillor from Northampton was jailed for 31 months in October after calling for hotels housing asylum seekers to be torched. Yet her loss this week in a bid to appeal the sentence has only boosted her as a martyr among far-right activists who have raised thousands through fundraising campaigns. At the same time, Reform UK and mainstream Conservative voices and media portray her as the latest victim of a 'two-tier' justice system which they say treats offenders from some backgrounds more favourably. Lobbying has now reached the Trump administration, where the US State department says it is monitoring the case, referring to its concern about 'infringements on freedom of expression'. Funds raised for her in Britain include £40,000 raised by Reclaim the Media – a company set up by the far-right agitator and former actor Laurence Fox. Patriotic Alternative, one of Britain's most active far-right groups, told supporters it gave her family £1,000 from a fund established for what it described as 'political prisoners'. At the same time, the judge who sentenced Connolly has become a target of abuse. Social media posts included one by a far-right influencer who mocked up a photograph of the judge under the heading: The Banality of Evil: Who is Lucy Connolly's Anti-British, Woke Judge?' 'Death Penalty' replied an X user with a blue tick. Concerns have now been expressed by the Law Society, who told the Guardian: 'Attacks on the legal profession undermine the rule of law and can have real-life consequences.' 'In recent years, negative language used by politicians and the media about legal professionals has seen waves of online hate and death threats causing many lawyers to seek police protection,' said Richard Atkinson, president of the Law Society of England and Wales. 'During the riots last summer, 39 law firms and advice centres were targeted. Nobody should be put at risk for doing their job, least of all when that job is to uphold the law.' There is also unease at the tone and language used by more high-profile figures on the right, including Boris Johnson, who claimed Connolly's case showed Britain was becoming a 'police state'. Charlie Falconer, a Labour peer and former justice secretary, condemned the remarks, adding : 'Attacking the law and the judges who give effect to it is a cowardly and deceptive way of trying to justify despicable criminal conduct.' However, there is now also concern in Labour about the potential of the case to gain traction among the general public. Mary Glindon, a Labour MP, broke ranks on Thursday to join Tory MPs in signing a motion of support for Connolly from Rupert Lowe, the former Reform UK MP who used prime minister's questions to raise the case. Glindon said she had signed because she was upset Connolly had lost her appeal, adding that her young daughter would continue to be without her mother. While backing the judge, other Labour MPs privately express concern about how the case could be exploited. For now, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has resisted the urge to echo the exact 'two-tier' language of Reform and others, saying instead that Connolly had been 'treated unfairly' and there was a perception of bias that was 'fuelling radicalisation'. But a Tory strategist likened the case to the controversy surrounding the new guidance around sentencing of offenders from ethnic monitories. They also noted: 'Unusually, this is a case in which the alt-media has had real cut-through on it.' Connolly meanwhile is expected to remain in prison until August, although the campaign around her continues. Her most high profile backer has been the Free Speech Union, the libertarian organisation founded by the Tory peer Toby Young, which has funded her legal team. It says the public reaction to the campaign has been 'off the charts'. At the heart of the case is an X post in July last year which changed Connolly's life forever. 'Mass deportation now, set fire to all the fucking hotels full of the bastards for all I care … if that makes me racist so be it,' she tweeted to 9,000 followers, after three girls were killed in a knife attack at a holiday club in Southport. In a written judgment published on Tuesday, an appeal court judge said: 'There is no arguable basis on which it could be said that the sentence imposed by the judge was manifestly excessive.' Responding to Lowe on Wednesday, Starmer backed the courts, stating he is 'against incitement of violence to other people' and stressing that sentencing was a 'matter for our courts'. Connolly's husband, Raymond Connolly, used an interview on GB News on Friday to accuse Starmer of having 'picked' his wife as 'the poster girl of the far right'. 'We've got a government who are just doing what they want to do,' he said, denying she was far right and accusing Starmer of 'total intimidation'. In strictly legal terms experts point out Connolly's sentence was severe because inciting racial hatred is one of the most serious offences under hate crime legislation. Connolly had also pleaded guilty. Sunjay Versani, director of crime and prison law at Duncan Lewis Solicitors, said the court considered the likely impact of the message and whether it was capable of encouraging others to hate. Factors included the public nature vulnerability of the target and absence of credible mitigation, despite her expression of regret. 'There has been plenty said about the sentence being too severe. However, the reality is the term is properly in line with sentencing guidelines,' he added. 'One of the reasons they exist is to ensure uniformity ... so the same sentence for the same criminal conduct is handed down, regardless of whether you're in London, Leicester or Leeds.'
Daily Record
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Record
Far-right hate group founded by Nazi sympathiser hijack Holyrood by-election with racist banners in support of Reform
Patriotic Alternative have been criticised over racist banners in Stonehouse last week. Fascist supporters of Reform UK have hijacked a Holyrood by-election with vile racist banners. The far-right Patriotic Alternative were in Stonehouse on Friday backing Nigel Farage's party and mocking attempts at combating racism. They subjected the village to offensive slogans like ' Anti racist just means anti white". A spokesperson for Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, who was targeted in the banners, said: 'People will see through this pathetic and shameful attempt to sew division and hatred. Racism and conspiracy theory has no place in our society. " Reform should be ashamed of these tactics by some of their supporters. Anas Sarwar is a proud Scot that worked in our NHS. He is making the case every day for a better Scotland for all. Regardless of our politics, his love and loyalty to our great country should be unquestionable.' Voters in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse will go to the polls on June 5th to choose their new MSP in a by-election. The contest was believed to be a two-horse race between the SNP and Labour, but the right wing Reform party are tipped to come second as part of a UK surge. As revealed by the Record last week, Mark Collett of the extremist Patriotic Alternative is part of a plot to infiltrate Reform. A Nazi sympathiser who was in the BNP, Collett has joined forces with far right influencer David Clews in a bid to take Reform even further to the Right. During a visit to Stonehouse on Friday, Patriotic Alternative unleashed their hateful propaganda. One banner tried to bait anti-racism campaigner Sarwar: 'Scotland too white Anas?' Other slogans from the white nationalists included '2 teir [sic] justice = Anti white justice', 'Anti racist just means anti white' and 'They don't hate racism they just hate white people'. Another banner explained the political purpose of the trip: 'Vote Reform.' A leaflet handed out to passers-by stated: 'This flyer is brought to you by Patriotic Alternative (PA), a proud nationalist community group. We champion the rights of the native British - the English, Scottish and Welsh - stewards of our homeland, the British Isles.' They added: 'We have concerns about the future of our nation and do not believe that successive governments have prioritised the interests of the native British.' A section marked 'advocating for our own ethnic group' also said PA wanted to ensure 'indigenous Brits' are not treated as 'second class citizens'. The address listed for the fascist group was a PO Box in Pudsey, near Leeds, 190 miles from Stonehouse. Patriotic Alternative are not part of Reform, but critics fear Reform is attracting racists. An SNP spokesperson said: 'These reports raise serious questions for Nigel Farage's party. Groups like Patriotic Alternative and their racist rhetoric should be called out and condemned and not involved in any candidate's campaign. Farage must respond to these concerns immediately.'There is absolutely no place for that harmful language in Scotland, and the SNP will call it out and confront it at every turn. As this campaign continues it is becoming clearer that Labour are falling behind Nigel Farage's Reform UK. On 5th June, only a vote for the SNP can stop Farage.' Patrick Harvie, co-leader of the Scottish Greens, said: ' Nigel Farage has spent years promoting far-right hatred - so it's absolutely no surprise that we're seeing some of the most extreme groups rallying behind Reform. 'People across Scotland deserve so much better than the dangerous politics of hate and division. And the more voters see the danger that Reform truly represents, and the kind of people who are getting involved, the more they will reject it.' A spokesman for the Scottish Tories said: ' Reform must come clean over whether they support such extremist views.' A Reform UK spokesman said: 'These banners are nothing to do with Reform UK, we have no connection whatsoever with this group.' In a recent joint statement, Clews and Collett laid out their mass infiltration plan: 'Our combined support will be able to exert a significant level of influence on the direction of Reform and eventually within the corridors of power in this nation. 'We already know many thousands of our supporters are members of Reform and we would like this to be in the tens of thousands. Many supporters and those sympathetic to our aims also occupy positions of power within the Reform Party. These influencers are positioned so that they can embed the foundations for a strong future for this nation and its people.' Collett also said separately: "We won't be dropping our demands for a super majority of white Britons in Britain. So we're not selling anything out. All we're doing is using Reform as a wrecking ball." Patriotic Alternative were contacted.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Far-right leaders attempting to hijack success of Reform
Two prominent far-right figures have set out plans to hijack the success of Reform UK and push the party towards extremist views. David Clews, a conspiracy theorist and far-right influencer, and Mark Collett, a Nazi-sympathiser who set up the far-right Patriotic Alternative (PA), have called for supporters to "infiltrate" Nigel Farage's party to push their own "pro-white" and anti-immigration agenda. In an online broadcast, Clews claimed - without offering evidence - that sympathisers were already active inside Reform, including "branch chairs" and people "on candidate lists". A Reform spokesman said the far-right would never be welcome in the party and a "stringent vetting process" was in place. "These people know they are not welcome and never will be," they added. But Clews said far-right infiltrators would be difficult for Reform to detect because the individuals had no public ties to far-right organisations. "[They] watch alt media, they know the score, they've got no social media profile and they are members now of Reform and they're going to work their way up within that," he added. Clews and Collett, who previously worked for the BNP, have signed a "declaration of intent" to "drag Reform to the right". "We encourage all of our supporters to become active organisers and members of Reform and seek candidacy to become MPs, mayors, councillors, police commissioners, MSPs, researchers, party staffers etc," they wrote, pledging to provide "security and on the ground support" for Reform candidates if necessary. Under the pair's strategy, small anti-immigration parties would be asked to stand aside to improve Reform's chances of winning and far-right activists would campaign against Reform's opponents. Some members of PA have been convicted of terrorism and racial hatred offences. Earlier this year, an undercover investigation by the BBC recorded members of the group using racial slurs and saying migrants should be shot. Clews and Collett have listed the political goals they hope to make part of Reform's platform, which include "ensuring the indigenous people of the British Isles remain a super majority by reducing immigration and beginning the process of mass deportations". The broadcast this week setting out the strategy on Clews' own United News Network (UNN) channel was first identified by the campaign group Labour Against Antisemitism. Collett said Reform's success was helping to shift what was considered acceptable for political debate. He pointed to Conservative shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick's recent comments that in Dagenham the "British population has reduced by 50% in the last 25 years" as proof. "We won't be dropping our policies, our anti-Zionism, our anti-Net Zero," Collett added. "We won't be dropping our demands for a super majority of white Britons in Britain. So we're not selling anything out. All we're doing is using Reform as a wrecking ball." Far-right group exposed in undercover BBC investigation Camping with the far-right: What I learned from a year inside Patriotic Alternative The plan could represent a challenge to Reform's vetting process. The party has previously been dogged by issues with candidates with far-right views. In April, the BBC reported on a number of local election candidates for Reform who had posted hate, pushed far-right conspiracies and praised extremists. A local organiser for Reform in Staffordshire stood down earlier this year after details of his links to PA emerged and a candidate in Derbyshire was suspended by the party after sharing a post from a PA organiser. Joe Mulhall, director of research at Hope Not Hate, an anti-racism campaign group, said it was not impossible for political parties to identify those trying to hide their support for the far-right but Reform would struggle "because their vetting is terrible". "I think it's likely some people from Patriotic Alternative will try to do this at a local level and their dream would be to turn some branches," he said. "Judging by the current standards of Reform's vetting I think there's a strong chance they wouldn't be picked up." Clews said the strategy had parallels with Momentum's impact on Labour under Jeremy Corbyn and claimed there was a "disconnect between the membership and the leadership of the Reform party". "We are hoping to achieve a position where we are able to exercise significant influence on the next party of government," he said. Collett, described on the show by Clews as "Britain's foremost neo-Nazi", told the BBC he would campaign against Reform's rivals but was not endorsing the party. "I don't support Nigel Farage. I support the destruction of the two-party system and dragging political discourse in a more pro-white direction," he added. If you have any information on stories you would like to share with the BBC Politics Investigations team, please get in touch at politicsinvestigations@
BBC News
18-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Far-right leaders attempting to hijack success of Reform
Two prominent far-right figures have set out plans to hijack the success of Reform UK and push the party towards extremist Clews, a conspiracy theorist and far-right influencer, and Mark Collett, a Nazi-sympathiser who set up the far-right Patriotic Alternative (PA), have called for supporters to "infiltrate" Nigel Farage's party to push their own "pro-white" and anti-immigration an online broadcast, Clews claimed - without offering evidence - that sympathisers were already active inside Reform, including "branch chairs" and people "on candidate lists".A Reform spokesman said the far-right would never be welcome in the party and a "stringent vetting process" was in place. "These people know they are not welcome and never will be," they Clews said far-right infiltrators would be difficult for Reform to detect because the individuals had no public ties to far-right organisations."[They] watch alt media, they know the score, they've got no social media profile and they are members now of Reform and they're going to work their way up within that," he and Collett, who previously worked for the BNP, have signed a "declaration of intent" to "drag Reform to the right"."We encourage all of our supporters to become active organisers and members of Reform and seek candidacy to become MPs, mayors, councillors, police commissioners, MSPs, researchers, party staffers etc," they wrote, pledging to provide "security and on the ground support" for Reform candidates if the pair's strategy, small anti-immigration parties would be asked to stand aside to improve Reform's chances of winning and far-right activists would campaign against Reform's members of PA have been convicted of terrorism and racial hatred offences. Earlier this year, an undercover investigation by the BBC recorded members of the group using racial slurs and saying migrants should be shot. Clews and Collett have listed the political goals they hope to make part of Reform's platform, which include "ensuring the indigenous people of the British Isles remain a super majority by reducing immigration and beginning the process of mass deportations".The broadcast this week setting out the strategy on Clews' own United News Network (UNN) channel was first identified by the campaign group Labour Against said Reform's success was helping to shift what was considered acceptable for political debate. He pointed to Conservative shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick's recent comments that in Dagenham the "British population has reduced by 50% in the last 25 years" as proof."We won't be dropping our policies, our anti-Zionism, our anti-Net Zero," Collett added."We won't be dropping our demands for a super majority of white Britons in Britain. So we're not selling anything out. All we're doing is using Reform as a wrecking ball." The plan could represent a challenge to Reform's vetting party has previously been dogged by issues with candidates with far-right views. In April, the BBC reported on a number of local election candidates for Reform who had posted hate, pushed far-right conspiracies and praised extremists.A local organiser for Reform in Staffordshire stood down earlier this year after details of his links to PA emerged and a candidate in Derbyshire was suspended by the party after sharing a post from a PA Mulhall, director of research at Hope Not Hate, an anti-racism campaign group, said it was not impossible for political parties to identify those trying to hide their support for the far-right but Reform would struggle "because their vetting is terrible"."I think it's likely some people from Patriotic Alternative will try to do this at a local level and their dream would be to turn some branches," he said. "Judging by the current standards of Reform's vetting I think there's a strong chance they wouldn't be picked up."Clews said the strategy had parallels with Momentum's impact on Labour under Jeremy Corbyn and claimed there was a "disconnect between the membership and the leadership of the Reform party"."We are hoping to achieve a position where we are able to exercise significant influence on the next party of government," he described on the show by Clews as "Britain's foremost neo-Nazi", told the BBC he would campaign against Reform's rivals but was not endorsing the party."I don't support Nigel Farage. I support the destruction of the two-party system and dragging political discourse in a more pro-white direction," he you have any information on stories you would like to share with the BBC Politics Investigations team, please get in touch at politicsinvestigations@
