Dear Home Secretary
I am writing following reports on 18 September 2009 of the activities of the group ‘Blood & Honour’.
The reports suggest that Blood & Honour is currently distributing material, including music CDs, which encourage and glorify hatred and acts of terror against ethnic minorities. The reports also quote the group’s “Field Manual” as stating that those who carry out actions in the name of neo-Nazism ‘must be respected rather than condemned’ and that ‘Die-hard ‘Nazis’ not comfortable in any watered-down, democratic outfit, still have an option through leaderless resistance and direct action. […] These lone white wolves must be respected and left alone to stalk the worst enemies of our race. They expect no support and assistance but they deserve acknowledgement and understanding’.
Given these circumstances, I would like to know what your assessment is of the group’s activities and what action can be taken in response to them under relevant sections of the Public Order Act 1986 and the Terrorism Act 2000 and Terrorism Act 2006. For example, you will be aware that under Section 21 of the Public Order Act 1986 a person who ‘distributes, or shows, or plays, a recording of visual images or sounds which are threatening, abusive or insulting is guilty of an offence if he intends thereby to stir up racial hatred, or having regard to all the circumstances racial hatred is likely to be stirred up thereby’. You will also be aware that Sections 1 and 2 of the Terrorism Act 2006 (respectively) specify that the encouragement of terrorism and the dissemination of terrorist publications are offences. On the fact of it, there appears to be a very strong case for the proscription of Blood & Honour.
There is a further and related issue, which is that much of the group’s material is reported to be hosted and distributed from a website on an American server (although sale and distribution does occur in the UK). I would therefore like to know what scope there is to prosecute individuals involved and to block or remove this internet content.
I am sure you will agree that it is necessary to tackle all forms of extremism, including right wing extremism. The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, John Denham, announced earlier this year that the Government’s PREVENT Strategy was being updated to reflect this.
In light of public interest in these matters I am making a copy of this letter available to the press.
Baroness Neville-Jones
Shadow Security Minister
See Edmund Standing’s research, published by the CSC, on Blood and Honour groups.