A British neo-Nazi group that lauded the murderer of MP Jo Cox is to be outlawed in an unprecedented move in the UK.
An order proscribing National Action will be laid before Parliament on Monday, declaring it a terrorist organisation membership of which could lead to a prison sentence.
Encouraging support, arranging meetings in support, wearing clothing or carrying articles that arouse suspicion an individual is in favour of the group will also be a criminal offence.
The order is being brought by Home Secretary Amber Rudd who described the group as “a racist, anti-Semitic and homophobic organisation”.
Rudd was last month was asked to take the same action over Britain First.
National Action’s slogan is “Death to traitors, freedom for Britain”, the words uttered in court by Thomas Mair when he was asked to give his name in court while standing trial for the murder of Cox.
The group claims it is “radical” not “extremist” despite its stated aim of a “white Britain” and a Twitter account that has promoted Nazi ideology and the “gassing” of Jews.
Last month posters bearing the group’s name and calling for “white zones” were found in Newbury.
Its mission statement ends:
Our disagreement is with the government, the new aristocracy, global capitalism, and all other white race traitors. We do not incite hatred or encourage violence against minority groups and have been consistent in this, we simply advocate the rights of our own people to reclaim their soil, purify their blood, and become strong again.
We have clearly outlined what we believe to be a realistic way of achieving our aims through building our community via social, cultural, and political activity.
As troubled as our relationship can be at times, the authorities have never proscribed National Action on any official level, and don’t really seem to have a problem with what we do despite being hounded by lies from antifascist groups that we are starting some kind of army. Ideals are peaceful, history is violent.
Senior member, Jack Renshaw, is being investigated after he called Jews “parasites” that should be eradicated.
During a demonstration in Blackpool in March, Renshaw referred to himself as a “nazi”, talked about “executing” the groups’ enemies, told supporters that the UK had a “Jewish problem” and said the white race was the “superior race”. His comments were recorded in a video made by the group and uploaded to YouTube.
The activist said that Britain was on the “wrong side” in the Second World War by fighting the Nazis “who were there to remove Jewry from Europe once and for all”.
Renshaw also went on to tell supporters at the event: “We need to start focusing on the real enemy, the real enemy is the Jew.”
Earlier this year the group’s deputy leader was laughed out of a town square in Bath after admitting he didn’t know what a white person looked like.
Alex Davies was caught in an embarrassing exchange on video while out campaigning with four friends in the centre of Bath.
Davies was confronted by a woman and her daughter, and asked if the young girl should be “booted out”.
When it was revealed the teenager was in fact mixed-race, Davies admitted he didn’t know if she should be forced to leave Britain and could only respond that “she looks white to me”.
After the mother attested that she did in fact know her own child’s race, Davies said simply: “Well I mean you’re saying that, but you could just be saying that for argument’s sake”.
He then began walking away with his four other friends and was told: “You run away - you put your education to better use. Go on, fuck off.”
In 2014, Huffington Post interviewed one of National Action’s founders who said they “want to piss people off”.