Britain does not have a major far-right terrorist problem

The answer is no, but it’s not a simple no. Because when it comes to far-right political activism in Britain, including advocacy for fascist political policies, the situation is more murky. Groups such as Britain First and the English Defense League and advocates such as Tommy Robinson continue to lead movements in favor of restricting Muslim religious freedom. These groups are galvanized by what they regard as subversive Islamic influences in politics and the failure of U.K. authorities to investigate serious criminal activity in the British-Pakistani community. Yet much of the far-right’s political activism is defined by loud, shambolic protests involving mainly — and often seemingly drunk — white men. These protests are normally peaceful, but they pose challenges for U.K. police forces in that far-left, Antifa-related protesters seek confrontation with the far-right.

Even if Antifa are the primary cause of street-level violence at far-right rallies, far-right leaders are hardly pleasant. Indeed, many far-right leaders and their most ardent supporters have criminal records related to low-level violence, theft, fraud, or public disorder. And it is certainly true that they behave in unpleasant ways. A recent video from the leader of Britain First shows him harassing Muslims as they operate a street stall.

But it would be a mistake, as some in the British media like to do, to blend supporters of euroskeptic political parties like the U.K. Independence Party with the far-right elements of Britain First, etc. While there is some crossover at senior levels (UKIP’s current leader has embraced Tommy Robinson), most UKIP supporters are not racists.

Moreover, when it comes to far-right terrorism, the threat is less severe than some claim. A 2017 far-right terrorist attack on a London Mosque killed one innocent man but most attacks are prevented. Yes, terrorist groups like the neo-Nazi National Action organization are a concern. But over the past year, these groups have come under greater monitoring by counter-terrorism police and Britain’s domestic intelligence service, MI5. The investigative efforts here are enabled by right-wing groups’ lack of operational security measures in comparison to Islamic terrorist groups. British authorities also exert constant pressure on convicted criminals in the far-right movement in the hope of persuading them to abandon their activities.

Still, the vast majority of MI5 resourcing and activity continues to focus on Islamic extremist plots from supporters of groups like the Islamic State, al Qaeda, and Kashmiri terrorist organizations. Malicious Russian activity in the U.K., and threats from various Northern Irish terrorist groups are also far more of a challenge than the British far-right.

In short, while the far-right has a political following in Britain, it does not presently pose a significant security threat. Anyway, you can watch the BBC report below.