British Democratic Party - Development

Development

The BDP quickly gained a following within Leicester, capturing 11% of the vote in the first local elections it contested, a highly respectable score for a new and virtually unknown party. However the British Movement's Ray Hill also became involved and after giving a copy of the party's membership list to Searchlight magazine, soon began secretly working for the anti-fascist publication full-time. Although never formally a member of the BDP Hill, on instructions from Searchlight, took a leading role in helping Herbert to organise the new party. Hill also took over production of the party's newspaper British News. Hill's association with both the BDP and BM was not unusual as BDP members Dave Gagin, Chris Newman, Jack Munton and Chris Harrison all held simultaneous membership of the BM.

The association of Hill with the BDP meant that many of its activities were exposed in the press. Thus a celebration for Adolf Hitler's birthday held in 1980 in an illegal bar in the basement of the party's headquarters was reported in the Daily Mirror. Hill also fomented a plan to take over the British Movement, suggesting t Herbert that the two groups could unite once it was successful, although this idea too was driven by a Searchlight plan to bring about divisions within the BM. Hill further informed on BDP plans to obtain weapons and to set up an illegal television transmitter, although information about both schemes was initially vague.