Formation
The party was formed in 1960 by the merger of the National Labour Party and the White Defence League, two political splinter groups from the League of Empire Loyalists pressure group. Both groups had been active in Notting Hill and had been co-operating closely there since the previous year when a merger was agreed. The new group, which was based at Arnold Leese House in Notting Hill (the former home of the Imperial Fascist League leader used by WDL leader Colin Jordan as his base of operations), adopted the motto "For Race and Nation" and pledged to oppose the "international Jewish-controlled money-lending system" in its founding policy statement. Indeed so strong was BNP anti-Semitism that the party advocated the immediate deportation of all Britain's Jews to either Israel or Madagascar, recalling the Madagascar Plan that had formerly been prevalent. It also demanded an end to immigration, repatriation of immigrants and the impeachment of the Conservative government for what the BNP felt to be their complicity in allowing uncontrolled immigration.
The party was led by John Bean, with Andrew Fountaine holding the position of Party President, and other leading members including John Tyndall, Colin Jordan (who served as Activities Organiser), Denis Pirie and Ted Budden. Leese's widow, who had given Jordan access to her home during his time as WDL leader, served as vice-president of the party.
Read more about this topic: British National Party (1960)
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