Derek Beackon
Encyclopedia
Derek William Beackon is a former British National Party
councillor.
Beackon joined the BNP in 1986 as an associate member, becoming a full member two years later. Known as 'Daddy', Beackon first presented as a candidate for the BNP in 1990 in the Redcoat ward of Tower Hamlets
where he gained 3% of the vote, a typically low total for the party at the time.
in terms of public profile (even though that movement had fallen into severe decline), gain respectable scores whilst the area had also been one of the centres of support for John Tyndall
during the 1992 general election
,Tyndall having stood in Bow and Poplar
, which included Tower Hamlets.
Under the directorship of local organizer Eddy Butler
the party had instigated a 'Rights for Whites' campaign in the area, bringing back a slogan previously employed by Martin Webster
during the 1970s. Focusing on the perceived negative impact of immigration to the area of employment and housing, the campaign initially operated as if it was simply a local pressure group before gradually introducing the BNP name into Rights for Whites literature.
The initiative first produced results in the Millwall ward in October 1992 when a strong canvassing
effort by local activists saw BNP candidate Barry Osborne capture 20% of the vote in a by-election. Millwall had long been a seat of unemployment
associated with the declining docklands area in London
. Most of the population had been descended from the 19th century workers who had built and operated the docks, but with the building of the Limehouse Link Road, a run down Council estate in Limehouse
(the St. Vincent Estate) containing predominantly Bangladeshi
families, were rehoused in properties on in Millwall, previously marketed as 'luxury', but due to a property downturn had been unable to sell. This was presented as favourable treatment on grounds of race by the "Liberal Focus Team" seeking to capitalise on the issue. However, in a close three way contest, the BNP gained from this campaign more than its authors.
A Labour
councillor resigned in the same ward soon after this, sparking yet another by-election. Beackon was chosen as the candidate this time, following the local party's policy of rotating members. Beackon's campaign effectively followed Butler's blueprint of emphasising 'Rights for Whites' through canvassing and leafleting, although he abandoned the old policy of holding a public meeting as he felt they proved too counterproductive by attracting large crowds of protesters, particularly from the Anti-Nazi League
and Anti-Fascist Action
. In the event Beackon won the by-election of 16 September 1993 with 1480 votes (33.9%), beating Labour by 7 votes, with an overall turnout of 44%. He thus became the first elected representative for the party.
George Carey
and the Commissioner
of the Metropolitan Police
Sir Paul Condon. Beackon's own use of immoderate language also damaged him and he was quoted in the Daily Mirror after being asked about refuse collection that "The Asians are rubbish and that is what we are going to clear from the streets". However Labour also criticised the Liberal Democrats for distributing a leaflet How Labour Spends your Money, detailing how Labour allegedly spent £30,000
and £175,000 respectively on Bangladesh
i flood relief and youth movements, then asking Has it helped you recently?, causing anger in the local community.
. He also had to flee his flat in Wapping to live in hiding with his brother in Bethnal Green
during which time his housing benefit was mysteriously cancelled. In addition, the expectation that he could influence housing allocation to benefit white constituents proved chimerical. Overall, during his time in office Beackon was characterized as a weak councillor who had trouble following the council agenda. Indeed at the time it was even suggested that Beackon was virtually illiterate and was unable to read council documents, although he would later strenuously deny the allegations, whilst admitting that he had trouble understanding their meaning.
When the seat went up for election again in 1994 a strong mobilization of voters against the BNP was undertaken by Labour, with the turnout rising to 65%. Despite Beackon's generally ineffectual performance as a councillor he added 561 votes to his total, although the seat was lost as the rest of the vote largely fell behind Labour, with the Liberal Democrat vote collapsing. He was the only successful BNP candidate during John Tyndall
's tenure as party leader. The BNP did not win any more council seats until winning three seats in Burnley
in 2002.
and white power skinheads, the group soon proved difficult for the middle-aged Beackon to control, and before long, real control lay with Charlie Sargent and his brother Steve. Following Beackon's election, the group became disillusioned with the electoral path and broke away from the BNP, adopting the name Combat 18
. Eddy Butler and Tony Lecomber
were among the BNP members targeted for attack, in what became a bitter split.
in his ultimately successful challenge to Tyndall's leadership. Indeed Beackon appeared in Moving On, Moving Up, a glossy brochure produced by Griffin during his leadership campaign, endorsing the former Political Soldier
for the BNP leadership.
Despite this support Beackon remained a peripheral figure within the BNP under Griffin's leadership and before long he fell in with the group of anti-Griffin activists around John Tyndall. His eulogy
to Tyndall was one of the few written by an active BNP member to appear in the final issue of Spearhead
, released immediately following Tyndall's death. Still nominally a member of the BNP he has become associated with the 'Friends of John Tyndall', an informal anti-Griffin group largely controlled by Richard Edmonds
and John Morse
in attending a speech by Valerie Tyndall which they had organised in July 2007. The event included stalls by a number of political parties, although these were limited to the National Front, England First Party
and the British Peoples Party
, with the BNP not participating.
, Essex. He was a BNP candidate for the Orsett
ward of Thurrock council in May 2008. This is a safe Conservative ward and Beackon finished in third place with 330 votes, 17.8% of the total.
For the 2010 council elections, he stood for the Chadwell St Mary
ward and gained 811 votes (19.8%).
British National Party
The British National Party is a British far-right political party formed as a splinter group from the National Front by John Tyndall in 1982...
councillor.
Beackon joined the BNP in 1986 as an associate member, becoming a full member two years later. Known as 'Daddy', Beackon first presented as a candidate for the BNP in 1990 in the Redcoat ward of Tower Hamlets
London Borough of Tower Hamlets
The London Borough of Tower Hamlets is a London borough to the east of the City of London and north of the River Thames. It is in the eastern part of London and covers much of the traditional East End. It also includes much of the redeveloped Docklands region of London, including West India Docks...
where he gained 3% of the vote, a typically low total for the party at the time.
Beackon and the emergence of the BNP
Although Beackon's personal result had been a disappointment in Tower Hamlets the area had slowly been growing as a centre of support for the BNP. A series of council by-elections in 1990 had seen the BNP, which at the time still lagged behind the National FrontBritish National Front
The National Front is a far right, white-only political party whose major political activities took place during the 1970s and 1980s. Its popularity peaked in the 1979 general election, when it received 191,719 votes ....
in terms of public profile (even though that movement had fallen into severe decline), gain respectable scores whilst the area had also been one of the centres of support for John Tyndall
John Tyndall (politician)
John Hutchyns Tyndall was a British politician who was prominently associated with several fascist/neo-Nazi sects. However, he is best known for leading the National Front in the 1970s and founding the contemporary British National Party in 1982.The most prominent figure in British nationalism...
during the 1992 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1992
The United Kingdom general election of 1992 was held on 9 April 1992, and was the fourth consecutive victory for the Conservative Party. This election result was one of the biggest surprises in 20th Century politics, as polling leading up to the day of the election showed Labour under leader Neil...
,Tyndall having stood in Bow and Poplar
Bow and Poplar (UK Parliament constituency)
Bow and Poplar was a parliamentary constituency in London which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.It was created for the 1983 general election, and abolished for the 1997 general election....
, which included Tower Hamlets.
Under the directorship of local organizer Eddy Butler
Eddy Butler
Eddy Butler is a former National Elections Officer of the British National Party and was dubbed the party's "elections guru" by its newspaper, Voice of Freedom, until being suspended and expelled from the BNP in 2010 by Nick Griffin.Butler was originally the Tower Hamlets organiser for the...
the party had instigated a 'Rights for Whites' campaign in the area, bringing back a slogan previously employed by Martin Webster
Martin Webster
Martin Guy Alan Webster is a former leading figure on the far-right in British politics.-Early political activism:An early member of the Young Conservatives, from which he claimed to have been expelled, Webster was associated loosely with the League of Empire Loyalists until he joined the National...
during the 1970s. Focusing on the perceived negative impact of immigration to the area of employment and housing, the campaign initially operated as if it was simply a local pressure group before gradually introducing the BNP name into Rights for Whites literature.
The initiative first produced results in the Millwall ward in October 1992 when a strong canvassing
Canvassing
Canvassing is the systematic initiation of direct contact with a target group of individuals commonly used during political campaigns. A campaign team will knock on doors of private residences within a particular geographic area, engaging in face-to-face personal interaction with voters...
effort by local activists saw BNP candidate Barry Osborne capture 20% of the vote in a by-election. Millwall had long been a seat of unemployment
Unemployment
Unemployment , as defined by the International Labour Organization, occurs when people are without jobs and they have actively sought work within the past four weeks...
associated with the declining docklands area in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Most of the population had been descended from the 19th century workers who had built and operated the docks, but with the building of the Limehouse Link Road, a run down Council estate in Limehouse
Limehouse
Limehouse is a place in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is on the northern bank of the River Thames opposite Rotherhithe and between Ratcliff to the west and Millwall to the east....
(the St. Vincent Estate) containing predominantly Bangladeshi
British Bangladeshi
A British Bangladeshi is a person of Bangladeshi origin who resides in the United Kingdom having emigrated to the UK and attained citizenship through naturalisation or whose parents did so; they are also known as British Bengalis...
families, were rehoused in properties on in Millwall, previously marketed as 'luxury', but due to a property downturn had been unable to sell. This was presented as favourable treatment on grounds of race by the "Liberal Focus Team" seeking to capitalise on the issue. However, in a close three way contest, the BNP gained from this campaign more than its authors.
A Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
councillor resigned in the same ward soon after this, sparking yet another by-election. Beackon was chosen as the candidate this time, following the local party's policy of rotating members. Beackon's campaign effectively followed Butler's blueprint of emphasising 'Rights for Whites' through canvassing and leafleting, although he abandoned the old policy of holding a public meeting as he felt they proved too counterproductive by attracting large crowds of protesters, particularly from the Anti-Nazi League
Anti-Nazi League
The Anti-Nazi League was an organisation set up in 1977 on the initiative of the Socialist Workers Party with sponsorship from some trade unions and the endorsement of a list of prominent people to oppose the rise of far-right groups in the United Kingdom. It was wound down in 1981...
and Anti-Fascist Action
Anti-Fascist Action
Anti-Fascist Action was a militant anti-fascist organization founded by members of Red Action and other left-wing groups in the United Kingdom in 1985....
. In the event Beackon won the by-election of 16 September 1993 with 1480 votes (33.9%), beating Labour by 7 votes, with an overall turnout of 44%. He thus became the first elected representative for the party.
Reaction to Beackon's win
The immediate reaction to Beackon's election was one of widespread condemnation from many sections of wider society. The Daily Mirror headline of 18 September read 'SIEG HEIL...and Now He's a British Councillor' setting the tone for a slew of condemnation on the basis of Beackon being a Nazi. Amongst those to make their outrage heard were the main political parties, the Archbishop of CanterburyArchbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
George Carey
George Carey
George Leonard Carey, Baron Carey of Clifton PC, FKC is a former Archbishop of Canterbury, holding the office from 1991 to 2002. He was the first modern holder of the office not to have attended Oxford or Cambridge University...
and the Commissioner
Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis
The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis is the head of London's Metropolitan Police Service, classing the holder as a chief police officer...
of the Metropolitan Police
Metropolitan police
Metropolitan Police is a generic title for the municipal police force for a major metropolitan area, and it may be part of the official title of the force...
Sir Paul Condon. Beackon's own use of immoderate language also damaged him and he was quoted in the Daily Mirror after being asked about refuse collection that "The Asians are rubbish and that is what we are going to clear from the streets". However Labour also criticised the Liberal Democrats for distributing a leaflet How Labour Spends your Money, detailing how Labour allegedly spent £30,000
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
and £175,000 respectively on Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
i flood relief and youth movements, then asking Has it helped you recently?, causing anger in the local community.
Beackon as a councillor
As a councillor, Beackon found it hard to discharge his duties effectively, due to his effective boycott by other councillors and staff, who staged a protest walk-out after his election and due to his own inexperience and lack of capability - resulting in the BNP press office having to speak for him, after he failed to distinguish between the housing and social service departments in a newspaper interview with the East London AdvertiserEast London Advertiser
The East London Advertiser is a weekly local newspaper in east London, England covering primarily the borough of Tower Hamlets. It was founded in 1866 and has been owned by Archant since 2003....
. He also had to flee his flat in Wapping to live in hiding with his brother in Bethnal Green
Bethnal Green
Bethnal Green is a district of the East End of London, England and part of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, with the far northern parts falling within the London Borough of Hackney. Located northeast of Charing Cross, it was historically an agrarian hamlet in the ancient parish of Stepney,...
during which time his housing benefit was mysteriously cancelled. In addition, the expectation that he could influence housing allocation to benefit white constituents proved chimerical. Overall, during his time in office Beackon was characterized as a weak councillor who had trouble following the council agenda. Indeed at the time it was even suggested that Beackon was virtually illiterate and was unable to read council documents, although he would later strenuously deny the allegations, whilst admitting that he had trouble understanding their meaning.
When the seat went up for election again in 1994 a strong mobilization of voters against the BNP was undertaken by Labour, with the turnout rising to 65%. Despite Beackon's generally ineffectual performance as a councillor he added 561 votes to his total, although the seat was lost as the rest of the vote largely fell behind Labour, with the Liberal Democrat vote collapsing. He was the only successful BNP candidate during John Tyndall
John Tyndall (politician)
John Hutchyns Tyndall was a British politician who was prominently associated with several fascist/neo-Nazi sects. However, he is best known for leading the National Front in the 1970s and founding the contemporary British National Party in 1982.The most prominent figure in British nationalism...
's tenure as party leader. The BNP did not win any more council seats until winning three seats in Burnley
Burnley
Burnley is a market town in the Burnley borough of Lancashire, England, with a population of around 73,500. It lies north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River Brun....
in 2002.
Chief steward
Before and during his run as a Tower Hamlets councillor, Beackon served as the BNP's chief steward, which included the job of ensuring order at BNP meetings. As chief steward he was given the job of leading the party's bodyguard group set up in 1992. Made up largely of casualsCasuals
The casual subculture is a subsection of association football culture that is typified by football hooliganism and the wearing of expensive European designer clothing. The subculture originated in the United Kingdom in the early 1980s when many hooligans started wearing designer labels and...
and white power skinheads, the group soon proved difficult for the middle-aged Beackon to control, and before long, real control lay with Charlie Sargent and his brother Steve. Following Beackon's election, the group became disillusioned with the electoral path and broke away from the BNP, adopting the name Combat 18
Combat 18
Combat 18 is a violent neo-Nazi organisation associated with Blood and Honour. It originated in the United Kingdom, but has since spread to other countries. Members of Combat 18 have been suspected in numerous deaths of immigrants, non-whites, and other C18 members...
. Eddy Butler and Tony Lecomber
Tony Lecomber
Anthony "Tony" Mark Lecomber is a former Group Development Director for the British National Party.-Background:Lecomber has been active in far-right politics since the early 1980s...
were among the BNP members targeted for attack, in what became a bitter split.
Later BNP activism
Beackon's profile fell away somewhat after his election defeat as the BNP failed to capitalise on their breakthrough. He remained loyal to Eddy Butler, who had fallen out of favour with John Tyndall, and was interviewed for the first issue of The Patriot, a dissident journal within the party associated with Butler, Lecomber, Michael Newland, Steve Smith and others on the party's 'modernising' wing, all of whom would go on to back Nick GriffinNick Griffin
Nicholas John "Nick" Griffin is a British politician, chairman of the British National Party and Member of the European Parliament for North West England....
in his ultimately successful challenge to Tyndall's leadership. Indeed Beackon appeared in Moving On, Moving Up, a glossy brochure produced by Griffin during his leadership campaign, endorsing the former Political Soldier
Political Soldier
Political Soldier is a political concept associated with the Third Position. It played a leading role in Britain's National Front from the late 1970s onwards under young radicals Nick Griffin, Patrick Harrington and Derek Holland of the Official National Front...
for the BNP leadership.
Despite this support Beackon remained a peripheral figure within the BNP under Griffin's leadership and before long he fell in with the group of anti-Griffin activists around John Tyndall. His eulogy
Eulogy
A eulogy is a speech or writing in praise of a person or thing, especially one recently deceased or retired. Eulogies may be given as part of funeral services. However, some denominations either discourage or do not permit eulogies at services to maintain respect for traditions...
to Tyndall was one of the few written by an active BNP member to appear in the final issue of Spearhead
Spearhead (magazine)
Spearhead was a British far right-wing magazine edited by John Tyndall until his death in July 2005. Founded in 1964 by Tyndall, it was used to voice his grievances against the state of the United Kingdom...
, released immediately following Tyndall's death. Still nominally a member of the BNP he has become associated with the 'Friends of John Tyndall', an informal anti-Griffin group largely controlled by Richard Edmonds
Richard Edmonds
Richard Edmonds is a seasoned politician of British nationalism. A former Deputy Chairman and National Organiser of the British National Party, Richard was also a long-term supporter of John Tyndall.-Biography:...
and John Morse
John Morse (British politician)
John Morse was a leading figure in the British National Party under John Tyndall, serving alongside Richard Edmonds as Tyndall's closest ally in the party....
in attending a speech by Valerie Tyndall which they had organised in July 2007. The event included stalls by a number of political parties, although these were limited to the National Front, England First Party
England First Party
The England First Party is a minor English nationalist political party. It had two councillors on Blackburn with Darwen council between 2006 and 2007.-Formation and policies:...
and the British Peoples Party
British Peoples Party (2005)
The British People's Party, also known as "BPP - Putting Britons First" is the third incarnation of a name used by other neo-Nazi political parties in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 18 September 2005 by Kevin Watmough, Eddy Morrison and John G. Wood as a splinter group from the Nationalist...
, with the BNP not participating.
Re-emergence in Thurrock
In recent years, Beackon has re-emerged as a BNP activist in ThurrockThurrock
Thurrock is a unitary authority with borough status in the English ceremonial county of Essex. It is part of the London commuter belt and an area of regeneration within the Thames Gateway redevelopment zone. The local authority is Thurrock Council....
, Essex. He was a BNP candidate for the Orsett
Orsett
Orsett is a village and ecclesiastical parish located within Thurrock unitary district in Essex, England, situated around 5 km north-east of Grays...
ward of Thurrock council in May 2008. This is a safe Conservative ward and Beackon finished in third place with 330 votes, 17.8% of the total.
For the 2010 council elections, he stood for the Chadwell St Mary
Chadwell St Mary
Chadwell-St-Mary is a dispersed settlement in the unitary authority of Thurrock in Essex, England. It is one of the traditional parishes in Thurrock and former civil parish. It is a few miles east of the town of Grays and is located north of the modern town of Tilbury which was part of the parish...
ward and gained 811 votes (19.8%).