Martin Wingfield
Encyclopedia
Martin Wingfield is a long-standing figure on the far right
in British politics. He and his wife, Tina WIngfield, have contested several elections.
, Wingfield joined the National Front in 1976 and quickly rose in the party, winning election to the National Directorate in 1980. He became editor of the National Front News for a time, from 1983. He was briefly expelled from the party by John Tyndall
after attempting to take control of the Sussex
branch of the party from Tyndall's father-in-law Charles Parker
by publishing a dissident paper the Sussex Front.
With Ian Anderson
, he was associated with the traditionalist Flag Group
wing in opposition to the Political Soldier
wing and became one of the leading members of this dissident group, editing their paper The Flag. Around this time he was criticized by leading Official National Front
member Nick Griffin
as being more suited to the extreme right-wing of the Conservative Party
. In his role as editor of NF party organs Wingfield was charged under the Race Relations Act
in 1985 for saying "unless immigration is stopped, Crawley will end up one day like Brixton with all the problems and crime that that entails." After refusing to pay a fine, was imprisoned.
(ND), continuing to edit The Flag for them and acting as the party's press officer. In the 1997 General Election
, he stood as the ND candidate for Wolverhampton North East constituency gaining 356 votes (0.9%); his wife, Tina, stood as a ND candidate for the Blackburn constituency
gaining 671 votes (1.41%).
, and is currently the editor of the party's newspaper, Voice of Freedom. He was on the BNP candidate list for the North-West England
regional constituency in the 2004 European Election
and again in 2009
, when party leader Nick Griffin
was elected. He stood for Workington
, as did his wife, Tina, for Salford and Eccles
in the 2010 General Election. In August 2011, after the BNP had a leadership challenge, both Martin and his wife had shown support to Andrew Brons
and now face being sacked by the party for 'breaching confidentiality'.
European Parliament
Far right
Far-right, extreme right, hard right, radical right, and ultra-right are terms used to discuss the qualitative or quantitative position a group or person occupies within right-wing politics. Far-right politics may involve anti-immigration and anti-integration stances towards groups that are...
in British politics. He and his wife, Tina WIngfield, have contested several elections.
National Front
Disillusioned with the Liberal PartyLiberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
, Wingfield joined the National Front in 1976 and quickly rose in the party, winning election to the National Directorate in 1980. He became editor of the National Front News for a time, from 1983. He was briefly expelled from the party by 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...
after attempting to take control of the Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
branch of the party from Tyndall's father-in-law Charles Parker
Charles Parker (UK politician)
Charles Parker was a leading member of the British National Party in its early years and provided the group with much of its funding.A leading businessman in Brighton, Parker and his wife joined the British National Front in 1975...
by publishing a dissident paper the Sussex Front.
With Ian Anderson
Ian Anderson (politician)
Ian Hugh Myddleton Anderson was a leading figure on the British far-right in the 1980s and 1990s.- Early background :Anderson was born in Hillingdon...
, he was associated with the traditionalist Flag Group
Flag Group
The Flag Group was a British political party, formed from one of the two wings of the National Front in the 1980s. Formed in opposition to the Political Soldier wing of the Official National Front it took its name from The Flag, a newspaper the followers of this faction formed after leaving and...
wing in opposition to the 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...
wing and became one of the leading members of this dissident group, editing their paper The Flag. Around this time he was criticized by leading Official National Front
Official National Front
The Official National Front was one of two far-right groups to emerge in the United Kingdom in 1986 following a split within the National Front...
member Nick Griffin
Nick 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....
as being more suited to the extreme right-wing of the Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
. In his role as editor of NF party organs Wingfield was charged under the Race Relations Act
Race Relations Act 1976
The Race Relations Act 1976 was established by the Parliament of the United Kingdom to prevent discrimination on the grounds of race.Items that are covered include discrimination on the grounds of race, colour, nationality, ethnic and national origin in the fields of employment, the provision of...
in 1985 for saying "unless immigration is stopped, Crawley will end up one day like Brixton with all the problems and crime that that entails." After refusing to pay a fine, was imprisoned.
National Democrats
Wingfield was a member of the National DemocratsNational Democrats (UK)
By the beginning of 2002 the party had ceased political activity. It continued as a pressure group under the name Campaign for National Democracy until 2008; the party officially ceased to exist after the death of its leader at the beginning of 2011....
(ND), continuing to edit The Flag for them and acting as the party's press officer. In the 1997 General Election
United Kingdom general election, 1997
The United Kingdom general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992, to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party ended its 18 years in opposition under the leadership of Tony Blair, and won the general...
, he stood as the ND candidate for Wolverhampton North East constituency gaining 356 votes (0.9%); his wife, Tina, stood as a ND candidate for the Blackburn constituency
Blackburn (UK Parliament constituency)
Blackburn is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The town currently elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election. It has elected Labour MPs since its re-creation in 1955.-Boundaries:The constituency...
gaining 671 votes (1.41%).
British National Party
In 2001, he joined the British National PartyBritish 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...
, and is currently the editor of the party's newspaper, Voice of Freedom. He was on the BNP candidate list for the North-West England
North West England (European Parliament constituency)
North West England is a constituency of the European Parliament. For the 2009 elections it elects 8 MEPs using the d'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation.-Boundaries:...
regional constituency in the 2004 European Election
European Parliament election, 2004
Elections to the European Parliament were held from 10 June 2004 to 13 June 2004 in the 25 member states of the European Union, using varying election days according to local custom...
and again in 2009
European Parliament election, 2009
Elections to the European Parliament were held in the 27 member states of the European Union between 4 and 7 June 2009. A total of 736 Members of the European Parliament were elected to represent some 500 million Europeans, making these the biggest trans-national elections in history...
, when party leader Nick Griffin
Nick 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....
was elected. He stood for Workington
Workington (UK Parliament constituency)
Workington is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post system of election.-Boundaries:...
, as did his wife, Tina, for Salford and Eccles
Salford and Eccles (UK Parliament constituency)
Salford and Eccles is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election. It is the successor seat to the previous Salford .The last MP for Salford was Hazel Blears,...
in the 2010 General Election. In August 2011, after the BNP had a leadership challenge, both Martin and his wife had shown support to Andrew Brons
Andrew Brons
Andrew Henry William Brons is a British politician. Long active in far right politics in Britain, he was elected as a Member of the European Parliament for Yorkshire and the Humber for the British National Party at the 2009 European Parliament election...
and now face being sacked by the party for 'breaching confidentiality'.
Elections contested by Martin Wingfield
UK Parliament| Year | Constituency | Party | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 United Kingdom general election, 1983 The 1983 United Kingdom general election was held on 9 June 1983. It gave the Conservative Party under Margaret Thatcher the most decisive election victory since that of Labour in 1945... |
Worthing Worthing (UK Parliament constituency) Worthing was a parliamentary constituency in West Sussex, centred on the town of Worthing in West Sussex. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post system.... |
NF | 292 | 0.5 |
| 1997 United Kingdom general election, 1997 The United Kingdom general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992, to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party ended its 18 years in opposition under the leadership of Tony Blair, and won the general... |
Wolverhampton North East | NDs National Democrats (UK) By the beginning of 2002 the party had ceased political activity. It continued as a pressure group under the name Campaign for National Democracy until 2008; the party officially ceased to exist after the death of its leader at the beginning of 2011.... |
356 | 0.9 |
| 2010 | Workington Workington (UK Parliament constituency) Workington is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post system of election.-Boundaries:... |
BNP 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... |
1,496 | 3.8 |
European Parliament
| Year | Constituency | Party | Votes | % | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Birmingham East Birmingham East (European Parliament constituency) Prior to its uniform adoption of proportional representation in 1999, the United Kingdom used first-past-the-post for the European elections in England, Scotland and Wales... |
NF | 1,471 | 0.8 | Single member constituencies |
| Year | Region | Party | Votes | % | Result | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | North West England North West England (European Parliament constituency) North West England is a constituency of the European Parliament. For the 2009 elections it elects 8 MEPs using the d'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation.-Boundaries:... |
BNP 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... |
134,959 | 6.4 | Not elected | Multi member constituencies; party list |
| 2009 European Parliament election, 2009 (United Kingdom) The European Parliament election was the United Kingdom's component of the 2009 European Parliament election, the voting for which was held on Thursday 4 June 2009, coinciding with the 2009 local elections in England. Most of the results of the election were announced on Sunday 7 June, after... |
North West England North West England (European Parliament constituency) North West England is a constituency of the European Parliament. For the 2009 elections it elects 8 MEPs using the d'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation.-Boundaries:... |
BNP 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... |
132,194 | 8.0 | Not elected | Multi member constituencies; party list |
Elections contested by Tina Wingfield
UK Parliament| Date of election | Constituency | Party | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 December 1988 by-election Epping Forest by-election, 1988 A by-election was held in the House of Commons constituency of Epping Forest on 18 December 1988 following the death of Conservative Member of Parliament Sir John Biggs-Davison. The result was a hold for the Conservative Party.-Candidates:... |
Epping Forest Epping Forest (UK Parliament constituency) Epping Forest is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.- Boundaries :... |
I Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... NF |
286 | 0.6 |
| 1 May 1997 United Kingdom general election, 1997 The United Kingdom general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992, to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party ended its 18 years in opposition under the leadership of Tony Blair, and won the general... |
Blackburn Blackburn (UK Parliament constituency) Blackburn is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The town currently elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election. It has elected Labour MPs since its re-creation in 1955.-Boundaries:The constituency... |
NDs National Democrats (UK) By the beginning of 2002 the party had ceased political activity. It continued as a pressure group under the name Campaign for National Democracy until 2008; the party officially ceased to exist after the death of its leader at the beginning of 2011.... |
671 | 1.14 |
| 7 May 2010 | Salford and Eccles Salford and Eccles (UK Parliament constituency) Salford and Eccles is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election. It is the successor seat to the previous Salford .The last MP for Salford was Hazel Blears,... |
BNP 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... |
2,632 | 6.3 |
See also
- British National FrontBritish National FrontThe 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 ....
- British National PartyBritish National PartyThe British National Party is a British far-right political party formed as a splinter group from the National Front by John Tyndall in 1982...
- National DemocratsNational Democrats (UK)By the beginning of 2002 the party had ceased political activity. It continued as a pressure group under the name Campaign for National Democracy until 2008; the party officially ceased to exist after the death of its leader at the beginning of 2011....
External links
- Martin Wingfield (BBC's BNP: Under the Skin)
- Martin Wingfield (blog)