Table Of ContentAnti-Islamic Protest in the UK
Demonstrations by far-right groups, such as the English Defence League, Britain
First and PEGIDA, have caused considerable social and civic unrest in UK cities for
nearly a decade. But how should policymakers respond to far-right and anti-Muslim
activism? Drawing on extensive primary research with stakeholders, local authorities
and policymakers, this book investigates the political, socio-economic and historic
trends that fuel this form of political extremism across the UK. It also maps the
different types of policy responses available to local politicians, police forces and
behind-the-scenes policy officials involved in the day-to-day management of anti-
Islamic street protest. The author demonstrates that it is only through developing
successful countermeasures in the realm of politics, security and community-based
politics that politicians, police and state actors will truly get to grips with this new
far-right activism.
Dr William Allchorn is a Post-Doctoral Researcher at the School of Politics and
International Studies, University of Leeds, UK.
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Anti-Islamic Protest in the UK
Policy Responses to the Far Right
William Allchorn
Anti-System Parties
From Parliamentary Breakthrough to Government
Mattia Zulianello
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Anti-Islamic Protest in the UK
Policy Responses to the Far Right
William Allchorn
First published 2019
by Routledge
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© William Allchorn
The right of William Allchorn to be identified as author of this work
has been asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or
utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now
known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in
any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing
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registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation
without intent to infringe.
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ISBN: 978-1-138-29963-4 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315-14377-4 (ebk)
Typeset in Times New Roman
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To my wife, Lydia, and my family for their
support along the way.
Contents
List of figures viii
Acknowledgements ix
List of abbreviations and acronyms x
Introduction: why policy responses to the EDL and
Britain First? 1
1 Context: the rise of anti-Islamic protest and the evolution
of the UK Far Right 10
2 What policy responses?: UK national policy responses
and localised countermeasures to Anti-Islamic protest 22
3 ‘Where it all began’: policy responses to the EDL and
Britain First in Luton 40
4 Early responses to anti-Islamic protest: policy responses
to the EDL and Britain First in Birmingham 68
5 West Yorkshire’s response to anti-Islamic protest: policy
responses to the EDL and Britain First in Bradford 97
6 ‘Somewhere near the clock tower’: policy responses to the
EDL and Britain First in Leicester 122
7 Anti-Islamic protest in London’s East End: policy
responses to the EDL and Britain First in Tower Hamlets 145
Conclusion: key findings, recommendations and
future responses 175
Index 184
Figures
1.1 Causal model of politicians’ responses 6
2.1 Typology of policy responses 29
2.2 Typology of system-level responses 34
3.1 Luton’s total anti-Islamic demonstrator turnout and arrest count,
April 2009–June 2015 42
3.2 ‘Geographies of hate’: mobilisations by Britain First in Luton 43
4.1 ‘Geographies of hate’: mobilisations by Britain First in Birmingham 86
4.2 Birmingham’s total EDL demonstrator turnout and arrest count,
July 2009–April 2017 89
5.1 ‘Mapping hate’: mobilisations by Britain First in Bradford 98
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank here a number of people who have helped and supported me
throughout the production of this book. First, I would like to thank my friends and
family who have offered me a great deal of support over the past few years. In
particular, I would like to thank my parents, sister and wife, who have supported
me along my academic journey so far.
I would also like to thank the School of Politics and International Studies at the
University of Leeds. I was enormously grateful to receive the POLIS Research
Scholarship that helped fund the PhD phase of this research. I would also like to
thank colleagues and members of staff who have provided new angles and per-
spectives on the topic of policy responses. In addition, I would also like to thank
Dr Gordon Clubb, Professor Matthew Feldman, and Dr Mette Wiggen for offering
the crucial feedback and advice on earlier versions of this book manuscript.
Third, I would like to thank all forty-eight local politicians and eleven
behind-the-scenes policymakers who agreed to participate in the project. Their
insights and accounts have helped deepen and expand the horizons of this book
far beyond what I had originally imagined. I express the greatest of gratitude for
their willingness to take time out of their busy schedules and for sharing with
me their experiences of responding to anti-Islamic protest in the UK.
Finally, and by no means least, I would like to specifically thank my PhD super-
visors, Dr Stuart McAnulla and Dr Richard Hayton, for their expert guidance,
support and mentoring throughout a large chunk of research that came to form this
book. Their comments, insights and willingness to look over earlier iterations of
this book have played no small role in making it the sharp and coherent document
you see before you. In addition, I would also like to thank the two anonymous
reviewers for their feedback and suggestions that have greatly enhanced the scope
and depth of this study, as well as Craig Fowlie and Rebecca McPhee for their
expert editorial advice and direction.
Description:Demonstrations by far-right groups, such as the English Defence League, Britain First and PEGIDA, have caused considerable social and civic unrest in UK cities for nearly a decade. But how should policymakers respond to far-right and anti-Muslim activism? Drawing on extensive primary research with s
