NF activist "martyred" in drug gang killing
01 November 2002
National Front (NF) activist and Combat 18 (C18) supporter Jason Spence, 31 from Kingstanding, West Midlands, was shot dead in November. Hailed as a "martyr" by the far-right, Spence was killed by two men in a silver estate car, one of whom shot him twice. The murder is being blamed on "fundraising" conflicts between far-right organisations and criminals dealing in Class A drugs. Spence's death was commemorated by a small but intimidating Combat 18 demonstration in his home town of Kingstanding. The death has led a local newspaper, the Birmingham Post, to investigate the role of far-right groups in the hard drugs trade which is often accompanied by extreme violence
Far-right organisations, such as Combat 18 and the National Front have been engaged in serious drugs trafficking for at least a decade. It played an important role in the formation of C18 in 1992 when, under the influence their leader, Orangeman and police informer Charlie Sargent, they began to emulate loyalist paramilitaries whom they regarded as role models for a "radical" nationalist politics. Heavily involved in football hooliganism, C18 collapsed after an acrimonious feud led to the death of one member and the imprisonment of Sargent for murder. The organisation had been inactive since the arrest of members connected a letter bomb campaign in 1997, but has lately re-emerged to protect National Front rallies and papersales.
While they are considerably smaller than the British National Party the NF have picked up support because of the BNP's attempts to gain respectability. During the 1980s key NF and C18 members were arrested for arms running in conjunction with loyalist paramilitaries. They include current NF leader Terry Blackham who was jailed for his involvement and key NF/C18 activist Eddie Whicker, who was eventually released without charge in unexplained circumstances. In public far-right leaders promise that they will "clean up society" and "execute drug dealers" while their members are banking profits from dealing.
In the course of their investigation the Birmingham Post interviewed ex-members of the NF. One former member, who left the party because of increasing violence, told the paper that he feared that "clashes between the extreme right and existing drug dealers could lead to innocent members of the public getting killed." He added: "There are criminals within these [far right] groups who think nothing of selling drugs in large amounts to get money to fund activities." The National Front has announced that it will confer its activist of the year award to Spence at their annual general meeting.
Birmingham Post 6.12.02;