Patrick Harrington
Patrick "Pat" Harrington (born 24 May 1964) is a former member of the National Front, [1], one of the original founders of Third Way[2] (UK) and is currently General Secretary of the far right trade union, Solidarity - The Union for British Workers.[3]
Contents
Education
Harrington attended Pimlico Comprehensive and later Archbishop Tenison’s Grammar School.[4]
Political trajectory
National Front 1979-1989
Patrick Harrington joined the National Front (NF) in 1979[5] and it was because of this that, in 1984, he was the target of protests whilst studying philosophy at the Polytechnic of North London. An article in The Guardian stated:
- "The Polytechnic of North London students demonstrated against the presence of National Front activist Patrick Harrington, who insisted on his right to study there. A series of divisive court actions and a great deal of damaging publicity resulted. NUS president Phil Woollas, now a Labour MP, said the polytechnic was "simply not functioning any more," with students barred from certain buildings and refusing to attend lectures with Mr Harrington , and lecturers defying the courts by refusing to give names of students on demonstrations outside the college."[6]
British Conservative philosopher Roger Scruton defended Harrington's right to education stating "One does not have to be a National Front sympathizer to wonder who, in this encounter, is the 'fascist'."[7]
In 1983 a coup within the National Front expelled the old guard, then dominated by Martin Webster, from the organisation. The coup was staged by a group of National Front members which included Patrick Harrington and Nick Griffin. They referred to themselves as 'revolutionaries' and 'political soldiers'.[8]
Political soldier faction
Third Way 1990-present
Expelled from the RMT - 2003
BNP connections
General Secretary of 'Solidarity' -
Notes
- ↑ Andrew Moncur, Education Staff 'NF student faces class isolation / Patrick Harrington at the Polytechnic of North London', The Guardian (London), January 29, 1985.
- ↑ Andrew Gilligan 'Stealthy march of the far-right; Margaret Hodge has warned of the rise of the BNP, but a far more insidious threat is posed by the 'Trojan Horse' parties', The Evening Standard (London) April 18, 2006 Tuesday, SECTION: A Pg. 18
- ↑ Copyright statement, Solidarity website
- ↑ 'Biographies', Third Way website
- ↑ 'Biographies', Third Way website
- ↑ Donald MacLeod, 'Rows and right wingers', The Guardian, 2 June 2003
- ↑ Marcus Eliason, 'Activist's College Studies Stir Furor', The Associated Press, 30 May 1984
- ↑ Stephen Cook, 'Conflict of interest gives NF identity crisis: Sixteen years after Bloody Sunday', The Guardian, 14 February 1997
