Blackshirts for the twenty-first century? Fascism and the English Defence League

Bibliographic Data

ID3041004
AuthorsDominic Alessio (Richmond, The American International University in London, corresponding author), Kristen Meredith (King's College London)
Year2014
Volume20
Issue1
Pages104-118
Publication date2014-01-02
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueSocial Identities (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1350-4630 • E-ISSN: 1363-0296
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/13504630.2013.843058
OpenAlexW2022539464
LanguageEN
Citations received7
References cited13

This paper examines the extent to which the English Defence League (EDL) may be considered fascist in form and ideology. First, it draws comparisons between the EDL and the squadristi of interwar Italy. Second, it explores how the EDL has negotiated a new political direction as it joins forces with the British Freedom Party (BFP). By adopting a theoretical framework of fascism as outlined by Roger Griffin, this work advocates that the EDL has transformed its single-issue anti-Islamist platform into part of a larger discourse of ‘palingenetic ultranationalism’. In light of this we argue the organization can no longer deny the presence of a fascist ideology

Griffin · Ideology · League · Media studies · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Sociology · Classics · Communism, Protests, Social Movements · Historical and Contemporary Political Dynamics · History · Italian Fascism and Post-war Society · Law

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