Patrick Harrington

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Patrick "Pat" Harrington (born 24 May 1964) is a former member of the National Front, Andrew Moncur, Education Staff 'NF student faces class isolation / Patrick Harrington at the Polytechnic of North London', The Guardian (London), January 29, 1985. one of the original founders of Third Way,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 is a close advisor to Nick Griffin, leader of the British National Party and is currently General Secretary of the far right, BNP linked trade union, Solidarity - The Union for British Workers.Copyright statement, Solidarity - The Union for British Workers website
==Education==
Harrington attended:
*Pimlico Comprehensive School'Biographies', Third Way website
*Archbishop Tenison’s Grammar School (1978 - 1980)
*Polytechnic of North London (now the London Metropolitan University) - Philosophy (1982 - 1985)
*University of Greenwich (1997 - 1999)'Patrick Harrington, myspace
==Political trajectory==
===National Front 1979-1989===
====Polytechnic of North London protests====
Patrick Harrington joined the National Front (NF) in 1979'Biographies', Third Way website 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."Donald MacLeod, 'Rows and right wingers', The Guardian, 2 June 2003
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'."Marcus Eliason, 'Activist's College Studies Stir Furor', The Associated Press, 30 May 1984
====Split in the NF====
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'.Stephen Cook, 'Conflict of interest gives NF identity crisis: Sixteen years after Bloody Sunday', The Guardian, 14 February 1997
In 1989 Harrington stood in the Vauxhall by-election as the Official National Front candidate gaining 127 votes while the National Front candidate Edward Budden got 83 votes. Kate Hoey won the seat for Labour with the Revolutionary Communist Party candidate gaining 177 votes.Vauxhall DATE: 15th June 1989 CAUSE: Resignation of Stuart Holland on 27th April 1989. British Election Ephemera Archive, accessed 7 August 2011.
====Political soldier faction====
The Poliical Soldier faction then split again over the question of anti-semitism. In 1989 Derek Holland broke with Patrick Harrington and joined Michael Fishwick in following Nick Griffin and Roberto Fiore into the International Third Position (ITP) after Harrington had contacted The Jewish Chronicle with regards to opening dialogue.N. Copsey, Contemporary British Fascism: The British National Party and the Quest for Legitimacy, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2004, p. 183. According to Searchlight: 'Harrington had gone to the Jewish Chronicle and said the NF was no longer anti-Jewish and wanted to seek a rapprochement with the Jewish community.'Steve Silver, 'Jewish BNP Candidate Election Stunt Causes Turmoil', Searchlight, April 2004 This was enough to have him expelled from the NF - an action in which Nick Griffin is said to have been 'instrumental'. Harrington's faction, founded in 1990, was known as Third Way
===Third Way 1990-present===
Patrick Harrington helped found Third Way in 1990.'Biographies', Third Way website Third Way describes itself as: 
:"...a think-tank dedicated to creating a society based on Justice, Community and Individual freedom against one that is based on Greed, Globalisation and Tyranny.
:Third Way stands against all forms of social injustice, racism and religious bigotry. Third Way is for everyone. We promote positive ideas and apart from this website also publish printed material. We advocate Direct Democracy along Swiss lines using referenda and citizens’ initiatives.
:We support small business and co-operative ownership.
:We also support organisations that promote these ideals in other areas."'About 3W', Third Way website
Despite such assertions, critics of Third Way, such as George Monbiot and Andrew Gilligan, state it to be a far-right organisation. In an article for The Guardian, Monbiot himself states:
:"Third Way, which was founded in 1990 by the front's former chairman and vice-chairman, claims to reject "racism and the politics of hate". But it believes that cultures should, for their own good, be kept apart, and defended from "mass immigration". Globalisation, the splinter group claims, "reduces us to a rootless, transient population disconnected from its history", precipitating ecological crisis and encouraging migration. According to Searchlight magazine, the party's chairman, Patrick Harrington, has stayed in touch with the far right Italian terrorists Massimo Morsello and Roberto Fiore. He has also made contact with the black separatist Nation of Islam and orthodox Jews pursuing "separate development". Third Way, like many far-right groups, has abandoned overt racist aggression in favour of cultural isolation."George Monbiot, 'Stealing our clothes - The far right is trying to hijack the green and anti-globalisation agenda', The Guardian, 30 April 2002
A profile of Third Way, published in The Guardian in 2002, highlighted initial co-operation between Harrington and Nick Griffin in establishing the organisation. However a fallout over policy on Jewish people led to them parting company, with Harrington being in favour of allowing Jewish people to join Third Way.Duncan Campbell, 'Fear and mutual loathing among far right splinter groups', The Guardian, 27 April 1991
Both Third Way and Solidarity - The Union for British Workers, for whom Patrick Harrington is General Secretary, share the same postal address: Room 407, 12 South Bridge, Edinburgh, EH1 1DD.'Contact 3W', Third Way website'Contact Solidarity', Solidarity - The Union for British Workers website
====The National Liberal Party - The Third Way====
The National Liberal Party (NLP) was formed at the end of 2006 by the political 'think-tank', Third Way, of whom Patrick Harrington is founder.'History', National Liberal Party Website The NLP contested its first ever election in the London Borough of Havering (St Andrews Ward) by-election on June 14th 2007. It received 184 votes or 5.9% of votes cast.'Elections Historical', National Liberal Party Website
Before the NLP's registration as a political party, candidates stood under the party name of Third Way. 
According to the NLP website the party would like to see "... a country run on national liberal principles either through the efforts of a National Liberal Government or through our influence in a coalition or via agitation and propaganda (in conjunction with the work of the Third Way ‘Think-Tank’). At worst, we would campaign to see the implementation of some of our more fundamental policies."'Goals', National Liberal Party Website
===Expelled from the RMT - 2003===
On 27 June 2003 Patrick Harrington was expelled from the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) for serious misconduct. General Secretary Bob Crow said: "It is quite clear that Mr Harrington never signed up to the aims and objectives of the union - an organisation which stands quite clearly against racism in any way, shape or form."'RMT boots out racist activist for serious misconduct', Morning Star, 28 June 2003 Harrington was charged as having deceived the union by applying for membership under a false name. 
Harrington insisted that he had applied for RMT membership using his married name and a complaint was made against The Guardian'Mr Patrick Harrington - Complaint', Press Complaints Commission after an article it published repeated the claim that he had applied for RMT membership under a false name. An addition was made to the article stating "Mr Harrington states that he joined the RMT using his married name. He denies deceiving the union and will be challenging the expulsion."Kevin Maguire, 'Friendly fire', The Guardian, 3 July 2003
In August 2006 Harrington's appeal against his expulsion was rejected. An RMT statement read:
:The Assistant Certification Officer yesterday dismissed three complaints that the union had breached its rules as having been brought out of time.
:The union's Annual General Meeting in June 2005 had unanimously upheld the June 2003 decision by an RMT disciplinary hearing that Mr Harrington had deceived the union by applying for membership under a false name.
:"Mr Harrington was dealt with fairly and squarely under the union's rules and we are pleased that the Assistant Certification Officer has upheld our view that his complaints were inadmissible," RMT general secretary Bob Crow said today.'Patrick Harrington fails to overturn expulsion from RMT', RMT, 4 August 2006
===BNP connections===
Patrick Harrington has had close ties to the BNP leader Nick Griffin since their time in the National Front together. Both Harrington and Griffin travelled to Libya in an attempt to raise funds:
:It is worth remembering that Harrington in an interview for a television exposé of the NF political soldiers refused to condemn IRA bombings and that Griffin, Harrington and Williamson went to Libya to seek funds from a regime that armed both sides in the Northern Ireland conflict.Dave Williams, 'Nick Griffin political extremist and veteran splitter', Searchlight, February 2008
However, after Harrington and Griffin split in 1990 and following the rise of Griffin in the BNP, there were a number of occasions where Harrington was critical of the BNP. In around 1997 Harrington was interviewed in the magazine of his 'think tanks' and political party Third Way and responded to the question 'what do you think of the BNP?' as follows:
:Not a lot. They are mainly comprised of social inadequates who seek to blame their problems on others. They are sad losers embittered by personal circumstances and seeking the company of others who share their backward looking views. Their social attitudes are typical of the worst elements of the lumpen proletariat... When we reject their reactionary nonsense they revert to type and start mouthing physical threats. It's a kind of 'Mr Nice' and 'Mr Nasty' routine. They don't even do this well.'Interview with Pat Harrington', Third Way', No. 27, circa 1997, p. 8-9
Of course part of the reason for the critique was to attempt to show that Harrington's Third Way was not a far right party like the BNP.
====Working closely with the BNP====
Although apparently not a BNP member, there are recent and current clear links between Patrick Harrington and the BNP and its leadership. As Searchlight, the anti-fascist magazine states:
:But Griffin has gone out of his way to appoint unsuitable people to senior party positions. The moronic Clive Jefferson was in quick succession given the jobs of north west regional organiser, national elections officer, national organiser, national nominating officer and party treasurer, as well as retaining his job on Griffin’s constituency staff paid for by the European Parliament. Even the most capable person could not have done all those jobs properly.
:Jefferson in effect controls the BNP together with Patrick Harrington, who is not a BNP member but a leader of a rival party. He appears to have performed little better than Jefferson. According to Paul Golding, who resigned as the BNP’s communications officer last autumn but remains a BNP councillor, six months after Harrington’s appointment as party manager, “we still have chronic wastage, staff chaos, inefficiency, no contracts (a legal requirement), no staff training and wages not paid and several new employment-related court cases looming. Several staff are even complaining that they are employed but haven’t got any work to do.”Sonia Gable, 'Incompetence or design?', Searchlight, March 2011
Another Searchlight article claims that despite BNP staff not being paid for two months, the party did pay Patrick Harrington during that time:
:The BNP is reported to have closed most of its offices and not paid party staff for two months, apart from Patrick Harrington, Griffin’s comrade from his National Front political soldier days, who now works for the party while still heading a rival group.Sonia Gable, 'Incompetents reign as BNP staggers into the new year', Searchlight, January 2011
Harrington's apparent rapprochement with Griffin has caused tensions inside the BNP.:
:As the BNP entered a steep decline following last year’s general election, out of the shadows stepped Harrington again, not quite as fresh-faced as when he last took centre stage in the 1980s, but still not as bloated as Griffin has become since taking over the BNP. Harrington had been running his own minor organisation, Third Way, and a political party, the National Liberal Party, which is supposedly a rival party to the BNP.
:One of Harrington’s first acts was to stage a bitter fallout with the officers of the BNP’s fake trade union Solidarity, where with Griffin’s approval Harrington ousted its founder and installed himself as General Secretary.
:His next major falling out was with – you guessed it – Dowson. It seems that Harrington has been representing the Belfast call centre staff against Dowson while simultaneously representing the party in negotiations with the same staff, some of whom have still not been paid monies owed since before Christmas.The BNP's Irish problem HOPE not hate / Searchlight by Matthew Collins | Wednesday, 2 March 2011 
===General Secretary of 'Solidarity'===
Patrick Harrington is General SecretaryCopyright statement, Solidarity - The Union for British Workers website of Solidarity - The Union for British Workers whilst Adam Walker, a BNP member, is president of the union.Sonia Gable, '‘Unacceptable practices’ and constitutional breaches in BNP’s pretend trade union', Searchlight, January 2009. Solidarity states that its focus:
:...is on the British Worker. This leads us to oppose the shallow internationalism of some Union leaders. We don't see off-shoring or mass migration of labour as being of benefit to workers in our country. It is certainly in the interest of big business to be able to move labour and capital without heed to national borders. That way they can keep wages down and set one set of workers against another. It certainly isn't in the interest of the ordinary worker here, however.'Purpose of Solidarity', Solidarity - The Union for British Workers website
Wales on Sunday revealed in 2006 that workers who sign up to Solidarity would in effect be funding the BNP. The article stated:
:The BNP's top man in Wales, national treasurer John Walker, last night said although Solidarity was not a front for the party, it would have a fundraising role.
:"There probably will be a political levy at some stage to the BNP just as other unions raise money for Labour," said Mr Walker from Mancot, Flintshire. "It is quite possible and feasible that when Solidarity becomes fully functional some element of funds raised will be donated to the BNP, but that will have to be decided through consultation with the membership."Lucy Ballinger, 'Union funds BNP', Wales on Sunday, 12 February 2006
====Working Closely with 'Civil Liberty'====
Civil Liberty is a civil rights organisation set up by key BNP activists.Matthew Taylor, Ian Cobain and Rob Evans, 'Revealed: the front organisation set up by BNP members to raise money in the US', The Guardian, 3 February 2007 Its head is senior BNP member Kevin Scott.'Welcome to the web site of Civil Liberty', Civil Liberty website Despite Civil Liberty' claiming to be "...independent of political parties, and has been set up solely in order to assist the thousands of British citizens who have been denied justice on the grounds of their race, skin colour, ethnicity or political opinion"'About Us', Civil Liberty website, all examples of the organisations work, shown on the official website, are in support of prominent of BNP members.
Patrick Harrington himself claims Solidarity and Civil Liberty work closely together. From the Third Way website:
:Solidarity and Civil Liberty also work very closely together. Solidarity General Secretary, Pat Harrington said:
:“We appreciate the support of Civil Liberty. It is helping us fight politically motivated discrimination in the workplace. I urge you to sign our online petition and contact Sita Suez with a polite complaint. If you can I would also like you to donate to Civil Liberty. They are in the frontline of helping those who are suffering these modern-day witch-hunts. Please help them so they can help others.”'Sita Suez attack Union rights', Third Way website
==Views and arguments==
===Free Speech and the LM network===
In August 1997 as part of their campaign in defence of the racist psychologist Chris Brand, LM organised a 'free speech' event during the Edinburgh festival. Patrick Harrington (the former National Front memberANDREW MONCUR, Education Staff 'NF student faces class isolation / Patrick Harrington at the Polytechnic of North London', The Guardian (London), January 29, 1985. who went on to run the far-right Third WayANDREW 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 and has been, according to the Guardian, the 'long-time lieutenant' of Nick Griffin of the British National PartyHugh Muir 'Comment: Diary' The Guardian February 24, 2011 Thursday, Pg. 35) wrote of the event:
:On August 20th 1997, during the Edinburgh Festival, I and other Third Way members attended a symposium organised by LM magazine; it was on the subject of censorship. LM was formerly known as Living Marxism, and published on behalf of the Revolutionary Communist Party. I have read LM for some years, and prior to that read the RCP paper The Next Step. The RCP were always refreshingly different… they took issue with the “no platform for fascists” policy most of the “Left” slavishly and unthinkingly sought to enforce. While no less opposed to fascism and racism than any other group, it seemed the RCP alone had sufficient faith in the merit of their own arguments, and in the British public, as to be unafraid of free and open debate. [...] The symposium was inspiring — so many people of diverse backgrounds united in their opposition to censorship and conformity…. LM supporters proved to be highly articulate, intelligent, presentable and professional — a very far cry from the sad psychological basket cases who form so many of the “leftist” and “extreme-right” groups.Patrick Harrington 'LM and Censorship JANUARY 30, 2008, accessed 1 August 2011. 
==Resources==
*"The world is divided into those who have never met Patrick Harrington and those who hate his guts" Posted by Denise, Lancaster Unity, March 10, 2011
* The BNP's Irish problem HOPE not hate / Searchlight by Matthew Collins | Wednesday, 2 March 2011
* Dave Rich Political Soldiers and the New Man – part one Community Security Trust blog, April 26th, 2010
* Dave Rich Political Soldiers and the New Man – part two Community Security Trust blog, April 27th, 2010
* Dave rich Political Soldiers and the New Man – part three Community Security Trust blog, April 28th, 2010
==Notes==
Harrington, Patrick Harrington, Patrick