Mark Cotterill
Encyclopedia
Mark Adrian Cotterill is a far right
political figure who has been involved in a number of movements throughout his career. He is noted for activity to establish links between the far right in Britain
and America, by founding the American Friends of the British National Party
.
(NF) from the late 1970s to the early 1990s, and was the South West England organiser from 1978 to 1992. He “helped promulgate the New Atlantic Charter, signed between The National Front and The Nationalist Movement, pledging Anglo-American solidarity” and was “instrumental in arranging the exchange visit of (Nick) Griffin
to America.”
Cotterill left the NF in 1992 and formed the Patriotic Forum and edited its magazine British Patriot. The Patriotic Forum was largely composed of ex-NF members, such as Alan Harvey, Keith Jowsey, John Samuel, and Kelvin Sanderson the former National Front Overseas' Liaison officer. Cotterill and Harvey also formed the short-lived White Rhino Club which supported apartheid in South Africa
. Harvey would later accuse Cotterill of sabotaging the Club's activities, but without substantiating the claim.
Cotterill was for a short time a member of the Conservative Party
in Torquay
in 1993, and was active in the Revolutionary Conservative Caucus
.
He stood as an Independent in the local elections in 1995.
Cotterill wound up the Patriotic Forum and ceased publication of British Patriot, in 1995.
(BNP). In 1998, when he lived just outside Washington DC, he formed and ran the American Friends of the British National Party
(AFBNP), which aimed to raise funds for the BNP. The “AFBNP was extremely successful though it has been claimed that a lot of the money raised went adrift and never ended up in the party coffers.”
While living in the U.S. he campaigned for David Duke
in his bid to be elected to the United States Congress
in 1999, as well as working for Pat Buchanan
's bid to be elected President of the United States
in 2000. However, “Buchanan's campaign threw out Cotterill and other racist volunteers after their presence was exposed by the Center for New Community and other groups.”
Cotterill became an associate of Dr. William Pierce
, editing his Resistance magazine in 1999, but he was subsequently "fired from the National Alliance in America by Pierce for swindling $100,000 from Resistance Magazine"
Cotterill was also the US distributor for Right Now! magazine.
Cotterill was by now defined by the Southern Poverty Law Center
as a “key British neofascist”. Cotterill was later deported from the U.S. in 2002.
(WNP) until he broke with them too.
In 2004, Cotterill founded the England First Party
. He publishes and edits a quarterly magazine called Heritage and Destiny, which he describes as the "radical voice of racial nationalism".
He was elected councillor for Meadowhead on Blackburn with Darwen
Borough Council in the 2006 local elections
as a member of the England First Party, which he then led. However, Cotterill resigned the seat in May 2007 and also stood down from the party leadership.
In 2008, Cotterill stood as the EFP candidate at Preston's council elections
and came fourth.
Far right
Far-right, extreme right, hard right, radical right, and ultra-right are terms used to discuss the qualitative or quantitative position a group or person occupies within right-wing politics. Far-right politics may involve anti-immigration and anti-integration stances towards groups that are...
political figure who has been involved in a number of movements throughout his career. He is noted for activity to establish links between the far right in Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and America, by founding the American Friends of the British National Party
American Friends of the British National Party
American Friends of the British National Party was a political activist group founded by British far right expatriate Mark Cotterill in January 1999 that facilitated financial assistance for the British National Party from American supporters...
.
NF/Patriotic Forum years
Cotterill was a member of the National FrontBritish National Front
The National Front is a far right, white-only political party whose major political activities took place during the 1970s and 1980s. Its popularity peaked in the 1979 general election, when it received 191,719 votes ....
(NF) from the late 1970s to the early 1990s, and was the South West England organiser from 1978 to 1992. He “helped promulgate the New Atlantic Charter, signed between The National Front and The Nationalist Movement, pledging Anglo-American solidarity” and was “instrumental in arranging the exchange visit of (Nick) Griffin
Nick Griffin
Nicholas John "Nick" Griffin is a British politician, chairman of the British National Party and Member of the European Parliament for North West England....
to America.”
Cotterill left the NF in 1992 and formed the Patriotic Forum and edited its magazine British Patriot. The Patriotic Forum was largely composed of ex-NF members, such as Alan Harvey, Keith Jowsey, John Samuel, and Kelvin Sanderson the former National Front Overseas' Liaison officer. Cotterill and Harvey also formed the short-lived White Rhino Club which supported apartheid in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. Harvey would later accuse Cotterill of sabotaging the Club's activities, but without substantiating the claim.
Cotterill was for a short time a member of the Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
in Torquay
Torquay
Torquay is a town in the unitary authority area of Torbay and ceremonial county of Devon, England. It lies south of Exeter along the A380 on the north of Torbay, north-east of Plymouth and adjoins the neighbouring town of Paignton on the west of the bay. Torquay’s population of 63,998 during the...
in 1993, and was active in the Revolutionary Conservative Caucus
Revolutionary Conservative Caucus
The Revolutionary Conservative Caucus was a small, hard-right pressure group which attempted to introduce a new radicalism into British conservatism....
.
He stood as an Independent in the local elections in 1995.
Cotterill wound up the Patriotic Forum and ceased publication of British Patriot, in 1995.
BNP years
Cotterill then moved over to the British National PartyBritish National Party
The British National Party is a British far-right political party formed as a splinter group from the National Front by John Tyndall in 1982...
(BNP). In 1998, when he lived just outside Washington DC, he formed and ran the American Friends of the British National Party
American Friends of the British National Party
American Friends of the British National Party was a political activist group founded by British far right expatriate Mark Cotterill in January 1999 that facilitated financial assistance for the British National Party from American supporters...
(AFBNP), which aimed to raise funds for the BNP. The “AFBNP was extremely successful though it has been claimed that a lot of the money raised went adrift and never ended up in the party coffers.”
While living in the U.S. he campaigned for David Duke
David Duke
David Ernest Duke is a former Grand Wizard of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan an American activist and writer, and former Republican Louisiana State Representative. He was also a former candidate in the Republican presidential primaries in 1992, and in the Democratic presidential primaries in...
in his bid to be elected to the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
in 1999, as well as working for Pat Buchanan
Pat Buchanan
Patrick Joseph "Pat" Buchanan is an American paleoconservative political commentator, author, syndicated columnist, politician and broadcaster. Buchanan was a senior adviser to American Presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, and Ronald Reagan, and was an original host on CNN's Crossfire. He sought...
's bid to be elected President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
in 2000. However, “Buchanan's campaign threw out Cotterill and other racist volunteers after their presence was exposed by the Center for New Community and other groups.”
Cotterill became an associate of Dr. William Pierce
William Luther Pierce
William Luther Pierce III was the leader of the white separatist National Alliance organization, and one of the most important ideologists of the white nationalist movement. Pierce originally worked as an assistant professor of physics at Oregon State University, before he became involved in...
, editing his Resistance magazine in 1999, but he was subsequently "fired from the National Alliance in America by Pierce for swindling $100,000 from Resistance Magazine"
Cotterill was also the US distributor for Right Now! magazine.
Cotterill was by now defined by the Southern Poverty Law Center
Southern Poverty Law Center
The Southern Poverty Law Center is an American nonprofit civil rights organization noted for its legal victories against white supremacist groups; legal representation for victims of hate groups; monitoring of alleged hate groups, militias and extremist organizations; and educational programs that...
as a “key British neofascist”. Cotterill was later deported from the U.S. in 2002.
EFP years
Back in England, Cotterill broke with the BNP and joined the "openly fascist" White Nationalist PartyWhite Nationalist Party
The White Nationalist Party was a neo-fascist British political party, founded in May 2002 as "the British political wing of Aryan Unity"...
(WNP) until he broke with them too.
In 2004, Cotterill founded the England First Party
England First Party
The England First Party is a minor English nationalist political party. It had two councillors on Blackburn with Darwen council between 2006 and 2007.-Formation and policies:...
. He publishes and edits a quarterly magazine called Heritage and Destiny, which he describes as the "radical voice of racial nationalism".
He was elected councillor for Meadowhead on Blackburn with Darwen
Blackburn with Darwen
Blackburn with Darwen is a unitary authority area in Lancashire, North West England. It consists of Blackburn, the small town of Darwen to the south of it, and the surrounding countryside.-Formation:...
Borough Council in the 2006 local elections
United Kingdom local elections, 2006
Local government elections took place in England on Thursday 4 May 2006. Polling stations were open between 7:00 and 22:00.All London borough council seats were up for election, as well as a third of the seats on each of the metropolitan borough councils, and a third of some unitary authorities...
as a member of the England First Party, which he then led. However, Cotterill resigned the seat in May 2007 and also stood down from the party leadership.
In 2008, Cotterill stood as the EFP candidate at Preston's council elections
Preston Council election, 2008
Elections to Preston City Council took place on 1 May 2008.Preston council is elected "in thirds" which means one councillor from each three-member ward, and councillors from selected two-member wards, are elected each year, with one year free from all elections to ensure all councillors serve a...
and came fourth.