Michael McLaughlin
Encyclopedia
Michael McLaughlin was, for a time, a leading figure on the British far right
.
Born in Liverpool
, he was the son of an Irish republican
and socialist
who was a veteran of the International Brigades
.
According to his blog, McLaughlin’s father was a good friend of Irish playwright Sean O’Casey, and shared battle experiences with war correspondent and international author, Ernest Hemingway. His mother corresponded with Dolores Ibárruri
, (La Pasionaria) during the Spanish Civil War.
, and as a result he was known as "The Milkman" in right wing circles, where he was seen as a largely unassuming figure. His first involvement with politics came when he joined the British Movement
in 1968.
McLaughlin became leader of the British Movement in 1975 when Colin Jordan
abruptly resigned. Although initially seen as not being leadership material he soon gained publicity for the BM by leading the campaign to free Robert Relf
, who at the time had considerable sympathy in sections of the press.
Moving the BM headquarters away from Jordan's base in Coventry
to Shotton, Flintshire
, he repositioned the BM as a party geared towards the young working classes and by 1979 had raised membership to around 3,000.
He was imprisoned by judge David Wyn Morgan in 1979 to six four-month prison sentences for publishing leaflets dealing with the British government’s foreign policy and immigration policies. The jail term did not affect his position as leader.
, who commanded the respect of the BM's large racist skinhead
following and who was also working in secret for Searchlight magazine.
Hill accused McLaughlin of spending all his time in Wales
and using the BM for his personal enrichment, causing splits to develop in the group. McLaughlin eventually expelled Hill but was served with a writ
by the deputy leader. McLaughlin was forced to use BM funds to fight the case whilst Hill was able to call upon the expertise of his close associate Anthony Reed Herbert
.
McLaughlin attempted to change the name of the group to the British Nationalist & Socialist Movement in order to convince the courts that the BM no longer existed, but the move failed and the case continued until finally Hill left to join the British National Party
in 1982, taking more than half of the membership with him.
Devoid of much of its support and left in a precarious financial state, McLaughlin was forced to wind up the BM in 1983.
, notably Rucksack n'Rifle in North Wales
, which specialised in survivalism
, during the late 1980s. He produced an occasional broadsheet newspaper Comment on political themes, although this has not appeared since the mid-1980s.
Using the name Michael Walsh, McLaughlin set up a copywriting company called “Michael Walsh Copywriting” based in Liverpool.
Also under that name, McLaughlin began writing intensely pro-Nazi and pro-Hitler articles for long-time neo-Nazi American activist Gerhard Lauck on the latter’s website under the topic heading “United Kingdom News Desk by Michael Walsh.”
He also writes an irregular column on the website of the Historical Review Press in Sussex, under the title “Contemporary Comments from the News Desk of Michael Walsh.”
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...
.
Born in Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, he was the son of an Irish republican
Irish Republicanism
Irish republicanism is an ideology based on the belief that all of Ireland should be an independent republic.In 1801, under the Act of Union, the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland merged to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
and socialist
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
who was a veteran of the International Brigades
International Brigades
The International Brigades were military units made up of volunteers from different countries, who traveled to Spain to defend the Second Spanish Republic in the Spanish Civil War between 1936 and 1939....
.
According to his blog, McLaughlin’s father was a good friend of Irish playwright Sean O’Casey, and shared battle experiences with war correspondent and international author, Ernest Hemingway. His mother corresponded with Dolores Ibárruri
Dolores Ibárruri
Isidora Dolores Ibárruri Gómez , known more famously as "La Pasionaria" was a Spanish Republican leader of the Spanish Civil War and communist politician of Basque origin...
, (La Pasionaria) during the Spanish Civil War.
Joins British Movement
For a time McLaughlin worked as a milkmanMilkman
A milkman is a person, traditionally male, who delivers milk in milk bottles or cartons. Milk deliveries frequently occur in the morning and it is not uncommon for milkmen to deliver products other than milk such as eggs, cream, cheese, butter, yogurt or soft drinks...
, and as a result he was known as "The Milkman" in right wing circles, where he was seen as a largely unassuming figure. His first involvement with politics came when he joined the British Movement
British Movement
The British Movement , later called the British National Socialist Movement , is a British neo-Nazi organisation founded by Colin Jordan in 1968. It grew out of the National Socialist Movement , which was founded in 1962...
in 1968.
McLaughlin became leader of the British Movement in 1975 when Colin Jordan
Colin Jordan
John Colin Campbell Jordan was a leading figure in postwar Neo-Nazism in Britain. In the far-right nationalist circles of the 1960s, Jordan represented the most explicitly 'Nazi' inclination in his open use of the styles and symbols of the Third Reich.Through organisations such as the National...
abruptly resigned. Although initially seen as not being leadership material he soon gained publicity for the BM by leading the campaign to free Robert Relf
Robert Relf
Robert Relf is a far right British 'race martyr' who briefly became a cause célèbre for the tabloid press in the 1970s.Relf first came to national attention in 1976 when he advertised his house in Leamington Spa as being 'For Sale - to an English family only'...
, who at the time had considerable sympathy in sections of the press.
Moving the BM headquarters away from Jordan's base in Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
to Shotton, Flintshire
Shotton, Flintshire
Shotton is a town in Flintshire, north Wales, lying on the River Dee. The name derives from the Old Norse words sjò and tùn . It is continuous with the towns of Connah's Quay and Queensferry in what is called Deeside...
, he repositioned the BM as a party geared towards the young working classes and by 1979 had raised membership to around 3,000.
He was imprisoned by judge David Wyn Morgan in 1979 to six four-month prison sentences for publishing leaflets dealing with the British government’s foreign policy and immigration policies. The jail term did not affect his position as leader.
Demise of the British Movement
McLaughlin's leadership came under fire from deputy leader Ray HillRay Hill
Ray Hill was a leading figure in the British far right who went on to become a well-known informant.Born in Lancashire, he spent three years in the army before making his first steps in the far right with the Racial Preservation Society in Leicester in the late 1960s...
, who commanded the respect of the BM's large racist skinhead
Nazi-Skinheads
White power skinheads are a white supremacist and antisemitic offshoot of the skinhead subculture. Many of them are affiliated with white nationalist organizations....
following and who was also working in secret for Searchlight magazine.
Hill accused McLaughlin of spending all his time in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
and using the BM for his personal enrichment, causing splits to develop in the group. McLaughlin eventually expelled Hill but was served with a writ
Writ
In common law, a writ is a formal written order issued by a body with administrative or judicial jurisdiction; in modern usage, this body is generally a court...
by the deputy leader. McLaughlin was forced to use BM funds to fight the case whilst Hill was able to call upon the expertise of his close associate Anthony Reed Herbert
Anthony Reed Herbert
Anthony Reed-Herbert was a leading member of the British National Front during the 1970s, organising the party in Leicester and serving as its chief legal adviser ....
.
McLaughlin attempted to change the name of the group to the British Nationalist & Socialist Movement in order to convince the courts that the BM no longer existed, but the move failed and the case continued until finally Hill left to join the British National Party
British 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...
in 1982, taking more than half of the membership with him.
Devoid of much of its support and left in a precarious financial state, McLaughlin was forced to wind up the BM in 1983.
Post British Movement Activity
McLaughlin ran a series of army surplusMilitary surplus
Military surplus are goods, usually matériel, that are sold or otherwise disposed of when no longer needed by the military. Entrepreneurs often buy these goods and resell them at surplus stores. Military surplus rarely includes weapons or munitions, though they are occasionally found in such stores...
, notably Rucksack n'Rifle in North Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, which specialised in survivalism
Survivalism
Survivalism is a movement of individuals or groups who are actively preparing for future possible disruptions in local, regional, national, or international social or political order...
, during the late 1980s. He produced an occasional broadsheet newspaper Comment on political themes, although this has not appeared since the mid-1980s.
Recent Political Writings
Sometime in the mid 2000s, McLaughlin reappeared on the political scene using the name Michael Walsh-mcLaughlin, which he then shortened to Michael Walsh.Using the name Michael Walsh, McLaughlin set up a copywriting company called “Michael Walsh Copywriting” based in Liverpool.
Also under that name, McLaughlin began writing intensely pro-Nazi and pro-Hitler articles for long-time neo-Nazi American activist Gerhard Lauck on the latter’s website under the topic heading “United Kingdom News Desk by Michael Walsh.”
He also writes an irregular column on the website of the Historical Review Press in Sussex, under the title “Contemporary Comments from the News Desk of Michael Walsh.”