From BNP to SWP and a denial

From time to time there are those who suddenly have conversions in their way of looking at the world, take Saul on the road to Damascus for example:

17 Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”18 Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptised, 19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength. (Acts:1 to 19)

I suppose being "cured" of blindness would be an incentive.

Then there are others.

Hope not Hate reports:

There was somewhat of a surprise and a shock for long term antiracist and antifascist activists in Leeds yesterday.

Long time activists were horrified to see on the protest for Gaza the notorious neo-Nazi thug of Redwatch, BNP and C18 infamy Tony White.

White was one of the founders of the infamous Redwatch website which targeted innocent individuals including Trade Unionists, antifascists, and school teachers for violence, harassment and intimidation.......

White was also a close associate of members of the Aryan Strike Force and British Freedom Fighters. Members of the group were sentenced for terrorist related offences in 2010. One of the men, Mike Heaton was particularly close to White. As was Nazi paedophile Marty Gilleard who was jailed for 16 years in 2008.

There's no denying that White has been one of the most active and violent Nazis on the British scene.

So it came as some surprise that when confronted by antifascists in Leeds yesterday, White claimed he was now an activist with the SWP and that he is regularly attending SWP meetings.

Perhaps people in the local SWP are unaware of White's past in threatening, intimidating and attacking their members. When pressed further on his claims that he is no longer a violent Nazi, White claimed he is working for Searchlight. A likely story.

Sources say he has attended at least one meeting, so what have the SWP got to say for themselves?

Leeds SWP have issued the following statement:

Contrary to the allegations of Hope Not Hate, we would like to make it clear that Tony White is not ‘linked’ to the SWP either locally in Leeds or nationally. Lets build a united anti-racist and anti-fascist movement where serious debate about how the movement should respond to individuals like White who claim to have broken from their violent fascist past can take place without resort to smears and gossip against other anti-racists and anti-fascists.

That doesn't actually clear anything up at all.

Their statement neatly skirts around some of the more uncomfortable questions that the comrades have to answer.

One SWP loyalist posted a comment on the HnH website saying:

This is another in a series of smears against against the party. The last set of lies did not defeat us and neither will this.

Erm that wouldn't be a reference to the well documented Comrade Delta affair would it......