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Britain First faces backlash over ‘fish & chips’ Facebook post during Armistice Day silence

Social media users accused the group of a lack of 'respect for the fallen'

Wednesday 11 November 2015 12:51 GMT

Britain First leader, Paul Golding, at a rally in London (Rex Features)

The far-right group Britain First faces a backlash after posting a message about “fish & chips” and “cream teas” during the Armistice Day silence.

The organisation, which claimed this week to have become the first “political party” to receive 1 million Facebook supporters, mixes patriotic celebrations of the Queen and Armed Forces with xenophobic and Islamophobic fear-mongering online.

While many extended the two-minute silence held at 11am on 11 November to their online activities – and the London Ambulance even stopped using sirens as a mark of respect – Britain First posted a message to Facebook showing a meme of UK stereotypes.

“Proud to be British! A nice cuppa, the Queen, rainy days, cream teas, the seaside [and] fish & chips,” the message read.

A post by Britain First made on Facebook during the Armistice Day silence

In an almost immediate backlash, Facebook users accused the group of a lack of “respect for the fallen”.

Luke Sebastian wrote: “Did you really post about fish and chips making you proud to be British at 11am on November 11th?”

Jack Evans said it was “disgusting you would write this at 11am on Armistice Day”.

And Parveen Nabi wrote: “WOW!! You claim to be British and patriotic and yet you were posting during the 2 minute silence on Armistice Day. Where is YOUR respect for the fallen and the veterans?”

Earlier this week, Britain First boasted of passing the milestone of more than 1 million Facebook “likes” in a post on its website.

Britain First controversies

Show all 8

1/8Britain First controversies

Britain First controversies

20 November 2014: Britain First claims credit for success of Ukip campaign

With the Tory defector Mark Reckless forecast to win the hotly-contested by-election in Rochester and Strood, Britain First suggested they only campaigned “to bolster the Ukip campaign”. Prior to the start of the vote some bookmakers had Nigel Farage’s party as huge 1/100 favourites to take the seat, which would make Mr Reckless their second MP at the expense of the Conservative Party. And with things going so smoothly for Ukip, the far right-wing group Britain First has tried to claim some of the credit

Britain First controversies

5 November 2014: Britain First accused of hijacking the poppy as Remembrance Day approaches to promote its own agenda

The far-right group used the symbol, which is a registered trademark of the Royal British Legion, on its website masthead and in Facebook posts driving more people to its page. It is seen alongside Britain First’s logo telling people to “take our country back” and crudely superimposed into the centre of the European Union flag with a message about “national sovereignty”. Members of opposition group Exposing Britain First believe many Facebook users are sharing poppy posts without realising who it comes from or what they stand for

Britain First controversies

28 October 2014: Britain First accuses Ukip of 'playing political game' with snub over Rochester photo

Britain First accused Ukip of “playing the political game” after Nigel Farage’s party reprimanded its campaigners for posing for a picture with members of the far-right group. A spokesperson for Ukip said the picture, taken while both parties were campaigning for the Rochester by-election on Saturday, was a “mistake” would “not happen again”

Britain First controversies

25 October 2014: Britain First starts 'direct action' on Mail and Sun journalists over Lynda Bellingham post

Britain First encouraged its followers to boycott the Daily Mail and The Sun after it was accused of using actress Lynda Bellingham's death to boost support. The party has threatened to launch "direct action" on the journalists after they said that the group used the cancer victim's death as a way to gain more attention on social media. Britain First posted a photograph to their Facebook subscribers of Mrs Bellingham with co-star Christopher Timothy, above the caption: "RIP actress Lynda Bellingham. Britain First", which garnered more than 6,000 'likes' and 500 shares

Britain First controversies

28 July 2014: Britain First founder Jim Dowson quits over mosque invasions and 'racists and extremists'

The founder of Britain First resigned from the far-right group over its “provocative and counterproductive” mosque invasions. James “Jim” Dowson, a former British National Party (BNP) member and anti-abortion campaigner, announced his departure on 27 July 2014. While Britain First blamed “media pressure” and family issues for the decision and said he would be missed “enormously” in a saccharine post, Mr Dowson publicly shamed the group’s tactics as “unacceptable and unchristian”

Britain First/Facebook

Britain First controversies

15 July 2014: Britain First 'battalion' invades mosque demanding removal of 'sexist' entrance signs

A self-styled battalion of the far-right group Britain First “invaded” a mosque in south London. The stated aim of the altercation was to “demand the removal of sexist signs” outside the Crayford Mosque. The signs designate separate entrances for men and women, so they can enter for segregated worship as is the custom in most mosques. Men and women also sit apart in Orthodox Jewish synagogues and some Sikh gurdwaras. A film of the encounter was posted on Facebook, set to dramatic drumming music and ending with the slogan: "Britain First Defence Force. No fear. No retreat. No surrender."

Britain First/Facebook

Britain First controversies

27 June 2014: Britain First's Facebook page taken down for 'hate speech'

Britain First’s Facebook page was taken down for hate speech – only to be restored again an hour later. Facebook claimed the extremist group’s page was taken down by mistake but a screenshot posted by anti-fascist campaigners Hope Not Hate seemed to show the social media site had removed Britain First in response to a complaint. With almost 500,000 “likes” Britain First’s page has a following that far outstrips the Conservatives, Labour and Liberal Democrats, arguably making it the UK's biggest political site

Britain First controversies

27 April 2014: Inquiry over far-right Britain First party's use of Lee Rigby slogan on voting slip

The election watchdog faced an inquiry over its decision to allow a far-right party to use a slogan referencing the murdered soldier Lee Rigby. The Electoral Commission apologised for allowing Britain First to use the description “Remember Lee Rigby” on voting slips for next month’s European elections but Jenny Watson, the chair of the commission, said on Sunday that “an immediate and full independent investigation” would follow to “prevent this from ever happening again”

PA

But Matthew Collins, a member of the organisation Hope Not Hate who has been following the far-right group for a number of years, estimated that less than a third of Britain First’s Facebook followers were genuine users.

Mr Collins said that even if the group had only around 300,000 genuine “likes” on Facebook it was “still worrying”.

UK: Scuffles break out at Britain First march

“But politics is about a lot more than just a page on Facebook,” he told The Independent. “There are other far-right groups out there doing a lot worse, and genuine political groups doing a lot more.”

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