Britain First leader officially joins Conservative Party: 'Boris Johnson is like us'
PM ‘obviously a populist nationalist under the surface, like the type of patriotism promoted by’ far-right group, statement says
The leader of Britain First has joined the Conservative Party, the far-right group has claimed.
Paul Golding was now a paid-up member of the Bexleyheath and Crayford Conservative Association, it said. The extremist group posted an image of what it claimed was an email from the Conservative membership team that said Golding’s membership was now “activated”.
But the Tories said his application had not been formally approved and was likely to be revoked.
Golding said in a statement that he intended to “help solidify Boris Johnson‘s control on the leadership, so we can achieve Brexit and hopefully cut immigration and confront radical Islam.
“Boris referred to Muslim women wearing the burqa and niqab as letterboxes, so he is obviously a populist nationalist under the surface, like the type of patriotism as promoted by Britain First."
General election 2019: How the night unfolded
General election 2019: How the night unfolded
1/27 Boris Johnson wins biggest Tory landslide since Thatcher
2/27 11.28pm - First result to be announced
3/27 11.33pm - Conservatives gain Blyth Valley
4/27 1.23am - Conservatives succeed in appealing to "Workington Man"
5/27 1.27am - The SNP gains Rutherglen & Hamilton West from Labour, the first of six seats they take from Jeremy Corbyn's party
6/27 1.50am - The Tories gain Wrexham from Labour
7/27 1.52am - Labour wins Putney from the Conservatives
8/27 1.55am - The SNP gains its first seat from the Tories
9/27 2.33am - Iain Duncan Smith holds on to seat
10/27 2.46am - Conservatives gain Tom Watson's old seat
11/27 2.50am - Bishop Auckland, a Labour seat since 1935, becomes a Tory gain
12/27 2.54am - Chuka Umunna loses out to Tories
13/27 2.58am - DUP's Westminster leader beaten
14/27 3.15am - Tories lose seat to the Lib Dems
15/27 3.24am - Jeremy Corbyn announces he will not lead party in future elections
16/27 3.32am - Labour's Caroline Flint loses her seat to the Tories
17/27 3.38am - The Tories beat Labour in Wakefield
18/27 3.42am - Boris extends his majority in Uxbridge & Ruislip South
19/27 3.44am - The Tories gain Rother Valley and Sedgefield
20/27 3.45am - Jo Swinson loses seat
21/27 4.25am - Conservatives retake Kensington from Labour
22/27 5.15am - Major scalp for the Tories
23/27 6.08am - US President Donald Trump congratulates Boris Johnson on his victory
24/27 How the UK voted after 649 0f 650 seats
25/27 6.23am - Acting Lib Dem leaders announced
26/27
27/27 State of the parties
1/27 Boris Johnson wins biggest Tory landslide since Thatcher
2/27 11.28pm - First result to be announced
3/27 11.33pm - Conservatives gain Blyth Valley
4/27 1.23am - Conservatives succeed in appealing to "Workington Man"
5/27 1.27am - The SNP gains Rutherglen & Hamilton West from Labour, the first of six seats they take from Jeremy Corbyn's party
6/27 1.50am - The Tories gain Wrexham from Labour
7/27 1.52am - Labour wins Putney from the Conservatives
8/27 1.55am - The SNP gains its first seat from the Tories
9/27 2.33am - Iain Duncan Smith holds on to seat
10/27 2.46am - Conservatives gain Tom Watson's old seat
11/27 2.50am - Bishop Auckland, a Labour seat since 1935, becomes a Tory gain
12/27 2.54am - Chuka Umunna loses out to Tories
13/27 2.58am - DUP's Westminster leader beaten
14/27 3.15am - Tories lose seat to the Lib Dems
15/27 3.24am - Jeremy Corbyn announces he will not lead party in future elections
16/27 3.32am - Labour's Caroline Flint loses her seat to the Tories
17/27 3.38am - The Tories beat Labour in Wakefield
18/27 3.42am - Boris extends his majority in Uxbridge & Ruislip South
19/27 3.44am - The Tories gain Rother Valley and Sedgefield
20/27 3.45am - Jo Swinson loses seat
21/27 4.25am - Conservatives retake Kensington from Labour
22/27 5.15am - Major scalp for the Tories
23/27 6.08am - US President Donald Trump congratulates Boris Johnson on his victory
24/27 How the UK voted after 649 0f 650 seats
25/27 6.23am - Acting Lib Dem leaders announced
26/27
27/27 State of the parties
A Conservative Party spokesperson said: “Paul Golding’s application for membership of the Conservative Party has not been approved.
“While we welcome new members from a wide variety of backgrounds, we are vigilant against those seeking to join the party who do not share our aims.
“There is a process in place for local Conservative associations to approve members who apply to join, or to reject those who do not share the party’s values or objects. We support local associations with this work to ensure they can and do take action where needed.”
A source told The Independent that Golding’s membership would be reviewed, and likely revoked. They said: “People who apply to be members of the Conservative Party, those memberships are reviewed when an application is done automatically. Members of Britain First, and the individual you cite, would certainly not be welcome.”
This week Britain First called on its supporters to join the Tories to shore up the prime minister’s support base following his election victory.
Golding’s prominent mention of Mr Johnson’s past comments on Muslim women – which he has explained away as a defence of liberal values – comes after the PM was asked by members of the public in an election debate whether he had “personally contributed” to rampant racism in the UK.
In 2018, Golding was convicted of religiously-aggravated harassment and jailed for 18 weeks. His deputy Jayda Fransen was jailed for 36 weeks.
A judge found the pair had tried to politicise an ongoing rape trial and prosecutors said they could have derailed the case by harassing and abusing people they wrongly thought were involved.
Britain First began as a political party formed by ex-members of the British National Party.
Comments
Share your thoughts and debate the big issues
Please be respectful when making a comment and adhere to our Community Guidelines.
You can find our Community Guidelines in full here.
-
Newest first
-
Oldest first
-
Most liked
{{/moreThanOne}}Please be respectful when making a comment and adhere to our Community Guidelines.
You can find our Community Guidelines in full here.
-
Newest first
-
Oldest first
-
Most liked
{{/moreThanOne_p}}Follow comments
Vote
Report Comment
Subscribe to Independent Premium to debate the big issues
Want to discuss real-world problems, be involved in the most engaging discussions and hear from the journalists? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Already registered? Log inReport Comment
Delete Comment
About The Independent commenting
Independent Premium Comments can be posted by members of our membership scheme, Independent Premium. It allows our most engaged readers to debate the big issues, share their own experiences, discuss real-world solutions, and more. Our journalists will try to respond by joining the threads when they can to create a true meeting of independent Premium. The most insightful comments on all subjects will be published daily in dedicated articles. You can also choose to be emailed when someone replies to your comment.
The existing Open Comments threads will continue to exist for those who do not subscribe to Independent Premium. Due to the sheer scale of this comment community, we are not able to give each post the same level of attention, but we have preserved this area in the interests of open debate. Please continue to respect all commenters and create constructive debates.