THE leader of Britain First has said the far-right group has registered as a political party in Northern Ireland and intends to run candidates.
Paul Golding, who had led the British ultranationalist organisation since 2014, made the revelation at a ‘Northern Ireland Against Terrorism’ rally in Belfast on August 6.
Speaking outside Belfast City Hall to a 50-strong crowd of far-right supporters, Mr Golding said Britain First will be standing candidates for upcoming elections.
"In about five weeks' time we are going to hold a massive, full-on Britain First rally outside City Hall,” Mr Golding told The Belfast Telegraph.
"It will be much more organised and we will put a lot more effort into getting people along, and I think we will have a really good turnout at that.
"The theme will basically be Britain First coming to Northern Ireland, and it will be to gain more support.
"We are set up as a formal political party now in Northern Ireland, so we are going to be standing candidates for upcoming elections.”
He added: “You will absolutely see a Britain First candidate in the next Northern Ireland election."
When you learn that Britain First confirm they are registering as a party in Northern Ireland and hope to elect Councillors, MLAs and MPs. pic.twitter.com/CRvOQeEpwh
— Rachel Morgan (@RachelMorganMFL) August 6, 2017
It's a week of launches: Amazon Prime is coming to Ireland and Britain First is coming to Northern Ireland.
— Johnathan Randall (@MrJRan) August 7, 2017
What are Britain First doing in Northern Ireland? I thought they were all about Britain.
— cólz (@colz) August 6, 2017
The ‘Belfast Says No To Fascism’ group have said they will oppose Britain First every step of the way and will hold a counter rally when the group returns to the streets of Belfast in September.
"If Paul Golding wants to hold another rally we will bring thousands of people on to the streets. We will show them what the anti-fascist movement is,” they said.
"As far as running candidates in local elections goes, the far-right have attempted that in Northern Ireland before and got absolutely nowhere.
They added: “They will be rejected completely by loyalists and republicans and by everyone else, and rightly so.”
Britain First was founded in 2011 by former members of the controversial British National Party (BNP).
Its leader Paul Golding was convicted in 2015 of harassing a Muslim woman at her home.
He has also been found guilty of wearing a political uniform, an offence under the Public Order Act 1936.
See More: Featured, Northern Ireland, Politics
