Richard Verrall

From Metapedia
Jump to: navigation, search

Richard Verrall (born 1948) is a British historian, politician and patriot, former Deputy Chairman of the British National Front (NF), who edited the magazine Spearhead from 1976 to 1980. He also edited NF News.

Education

Verrall studied History at Westfield College (now part of Queen Mary College), University of London, obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree with first class honours.[1]

National Front

Initially a member of the UK Conservative Party, Verrall left it in the early 1970s, along with a number of other members who supported what Enoch Powell (Powell was then a Conservative Party MP) was saying on the subject of alien immigration, to join the National Front Party (NF).[1] Initially a close supporter of John Tyndall, he was appointed editor of Spearhead by Tyndall and used the magazine to discuss, amongst other things, the veracity of the Holocaust.[1] He was also known for his endorsement of eugenics and biological determinism, adding to this theory that it was equally natural for members of a genetic group to sacrifice themselves for the benefit of others of the same group, thus attacking the criticism that the notion of sacrifice makes this theory inapplicable to humanity.[2]

NF Split

The National Front split in 1975, and on November 16th Tyndall was formally expelled; only to be reinstated by a High Court judgement on December 20th.[3] Meanwhile Verral contined producing Spearhead for the Tyndall faction (the other being renamed the National Party), and in April 1976 contributed an article entitled "The Reality of Race - scientific evidence which substantiates inequality".[4] After considerable racial affrays and a couple of murders by immigrants Verral told The Times in July that "We told you so" and that 1800 new members had been signed up to the NF the previous month alone. [5]

Verrall did not accompany Tyndall into the New National Front, and was instead appointed Deputy Chairman of the NF by Andrew Brons in 1980.[6] Regardless of this new position in the NF, Verrall played little further role in that party's politics and was aloof from the struggle between the Official National Front and the Flag Group. Instead, he concentrated most of his efforts on writing about revising official versions of World War II history.

Written work

He is best known today for his (under the pseudonym of Richard Harwood) booklet[7] Did Six Million Really Die?, a work which he researched and wrote while still at university, which criticized claims about the Holocaust. Verral dedicated his work to Professor Paul Rassinier. The booklet was a major innovator on this subject. It was subsequently the subject of the criminal action in Canada against its Canadian-based publisher Ernst Zündel. Zündel was ultimately acquitted on the basis that the crime with which he was charged was unconstitutional.[8]

See also

External links

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 S. Taylor, The National Front in English Politics, London: Macmillan, 1982, p.62.
  2. Taylor, 1982, pp: 63-64.
  3. Walker, Martin, The National Front, Fontana Books, Glasgow, 1977, p.188-9.
  4. Walker, 1977, p.192.
  5. Walker, 1977, p.201.
  6. Taylor, 1982, p.91.
  7. published as a 28 page A4 size magazine by the UK's Historical Review Press.
  8. Full text of Supreme Court of Canada decision at LexUM