Kenneth Smith (born 1972 or 1973) is a Scottish white nationalist[4] who has held senior roles in the British National Party and Patriotic Alternative and who founded the Homeland Party.
Kenny Smith | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Chairman of the Homeland Party | |
| Assumed office May 2023 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Kenneth Smith 1971 or 1972 (age 52–53)[1] Isle of Lewis, Scotland |
| Political party |
|
| Domestic partner | Claire Ellis[2] |
| Residence(s) | Isle of Skye, Highland, Scotland[3] |
He has worked as a part-time sports coach and in the tourism industry in the Isle of Skye.
Politics and views
editSmith became active in politics when he went to a British National Party meeting in Glasgow in 1991.[5] During his membership of the BNP, he ran as a political candidate,[6][7] winning 135 votes (0.9% of the 15,496 votes) in the Springburn district in the 2007 Glasgow City Council election.[8] He distributed British National Party flyers at an anti-abortion event led by Ian Paisley of the Democratic Unionist Party in Stornoway in 1998.[5] Smith became the head of administration for the BNP.[9]
In 2008, Smith was one of several people sued by British National Party (BNP) leader Nick Griffin after Smith was ejected by the BNP and started the enoughisenoughnick blog.[10] Other defendants included his now ex-wife Nicholla Smith.[10] Until then Nicholla was the BNP organiser for Falkirk and Kenny was the Scottish regional organiser and head of administration.[10]
After being ejected from the British National Party,[10] Smith joined the Patriotic Alternative and became the group's Scottish organiser[11] in March 2023.[12] Smith disagreed with the leadership of Patriotic Alternative, left the organisation, and founded the Homeland Party.[13]
Smith runs Claymore Books, which has been described by Patriotic Alternative as a "publishing house run by nationalists for the nationalist community".[14]
Career and personal life
editSmith is from the Isle of Lewis in Scotland[15] and was born in 1972 or 1973.[5]
Smith has worked as a part-time children's sport coach and the manager of tourist accommodation on the Isle of Skye.[5]
In 2022, Smith pled guilty at the Portree Sheriff Court to breaches of the Firearms Act 1968 and received an admonition.[16] Smith lives in Broadford, Skye.[16]
Smith is engaged to Claire Ellis, a native of Slough who was an organiser for Patriotic Alternative's southwest branch while she was in Devon.[17] In May 2022, Ellis said she would move to Scotland so she could "start a new life" with Smith.[17] They were engaged at a Patriotic Alternative conference in Scotland later that year.[17] According to The Herald, Ellis and far-right streamer Jody Swingler are founders of a Skye-based soap company, Clean & Pure, with white nationalist links.[17][14]
References
edit- ^ "Open war breaks out in battle for leadership of British fascism". Searchlight. 19 October 2024.
- ^ McKay, Gabriel (18 March 2023). "Far-right Patriotic Alternative running Skye soap business". The Herald.
- ^ "The Far-Right Plot to Take Over Your Allotment". Novara Media. 14 February 2024.
- ^ Mann, Jamie (2023-05-30). "White nationalist Homeland group applies to be political party". theferret.scot. Retrieved 2023-05-30.
- ^ a b c d Briggs, Billy; Mann, JAmie (2021-09-01). "Far right leader condemned for "racial nationalist" comment". The Ferret. Archived from the original on 2023-05-27. Retrieved 2023-05-27.
- ^ "Far-right extremists attempt 'hijack' of protest against asylum seeker hotel". The National. 2023-02-01. Archived from the original on 2023-05-27. Retrieved 2023-05-27.
- ^ Briggs, Billy (22 March 2023). "Patriotic Alternative Scotland voices support for man who pleaded guilty to terror charges". The Ferret. Archived from the original on 27 May 2023. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
- ^ H M Bochel and D T Denver, Scottish Council Elections 2007 Archived 2022-07-05 at the Wayback Machine, Elections Centre
- ^ Taylor, Matthew; Cobain, Ian; Evans, Rob (3 February 2007). "Revealed: the front organisation set up by BNP members to raise money in the US". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 27 May 2023. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
- ^ a b c d Carter, Helen (20 November 2008). "List reveals bitter party infighting". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 27 May 2023. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
- ^ "Far-right extremists attempt 'hijack' of protest against asylum seeker hotel". The National. 2023-02-01. Archived from the original on 2023-05-27. Retrieved 2023-05-27.
- ^ Brady, Jon (27 April 2023). "Notorious far-right extremist plans for new neo-Nazi group to be political party". Daily Record. Archived from the original on 27 May 2023. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
- ^ Briggs, Billy (22 March 2023). "Patriotic Alternative Scotland voices support for man who pleaded guilty to terror charges". The Ferret. Archived from the original on 27 May 2023. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
- ^ a b Horne, Marc (1 October 2023). "The craft website that might be soft soap by the hard right". The Times. Archived from the original on 1 October 2023. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
- ^ Ross, John (2 August 2005). "Trafalgar event at centre of BNP row". The Scotsman. p. 18. ProQuest 327142370.
- ^ a b Briggs, Billy (2022-11-16). "Patriotic Alternative leader guilty of firearms charges". theferret.scot. Archived from the original on 2023-05-27. Retrieved 2023-05-27.
- ^ a b c d McKay, Gabriel (18 March 2023). "'Clean & Pure': Far-right extremists running eco-friendly Skye soap business". The Herald. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
