Three part series looking at the origins and ‘unbroken’ thread of fascism in Britain.
Listen to the programmes which started on 19/02/2021 on BBC website here
What people are saying about Searchlight
Peter Hain
British Jews have been persecuted over the centuries; British blacks since the Windrush generation of the 1950s; British Muslims, especially after the Islamist 9/11 and then 7/7 terrorist attacks in New York 2001 and London 2005. But until the last few years there has not been a simultaneous threat against all three British communities of Jewish, Black and Muslim Britons – meaning the need for Searchlight has never been greater.
Peter Hain
Labour peer, former MP and Cabinet Minster
Alf Dubs
Searchlight’s voice is more important than ever, and I am delighted that it will now be available to a wider audience than ever before in its new incarnation online. Searchlight has been extremely helpful over the years in exposing the far right, corruption, criminality and the murky links between organised crime and powerful interests in the UK and abroad. I wish Searchlight the very best.
Alf Dubs
Labour peer, former MP and Cabinet Minister, and Kindertransport child
Professor Colin Holmes
Everyone who wants to understand contemporary racism and its historical background needs to read Searchlight.
Professor Colin Holmes
University of Sheffield
Nick Davies
To investigate fascists takes real courage and unusual commitment. The government, police, mainstream media occasionally take a look, but in the UK only Searchlight have kept at it, relentlessly and admirably, regardless of threat or obstacle. It’s journalism that matters. A rare thing.
Nick Davies
Multi-award-winning investigative journalist and writer
Paul Nowak
The essence of trade unionism is solidarity, fairness and equality – for all workers – from all backgrounds. That’s why our fight against the far-right has always been part of our movement’s DNA. Searchlight is an incredibly important resource for trade unions and members to understand the contemporary tactics of far-right activity. Their work and intelligence gathering over the years have been incredibly insightful for the work we do, and how we fight the scourge of fascism.
Paul Nowak
TUC General Secretary
Paul Holborow
In the campaign against the National Front, Searchlight provided a rich and utterly reliable basis for much ANL propaganda – particularly with reference to the two leading NF figures, John Tyndall and Martin Webster. The appearance of Tyndall in full nazi uniform, drawn from the archives of Searchlight, was a key part of ANL propaganda, coupled with deeply damaging nazi quotes from Webster.
Paul Holborow
Founding member of the ANL and National Organiser 1977-81
GARY JEWISS says
I enjoyed the series about fascism in britain. i am pretty sure that the presenter made a rather important error in the second episode when she said:
We can see from their newspaper searchlight (sic) that the national front hailed what took place in lewisham as a triumph, the headline read
” Establishment conspirators and red mobs fail to stop the national front advance”
Surley it should be Spearhead and not Searchlight.