Anthony Hancock | |
|---|---|
 Hancock in Brighton, 1981 | |
| Born | (1947-05-05)5 May 1947 |
| Died | 11 June 2012(2012-06-11) (aged 65) |
| Occupation | Hotelier |
| Known for | Publisher of far-right literature |
| Political party | National Front |
| Movement | League of St George |
| Father | Alan Hancock |
Anthony Hancock (5 May 1947 – 11 June 2012)[1] was apublisher who created literature for Britishfar right groups and a member of such organisations in theUnited Kingdom.
Based inBrighton, where Hancock owned a hotel called the Heidelberg, Anthony Hancock was the son ofAlan Hancock, a veteran of theBritish Union of Fascists who first set up the publishing firm. With his father as a leading member, Anthony Hancock began as a member of theRacial Preservation Society (RPS) and from this group he became a member of theNational Front.[2]
As a member of the NF, Hancock became a close associate of Steve Brady of theLeague of St George and followed him into theNational Party in 1976. It was at this time that Hancock stepped up his printing firm and was soon producing not only for the NP and the League, but also for theBritish Movement and later the NF and theBritish National Party amongst others.[2] He later became a supporter of theBritish Democratic Party,[3] although by and large he put his own feelings aside and continued to publish for any far right group that asked him to.
AHolocaust denier, Hancock set up the Historical Review Press (based inUckfield) which, funded by Robin Beauclair (formerly of the RPS), became the leading source of Holocaust denial publications in Britain. The Press published versions of a number of such works includingArthur Butz'The Hoax of the Twentieth Century and an occasional newspaperThe Holocaust News. Hancock was responsible for publishingDid Six Million Really Die?, being sued for royalties in the High Court in 1982.[4]David Irving has also acknowledged that Hancock did some of his printing, although it has been alleged that the relationship ran much deeper and that the two men worked together on Holocaust denial seminars.[5] Hancock was also a leading member of the Clarendon Club, a debating society active from 1979 to 1981 in which Irving and members of theLeague of St. George were joined by more mainstream figures such asHarvey Proctor.[6]
Hancock built up an extensive range of international contacts and was closely associated withRoberto Fiore for a time during the 1980s.[7] Distributing large quantities of Holocaust denial material inGermany, he was investigated by the German police in the late 1990s, although no case was brought as he was not breaking UK law and so could not faceextradition. His printing offices were raided in 1999, however, owing to a spate ofanti-Semitic mailshots originating fromColin Jordan.[8]
On 11 June 2012, Hancock died after suffering two strokes.[9]
