Robert Edward Relf | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1924 (1924) |
| Died | (2014-10-12)October 12, 2014 |
| Occupation | Political activist |
| Known for | Far-right activism, 1976 housing controversy |
| Notable work | Founder of White Power Movement |
| Criminal charges | Inciting racial hatred, contempt of court |
| Criminal penalty | Multiple prison sentences |
Robert Edward Relf (1924 – 12 October 2014)[1][2][3] was an English political activist of the far right. Regarded by his sympathisers as a 'race martyr', he briefly became acause célèbre for thetabloid press in the 1970s.
Relf spent most of his working life as a bus driver[4] although he also had a spell as a paratrooper.[5] He was involved in far-right activity inthe Midlands during the 1960s and was arrested in 1965 as a suspect in across burning incident. Following this incident he was invited ontoMidlands Today to present his point of view, an appearance widely condemned by anti-racist campaigners in the region. That same year, Relf and seven other members of a British version of theKu Klux Klan were found guilty of wearing a uniforms, or aiding and abetting the wearing of such uniforms at a public meeting signifying association with a political organization, under thePublic Order Act 1936. Five of those convicted received fines, while the other three, including Relf, were each sentenced to three months in prison.[6][7]
Relf first came to national attention in 1976 when he advertised his house inLeamington Spa as being 'For Sale - to anEnglish family only'.[8] The sign had initially read "Viewing. To avoid animosity all round positively no coloureds" before Relf amended it.[9] Relf was found to be in breach of theRace Relations Act and was jailed forcontempt of court when he refused to take it down.[10] Relf's plight was taken up by the tabloid press as an example of the supposedly draconian nature of race legislation and there was an outcry that Relf was imprisoned for his actions.
Demonstrations were held, particularly in the Midlands, demanding his release, although counter-demonstrations endorsing the sentence were also organised.[11] One such event inHandsworth ended in a riot with 28 arrests as National Front and anti-fascist demonstrators clashed when their respective marches met.[12] However, fervour for Relf's cause soon died after articles about his background began to appear in theSunday Times, revealing that Relf had been a member of theBritish Movement and had served as a bodyguard toColin Jordan as well as attempting to organise a UK branch of the Ku Klux Klan.[13]
Relf, who staged ahunger strike during his incarceration,[14] was released from prison the same year, although by now much of the popular support that he had gathered had died away. He would go on to rejoin the British Movement, although he left due to his dissatisfaction with the leadership ofMichael McLaughlin and instead devoted much of his energies to theWorld Union of National Socialists, at the time led byPovl Riis-Knudsen. He also been associated with theNational Front and it became his main area of domestic activity after he left the BM (although he had also been courted by theNational Party who, along with the NF and BM, played a leading role in the campaign for his release).[15]
Having gained notoriety Relf continued to performpublicity stunts, notably in September 1978 when he was handed a £10 fine for refusing to wear amotorcycle helmet in protest at the legal exemption from the requirement forSikhs. After refusing to pay the fine, Relf was jailed for six days.[16] In 1979, Relf received a 15-month sentence for publishing racial hatred materials and inciting racial hatred, and immediately went on hunger strike, sparking another NF led campaign for his release.[17] He helped to set up White Nationalist Crusade, an attempt to create an umbrella movement for the far right in Britain, although this proved unsuccessful and he briefly led his own White Power Movement the following year.[18]
Relf largely disappeared from public life until 1991 when he again became involved in controversy, this time over a letter sent to theConservative Party inCheltenham. In the letter Relf attacked local Tories for their decision to endorseJohn Taylor, a black man who would later be appointed a life peer in theHouse of Lords, as their candidate for the1992 general election. Relf suggested that those who had chosen Taylor should be 'strung up' because Taylor wanted 'a nation of half breeds'.[19] Taylor failed to win the traditionally Conservative seat ofCheltenham in the 1992 election, losing toNigel Jones of theLiberal Democrats.
In 2002 Relf was fined £100 after refusing to complete a census form because he was not happy to indicate his nationality as "British", preferring "English".[19] After he refused to pay the fine, Relf was sentenced to week in jail.[4] Later that same year he was fined for sending postcards deemed to be offensive to Warwick police station. Relf had sent the cards after reading a story that the local police had removed a poster promoting aSaint George's Day event.[20]