Tony Lecomber | |
---|---|
Deputy leader of theBritish National Party | |
In office 27 September 1999 – 10 April 2006 | |
Leader | Nick Griffin |
Personal details | |
Born | 1961 |
Political party | British National Party (until 2006) |
Other political affiliations | National Front (1980s) |
Anthony "Tony" Mark Lecomber (born 1961) is a British far-right activist and formerBritish National Party (BNP) politician who was deputy leader of the BNP from 1999 to 2006.[1]
Lecomber has been active infar-right politics since the early 1980s. His role is mainly behind the scenes in planning BNP election campaigns, but his history of convictions for violence have given him prominence in anti-BNP publicity and led to his removal from the party.[2]
He joined theNational Front in the early 1980s, but allied withJohn Tyndall who was being blamed for the NF's poor performance at the1979 general election. When Tyndall split to form theNew National Front and later the British National Party, Lecomber followed him.He was editor ofYoung Nationalist, a racist andantisemitic magazine.[2]
Lecomber was convicted for criminal damage in 1982, offences under theExplosive Substances Act in 1985, and was sentenced to three years' imprisonment in 1991 for an attack on a Jewish teacher.[2]
On 31 October 1986, he was injured by a nailbomb that he was carrying to the offices of theWorkers Revolutionary Party inClapham. Police found 10grenades, sevenpetrol bombs and twodetonators at his home. For this offence, he received a three-year prison sentence at his trial on 28 November that year.[3]
In 1991, while he wasPropaganda Director of the BNP,[4] Lecomber was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for an attack on a Jewish teacher.[5] Lecomber was released from his three-year sentence in time to play a part in the BNP'sby-election win inMillwall ward ofTower Hamlets in September 1993.
Later in the 1990s, Lecomber became closer toNick Griffin and supported Griffin when he successfully challenged John Tyndall's leadership of the BNP in 1999. In 2006, Lecomber was sacked from his position as Group Development Officer. This followed allegations made by formerMerseysideBNP organiser that Lecomber had tried to recruit him to assassinate prominent politicians and members of the British establishment. Lecomber admitted that a conversation had taken place but stated that he hadn't meant the comments to be taken literally.[6]