The curse of Searchlight, pt 2024 – more UKIP resignations

NOTE: This article was published on 16 August 2024It seems our UKIP-related posts of the last couple of days have prompted yet further desertions from the upper echelons of the party. Dr Chris Ho (pictured left) a Glasgow-based doctor who had been the party’s Health and Social Care Spokesman, was so dismayed at our story…

NOTE: This article was published on 16 August 2024

It seems our UKIP-related posts of the last couple of days have prompted yet further desertions from the upper echelons of the party.

Dr Chris Ho (pictured left) a Glasgow-based doctor who had been the party’s Health and Social Care Spokesman, was so dismayed at our story that leader Nick Tenconi had a conviction for kicking someone in the head in a club brawl, that he immediately resigned his post.

He concluded, we are told, that such an association was not a great look for a medical doctor whose colleagues frequently had to treat kick-in-the-head victims.

In fairness, we should say this was not our revelation; we merely reposted a tweet from another UKIP watcher, @ukipunzipped, but it was our repost which came to the attention of Dr Ho, and prompted his departure.

That was followed by the sudden removal of Lester ‘Jeff’ Taylor’s name as Party Director from the leadership page on the UKIP website. The word is, though we cannot confirm it, that he was becoming increasingly concerned at being linked to Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, aka Tommy Robinson, and our printing yesterday a photo of the two together (pictured right) broke the camel’s back. Party Chairman Ben ‘Rogue Builder’

Walker is reported to be not at all pleased at these latest defections. And he is saying very disobliging things about Searchlight.

Like we care…


Nick Davies

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

Professor Colin Holmes

Professor Colin Holmes
Everyone who wants to understand contemporary racism and its historical background needs to read Searchlight.
Professor Colin Holmes
University of Sheffield

Alf Dubs

Lord 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

Peter Hain

Peter Hain, founder of the ANL and friend of Searchlight

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

Paul Nowak

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

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

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