The Rise and Fall of the English Defence League: Self-Governance, Marginal Members and the Far Right

Abstract

What determines the success or failure of far-right organisations? This article uses new qualitative data to explain the sudden rise and subsequent decline of the English Defence League, an anti-Islamic, street protest organisation established in the UK in 2009. We explain the rise and fall of the English Defence League through the lens of the theory of collective action to show that the English Defence League initially motivated activism by supplying selective incentives that were enhanced by the participation of others. The pursuit of ‘participatory crowding’ led to indiscriminate recruitment into the organisation that enabled numbers to expand into the thousands, but ultimately caused the English Defence League’s downfall because it resulted in the presence of large numbers of ‘marginal members’ with low levels of commitment whose subsequent exit was decisively destructive. Self-governance mechanisms to ensure greater loyalty from members could have prevented the English Defence League’s decline but would also have limited its initial success.

The Right Men: How Masculinity Explains the Radical Right Gender Gap

“…Instead, existing research which examines the role of identity in facilitating support tends to focus on class and race (Gest et al, 2018; Winlow et al, 2016). Busher’s (2016) ethnography provides a detailed account of the motivations of grassroots members but largely neglects to consider whether masculinity can galvanise support, and Morrow and Meadowcroft’s (2019) analysis of the selective incentives EDL supporters received through their participation mostly overlooks gender. Pilkington’s (2016, 2017) studies of the EDL do examine gender but primarily in the context of discussing women rather than men.…”

Reimagining the Medieval: The Utility of Ethnonational Symbols for Reactionary Transnational Social Movements

“…It emerged from anti-Jihad movements and from football hooliganism, and its first demonstration was held in response to protests orchestrated against the return of British troops from the Middle East (Busher, 2016, p. 5;Jackson & Feldman, 2011, p. 8). Despite having a stronger inclination toward violence as a mobilizing force than the Identitarians, Defence Leagues adherents similarly assert their disavowal of biological racism in favor of an emphasis on protecting culture, an antipathy to "liberal elites," and a deeply held paranoia of an imperialist Islam which they believe is threatening to replace the majority population of European states (Meleagrou-Hitchens & Brun, 2013;Morrow & Meadowcroft, 2019). Like the Identitarians, the Defence Leagues also subscribe to the view that these forces will result in an existential civilizational conflict.…”