Crivvens! Jings! And Help Ma Boab! We’ve hardly made a dent in 2018 and already the UK far right are in bother! 6 people have been arrested over alleged membership of proscribed tweeny terror gang, National Action; a 22 year old fascist wack off specialist ‘who cannot be named for legal reasons’ is on trial for being a Nazi woodentop; and the Football Lads Alliance is fracturing over egos, backstabbing and money! Just like what the EDL woz! And now there is a wordy condemnation of ‘Top Lad’ and convicted hooligan John Meighan, called ‘Why The FLA Is Preparing To Fail,’ claiming fiduciary malfeasance and financial funny biznis!
Meighan: Fan Dabby Dozy!
We have said before that the FLA pulled very impressive numbers for their demos but also quoted a good friend of ours that ‘they are the EDL without really knowing it’ but now, with this public statement, the similarities are becoming readily apparent. A ‘top lad’ with football connections gathers 1000s of like-minded supporters, the money starts rolling in, the merchandise is flying out, there are no accounts, no official treasurer, the ‘top lad’ is getting all the attention and acclaim, gets a bit messianic, people start asking questions about the money, there are fall-outs, expulsions and splinter factions…
The ‘who ate all the pies inquiry’ finds chief suspect!
The blog goes on: ‘Every single person who has challenged John Meighan on finances, resolution, strategy and policy has been banned from all FLA social media activity or blocked.’ Replace Meighan’s name with Robinson’s and we’re back to ‘the EDL without knowing it.’ The EDL had no official membership, which removed the risk of membership lists being leaked like the BNP, but more importantly meant no accountability regarding money, although the EDL, in the spirit of capitalist laissez faire allowed regional organisers to flog their own merchandise and keep the cash.
‘When one meets a fascist, acquaint his head with one’s willow!’
The blogger asks ‘What exactly is the FLA?’ and says no one really knows, that no one has a clue what to do next, or where they are ultimately going. And what to do with all this publicity? He says he’s had ‘discussions and debates with the left, they really are laughing at the FLA’ but gives no supporting evidence. He then says ‘The left thinks the FLA is irrelevant’ – but who are ‘the left’? Labour? SWP? Anti-Fascist Network? Poor quality jokes aside, the Malatesta Blog does NOT think the FLA are irrelevant: no organisation who marches 1000s of supporters through London protesting ‘against extremism’ with an ambiguous agenda is irrelevant. We in fact share the concerns of the blogger but for very different reasons.
The blogger asks questions any legitimate organisation could expect to be asked, about aims and objectives, committees, and transparency before claiming that Meighan has ‘banned dozens of people from asking about funding, strategy, next steps’ and that he is concerned ‘and frustrated at [Meighan’s] increasingly irrational behaviour.’ Like internal critics of the BNP and EDL before them, FLA supporters are worried that this far right group has a tendency towards dictatorship. Meighan has also registered the FLA with himself in the big chair (like Hel Gower and the much missed Gail Speight did with the EDL to control copyright – and Gail, sweety, if you’re reading this, please get in touch!) The blog continues to discuss money and Meighan’s closing down of criticism, and finally mentions that ‘around 200 people across the social spectrum’ are organising their next move. What that will be is unclear. We look forward to the next installment!
Be Seeing You!
‘Listen to the full-time whistle, Meighan, it blows for thee!’ Or not.
