As the far-right gains momentum, it’s crucial for pro-UK supporters to reflect, especially with an upcoming ‘pro-UK’ rally on the horizon, originally advertised as such. Extremism is thriving on open platforms, becoming disturbingly normalised in online communities. It’s essential to scrutinise these increasingly concerning spaces, which have gained widespread acceptance.
Here’s a closer look at a few key examples that I’ve witnessed firsthand.
United Against Separation (UAS)
United Against Separation (UAS), with over 85,000 Facebook followers, has been a key pro-UK hub since its 2014 ‘Vote Naw’ aggressive campaign. While it organises social events and campaign activities, UAS has also become a platform for promoting far-right content. The group has supported A Force For Good (AFFG), led by a Holocaust denier and far-right influencer, and hosts ‘The Majority Show’, which features figures with far-right views and campaigns to abolish Holyrood, embedding extremist narratives within online unionist communities.
A Force For Good (AFFG)
Under Alistair McConnachie’s leadership, AFFG has become a significant force in spreading far-right ideologies, disguised as British nationalism. Originally focused on opposing Scottish independence, AFFG now pushes a broader agenda encompassing British identity politics, anti-immigration, and anti-LGBTQ sentiments. The group uses grassroots activism and online misinformation to fuel fear and division.
Activities and influence
McConnachie leverages AFFG to build alliances with other far-right influencers like his Glasgow organiser Max Dunbar, embedding the group within the broader extremist ecosystem. AFFG spreads misinformation about immigration and multiculturalism, exploiting incidents like the Southport riots to advance its agenda.
- 10 August 2024: McConnachie delivered a live speech, declaring, “MASS IMMIGRATION and ‘ASYLUM’ CRISIS: We DEMAND a MEETING with JOHN SWINNEY!“
- 6 August 2024: AFFG’s Twitter (X) account shared a post by Tommy Robinson, stating, “They think they can just lie, that’s been a success for them for years because of censorship. But not with elonmusk. We can now expose their lies. Share share share.”
- 4 August 2024: McConnachie criticized Humza Yousaf’s response to the Southport riots, stating, “HUMZA YOUSAF’S DISGRACEFUL RESPONSE TO SOUTHPORT. Politicians who encourage the UK to be invaded…must be held to blame.“
- 31 July 2024: McConnachie attacked Anas Sarwar, saying, “A police van being burnt is wrong, but it’s not ‘horrific’… Politicians like Sarwar are responsible for the immigration which brings violence to our shores.“
Quotes shared by UAS from AFFG
United Against Separation (UAS) has actively promoted AFFG, sharing its content unaltered, further amplifying far-right messages within the unionist movement.
- 10 July 2024: UAS promoted AFFG’s summer fundraiser: “These guys are very colourful! Please consider chipping-in to their efforts if you can. Their summer fundraiser ends this evening [Crowdfunder link].”
- 30 June 2024: UAS reposted an AFFG post titled, “WE ARE THE PEOPLE WHO SHOW UP!“ The post celebrated AFFG’s presence at a Glasgow event, adding, “Thank you to our fashionable AFFG Table Team who came out in Glasgow yesterday on Armed Forces Day. We had a great Street Stall!”
- 26 May 2024: UAS shared an AFFG article by McConnachie, commenting, “Interesting article about the franchise, which is worth knowing!“ The AFFG post argued, “ESTEEM OUR BRITISH CITIZENSHIP. Published today, Part 5 of our series ‘Basic Principles of Patriotic Sovereignty’: Who gets to vote in the first place, is a crucial element of a nation’s sovereignty. Traditionally, national voting rights in the UK have derived from national citizenship (not residence). But this principle is already being corrupted in Scotland and Wales, where you only need to be ‘legally resident’. You don’t even need to be a citizen. This has to stop!“
- 23 December 2023: UAS shared a promotion for AFFG’s 2024 fundraising efforts, simply stating, “A Force For Good is raising money for its 2024 work at [Crowdfunder link].“
The role of Max Dunbar
Max Dunbar, a former BNP organiser, is a prominent far-right activist within AFFG. He is instrumental in mobilising supporters and shaping the group’s extremist narratives, particularly around anti-immigration and anti-LGBTQ themes.
- 10 August 2024: Dunbar co-led a small protest in Glasgow, originally intended as a ‘small boats’ protest. The event featured far-right rhetoric, with Dunbar and McConnachie demanding a meeting with John Swinney over immigration policies.
- 31 July 2024: McConnachie appears in many public videos. Most recently AFFG promoted a video featuring Dunbar, referring to him as “The Legend who is Max Dunbar,” underscoring Dunbar’s influence within AFFG and his role in advancing the group’s extremist agenda.
- 6 Feb 2023: Dunbar alone protested holding a sign reading “defy the gaystapo” at a gender critical rally in Glasgow
The Majority Show
‘The Majority or The Majority Show’ has become a key platform for far-right narratives within pro-UK communities. Initially focused on local politics and anti-SNP sentiment, the show, hosted by Mark Devlin, Mark Zegveldt, and David Griffiths, has increasingly aligned with right ideologies, often following a far-right agenda. The show capitalises on discussions around contentious issues like Middle East conflicts, the refugee crisis, and cultural identity to advance a divisive agenda.
Notable broadcasts and comments
- 17 April 2024: The show featured a debate titled, “Glasgow City Council is standing in solidarity with the Palestinians by making the city centre look like the Gaza Strip.” This debate included participation from Glasgow Conservative group leader Cllr Thomas Kerr, who had previously walked out of the City Chambers debate in October 2023 before an Israel-Gaza discussion in protest.
- 7 November 2023: The Majority Show quoted Douglas Murray, claiming Humza Yousaf, “The First Minister of Gaza,” has “infiltrated our system” and is indifferent to Scottish concerns. The post linked to a video from the Rubin Report, a talk show criticised for platforming political extremists like Paul Joseph Watson, Lauren Southern, Stefan Molyneux, and Tommy Robinson.
- 20 October 2023: The show conducted a poll asking, “Do you agree with Humza Yousaf that Palestinian refugees should be resettled in Scotland?” The poll resulted in a 95.6% No vote. This was followed by further discussion on 6 November 2023, where The Majority commented, “Unsurprisingly, the First Minister of Gaza thinks anti-Israel hate marches should go ahead.”
The role of David Griffiths
David Griffiths, a co-host of The Majority Show, is crucial in steering the programme’s far-right direction. With a background in right-wing politics, Griffiths has been associated with parties like George Galloway’s All4Unity, where his candidacy was marred by accusations of sexism and sectarianism, which he has since denied.
- 22 May 2022: Griffiths organised unionist meetings for all unionist parties for The Majority, furthering his influence within the organisations with the Glasgow Labour leader attending.
The Majority Show has collaborated with Niall Fraser, linked to the far-right Homeland Party, who has organised rallies against LGBTQ+ rights, the Hate Crime Bill, and abortion rights. Fraser, representing the Scottish Family Party, made inflammatory remarks and verbally abused the First Minister at a Fringe event.
The Majority promoted this, commenting:
“A summary of why Niall Fraser called out Humza Yousaf. Includes Humza’s infamous ‘white’ speech, and Niall’s callout at the Edinburgh Fringe.”
In 2023, The Majority interviewed The Glasgow Cabbie, Stef Shaw, now organising the 7 September 2024, far-right ‘”pro-UK ’” in Glasgow, initially named “Stop the Boats” post-Southport attack. The event has gained traction within far-right circles online and notably surged in popularity after Tommy Robinson promoted it on Twitter (X). An aggressive GoFundMe campaign has raised over £2,300 to support the rally.
The interview was accompanied by:
“Fascinating interview with the Glasgow Cabbie (Stef Shaw), who started out as a lifesaving poet, before leading demonstrations against the SNP’s sexual indoctrination of Scottish school kids.”
The Majority has also promoted A Force For Good events in the past, such as on 18 June 2013:
“Any readers in the London area who would like to meet up are warmly invited and encouraged to attend the next meeting of Allan Robertson’s London Swinton Circle which will be held THIS EVENING at 7.00pm, when the Guest Speaker will be Alistair McConnachie… The theme is ‘Policies to Promote the Social and Cultural Value of the UK Union (NOT the hated European Union).’”
This promotion came before the referendum when McConnachie’s support for Holocaust denier David Irving was already publicly known.
The rise of closed Facebook groups
Online platforms, particularly closed Facebook groups, have become hotspots for far-right views in Scotland. Many groups that initially focused on anti-independence rhetoric have shifted toward broader agendas, targeting immigrants, promoting Islamophobia, and advancing British nationalism.
In the group ‘We Are Watching Scottish and UK Politics’, an admin named Scott posted on 5 August 2024, during the heated aftermath of Southport and rioting:
“When I set the page up it was for like-minded people who were anti-Scottish Independence and against the SNP in general… However, I feel since the election and the appointment of Keir Starmer as PM and his equally awful cabinet, our very British way of life is now very much under attack whether it being from Islamic Terrorism, illegal immigrants or any section of the population or organisation you care to name who is against Great Britain, it would seem our new PM is very much in favour of these groups.”
In ‘I Voted No Thanks To Scottish Independence – Let Us Eradicate The SNP’, Islamophobic comments are rampant. On 6 August 2024, a contributor named Neil posted:
“OUR JUSTICE SECRETARY MEETING MUSLIM LEADERS…………. (with angry emoji)” alongside a photo of a female representative of the Muslim Council.
On 7 August 2024, Peter posted in the same group:
“Riots easily stopped. Stop illegal immigration immediately. This is the solution.”
Following the Southport riots, an admin named Mary posted in ‘I Vote NO to Scottish Independence’ on 6 August 2024, warning:
“Just a word to the wise. We’ve been warned this afternoon to be very careful about what we’re posting just now. Not just our group, all of our Unionist groups… We have to be extra careful here because of the dreaded Hate Crime bill.”
On 8 August 2024, Alex posted:
“I think two-tier Keir would be better helping the Border Force guys return the immigrants back across to France rather than sitting chatting in a mosque in Solihull.”
In the ‘Reform UK Scotland – Glasgow & West Of Scotland’ group, inflammatory comments are also frequent. On 1 August 2024, in response to former First Minister Humza Yousaf’s call for the EDL to be proscribed as a terrorist group, an admin named James posted:
“This guy is a gift and another example of if you don’t like it then you criminalise it… Bring on 2026.”
AgentP on Twitter (X)
Another influential platform outside of Facebook that many unionists or pro-UK supporters follow is the anonymous AgentP account on Twitter (X). Active since 2012 with over 55,000 followers, AgentP is one of the most popular unionist accounts, closely linked to the groups mentioned above through strong promotion in UAS and frequent reshares in closed groups.
The account regularly posts content that can be perceived as Islamophobic, discriminatory and often targeting BAME representatives.
- 6 August 2024: Reacting to a news article about former First Minister Humza Yousaf on Islamophobia, the account said: “If attention seeking was an Olympic sport, Humza would be a gold medalist every time.”
- 7 August 2024: Commenting further on the same article, the account said: “Akin to the arsonist fleeing the flames of the fire he helped start.”
- 10 June 2024: The account commented on the removal of statues in George Square: “When you look at the reprobates on Glasgow Council, you just know they would be happier with statues of Hamas leaders in George Square, rather than British historical figures.”
The Labour Muslim Network responded to one of AgentP’s comments, stating:
“The implication that a Councillor would be ‘happier with statues of Hamas’ is Islamophobic and dangerous. This form of rhetoric places our hardworking and dedicated public servants at serious risk.”
Behaviour can be traced back to 2017 defending Trump’s travel ban.
- February 2017: “Trump does not have a Muslim ban.”
Impact and future threats
From the United Against Separation Facebook platform, which has long normalised far-right content like A Force For Good recruitment and fundraising efforts, to The Majority Show amplifying far-right voices, the spread of extremism is clear. Closed Facebook groups linked to anti-independence are fuelling unmoderated far-right narratives, while anonymous Twitter accounts target BAME representatives with what has been labelled as “Islamophobic” go unchallenged.
With the upcoming so-called ‘Enough Is Enough’ rally, originally promoted as ‘pro-UK,’ it’s time for unionists to check their online spaces, consider who is behind them, and ask: What values are they truly standing behind?
More in politics
