England's far-right: "Another long, hot summer"?

 

I'm reading about protests in Epping, Essex... 

Nick Lowles, chief executive of the anti-racism organisation Hope Not Hate, told The Guardian Epping has been a hotbed of far-right activity for years. 

"The recent demonstrations have drawn nationalist activists from around the country, with racist and violent narratives increasingly entering the mainstream."

In the past two weeks, Epping in Essex has seen a surge in far-right protests sparked by misinformation and conspiracy theories about asylum seekers being housed locally, particularly at a former school site.

 

Demonstrations have drawn nationalist groups from across the country, with tensions escalating and racist rhetoric becoming more visible. 

Protesters wrapped in the St George flag of England stand in front of a line of riot police as protesters march into the town centre of Epping, northest of London, on July 20, 2025 from a demonstration outside The Bell Hotel, believed to be housing asylum seekers after police charged an asylum-seeker with sexual offences earlier this month. AFP

The facts

Firstly, on Sunday 13 July, approximately 300 local residents gathered outside The Bell Hotel, which houses asylum seekers, driven by anger after a Sudanese man was found dead elsewhere. Tensions also rose because a 38-year-old asylum seeker in the hotel was later charged with sexual assault of a teenager — a charge he denies. Two hotel security staff were assaulted in what police treated as a hate crime. One local man has been charged with affray.

The protests were sparked by the allegation that an asylum seeker at Bell Hotel attempted to kiss a 14-year-old girl on the street. Authorities confirmed he had arrived in the UK via small boat only days earlier.

On Thursday 17 July, during a subsequent peaceful protest, figures like Callum Barker, from the far-right Homeland Party, spoke publicly, and extremists swiftly entered the crowd. 

The protest escalated into violence: people threw fireworks and eggs at police, smashed wing mirrors on vans, and attacked vehicles. One protester was struck by a police van; several officers were injured. Two arrests were made that evening. 

Extremists identified include members from Homeland, Blood & Honour, White Vanguard, and former For Britain, Combat 18 affiliates.

Then, on Sunday 20 July, a much larger protest unfolded with around 1,500 attendees, mostly local families, including many women carrying signs like “Protect our kids” and “Send them home.” Despite beginning peacefully, several people threw bottles and smoke flares at police. A windscreen of a suspected unmarked police car was smashed. Six people were arrested, including a 33-year-old charged with violent disorder and criminal damage, linked to Thursday’s unrest.

Local frustration was reportedly co-opted by far-right activists. Figures like Jaymey McIvor, Callum Barker, and Lance Wright appeared to exploit tensions, steering local anger toward nationalist narratives.

Reaction  

Residents and local MPs—such as Neil Hudson and leaders of Epping Forest District Council—have called for the closing of the asylum hotel. They argue there was no consultation before single adult males were housed there, many with no local ties.

Home Office and Essex Police have condemned the violence and reiterated that protests must remain peaceful. Authorities emphasise investigations into hate crime and violent disorder.

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner warned that ongoing social and economic alienation—especially around immigration and inequality—poses a serious threat to community cohesion. The government has announced a £1.5bn "Plan for Neighbourhoods" to support rebuilding trust.

Local officials and anti-racism organisations, including Hope Not Hate, have raised concerns about the growing mainstreaming of far-right narratives in the area, which has been a hub for such activity for some time.

The rise in far-right activity in towns like Epping is part of a broader trend across parts of the UK where economic pressures, migration debates, and culture-war rhetoric have fuelled nationalist and xenophobic mobilisation. 

The fact that Hope Not Hate identifies Epping as a longstanding site of far-right organising shows how deeply embedded some of these networks are.

Analysis

This unrest reflects escalating tension across England: asylum policies, economic stress, and immigration debates are fuelling both protest and far-right mobilisation. 

The violence at Epping echoes last year’s disturbances, where far-right misinformation triggered nationwide unrest after the tragic cases in Southport.

On The Guardian's Today in Focus podcast this Wednesday, Nick Lowles, the chief executive of the anti-racism organisation Hope Not Hate, described how these recent demonstrations have drawn nationalist activists from around the country but said that, despite that fact, local anger should not be ignored. Lowles believes that listening to residents and offering them a better future is the best way to counter the racist and violent narratives increasingly entering the mainstream.