Figures from banned neo-Nazi group hoping to spawn new movement

Ex-National Action figures are behind the formation of a new far-right group according to anti-facist organisations

The head of a neo-Nazi group banned by the Home Secretary last year is hoping to set up a new group under a different name, anti-fascist campaigners say.

Ben Raymond, 27, was National Action’s media manager, and has been identified in a report by HOPE Not Hate as behind new group National Socialist Network, a website for which has already been registered in Panama.

HOPE Not Hate said National Action was behind the torrent of abuse levelled at Jewish MP Luciana Berger last year, in what the far-right organisation called ‘Operation Filthy Jew Bitch.’ A man from Liverpool was subsequently jailed.

Anti-fascist researchers also say they managed to access Raymond’s collection of secret online images and that some depicted gay rape, hard-core pornography and images of men being forced into sexual acts.

Matthew Collins, research director at HOPE Not Hate, said: “Ben Raymond, we believe, helped push people to the very edges of terrorism before pulling himself back and allowing others to be trapped by their stupidity.

“We have also long held concern about the sexualised nature of the group and its attitude towards things like the use of rape as punishment. A look into the ‘interests’ of Raymond has done little to dissuade us of that.”