Police investigating the only charity supporting the English community

Seasoned nationalists and libertarians will be all too well aware of the lengths that the State will go to conduct repression against what it views as dissident organisations including political parties which have or have had elected representatives. The State has sunk to a new low as we learn that the Metropolitan Police are hounding donors and supporters of the only charity dedicated to self-help amongst the English community.

There are literally thousands of charitable organisations which are ethno-specific ranging from the Bethnal Green Bengali Women’s Group, London Islamic Turkish Association to the Ghana Nurses Association (UK). There are over 100 charities specifically for each of the Polish and Irish communities living in the UK but the Steadfast Trust which was launched after a prolonged battle with the Charity Commission remains the sole charity which works exclusively for the English community.

As is required by Charity legislation, The Trust has strictly followed an apolitical agenda and focuses on cultural events and supporting deserving individuals from poorer backgrounds. It has provided a grant towards retaining the Staffordshire Hoard in the West Midlands, between the Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery and the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery in Stoke-on-Trent. It also helps the funding of storytellers who go into to schools to talk positively about early English history, providing books on English art and culture and individual education based grants such as funding towards schools fees, travel and equipment for a budding English soprano from a working class background. It is a relative minnow with total annual income of under £10,000.

This worthy activity carried out by the Trust is under a sustained attack by the Metropolitan Police. This included a raid on the family homes of two of the Trustees last month. 15 heavy handed police officers took part in each raid and personal items such as mobile phones, computers, printers and routers were seized. The Trustees were taken in for questioning and we understand that the nature of the interviews by the Met officers was truly bizarre and included questions suggesting that anyone interested in early English history and culture is an “extremist”. Authoritative historical works by scholars such as Tony Linsell and Stephen Pollington were cited as “encouraging extremism”.

The Trustees have not been charged with any offence but are on strict bail conditions preventing them undertaking any work on behalf of the charity and restricting their personal movements.

In addition the Met are now actively contacting hundreds of donors and Friends of the Trust. For many Friends and supporters this will be a humiliating and distressful activity, but as the Trust has not broken any laws there should be nothing to fear. It is recommended that a simple, polite and sustained “no comment” to any questions posed by investigating officers is made. Always seek professional legal advice if you have any concerns and submit formal complaints against officers who are abusive, aggressive and who utter racist comments.

It is believed that the Met’s investigation into the finances of the Trust has arisen from an approach made by an individual in 2014 who expressed an interest in the Trust and its work and befriended some its Trustees and donors. However the individual turned out to be a sneak reporter working for Hardcash Productions; a London based documentary production company. The desperately pathetic attempts to smear and ultimately seek to have the Trust deregistered as a charity, as a result of the “undercover” work are planned to be broadcast on ITV next week. The documentary unoriginally untitled “Charities Behaving Badly” goes out on ITV Weds 18th February 10.40pm