When Tommy Robinson left the EDL in October 2013, despite what the Quilliam Foundation said about it “decapitating” us, it did not mean the end of the EDL. There is no denying that it was a difficult time, and for a while there was a great deal of confusion. Once the shock of Tommy’s departure had sunk in, we came to understand that even without Tommy our mission had not changed and the ever-present threats to our culture, our way of life and our country had not changed. With renewed determination we decided that, Tommy or no Tommy, the fight had to go on and with it the EDL had to survive. We knew that it would be impossible to replace Tommy, and so it took some time for the organisation to choose a new chairman. Once in place, we took stock of our position, decided how to face the future together and set out with new conviction to carry out the mission that we preserved in the EDL Mission Statement. This was still the EDL that Tommy founded. Many of the original campaigners remained, but not everyone could see a place for themselves in an organisation that did not have Tommy at its head. Some moved on and we salute them as colleagues in the fight against radical Islam. We may not share the views of their new organisations, be it Team Tommy, Britain First, or any other group, and sometimes we are radically opposed to their nationalistic philosophies. Some did not move on and instead of adapting to the new organisation, for whatever reasons – whether personal or ideological – have set themselves to obstructing the continuance of the EDL. We cannot, and will not, suggest that their motives are vindictive or that they intentionally set out to destroy or even damage the EDL. Maybe their intentions were good, but the effect has been the same. Hel Gower was one of the founding members of the EDL and, as Tommy’s assistant, played a not insignificant role in making the EDL what it is today, one of the largest and most influential street organisations in the UK, if not the world. However, she found it increasingly difficult to work with the new leadership team and so our paths have parted. Since then it has been somewhat disturbing to note that her recent activities have been threatening. The EDL is therefore regretfully forced to go on record to state that Hel Gower has no further association with the EDL. She has no further entitlement to claim that she acts on behalf of the EDL, to take any action that is rightly the preserve of the EDL or exercise or claim to have any form of control over any property that rightly belongs to the EDL, such as the “ownership” of the EDL name, its logo, or any other of its property whether physical or intangible, including any copyrights or other intellectual property rights. It is we, who own the rights to ‘English Defence League Ltd’ and ‘English Defence League Angels Ltd’. We cannot understand why Hel Gower feels it necessary or even acceptable to offer to sell the names to the opposition. We have to ask the question ‘Why, what is her motivation in doing this?’ The EDL has always prided itself on being willing to speak to the truth, to mention the unpleasant things that our government would rather we did not mention. Our enemies, whether they are inside the government or from extreme left so-called “anti-fascist” groups are ever present. This is a time for us to stand together, to put our differences aside or, if those differences are insurmountable, to depart in good grace and leave the fight to those who remain. As Mark Twain once said, “The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.” The EDL is not dead, it is not dying, it is not even getting old. If anything, it is maturing and like with a good beer, age brings strength. When accepting his nomination as Illinois candidate for the Senate in 1858, Abraham Lincoln, quoting the Bible, said that “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” The EDL can stand united or it can fall divided. We choose to stand united and let others divide and fall. Join us, stand with us and let us all go forward together.
Posted on: Sat, 02 Aug 2014 11:05:39 +0000
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