Editing England First Party (section)

==Formation and policies==
They were formed in 2004 by [[Mark Cotterill]] who had been the founder and chairman of [[American Friends of the British National Party]]. However, he began to disagree with the BNP politically, and so formed the EFP, after a spell in the [[White Nationalist Party]].

The EFP differed from the BNP in its analysis of the [[United Kingdom]]. It criticised [[British nationalism]] and supported [[English nationalism]] instead. Most members of the EFP were former BNP members like their chairman, Cotterill.

The EFP campaigned against the creation of [[English regional assemblies|regional assemblies]] across England. They also campaigned on issues such as opposing [[Modern immigration to the United Kingdom|immigration]] in England and opposing the UK's continued membership of the [[European Union]].

On the economy, the EFP supported the gradual [[nationalisation]] of most national and [[public services]] in attempts to achieve [[autarky]]. While not aiming to abolish [[capitalism|capitalist]] ownership, the EFP claimed the interests of workers to be paramount and subsequently supported [[Worker cooperative|worker co-operatives]]. The EFP also aimed to end the connections between [[trade union]]s and the Labour Party while encouraging trade union membership and re-nationalising and re-opening coal mines which had a "reasonable working life".

According to the accounts filed with the [[Electoral Commission (United Kingdom)|Electoral Commission]] the party had 27 full members at year-end 2004 and 85 "supporters".<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/templates/search/document.cfm/12624 |title= England First Party, The Statement of Accounts for 2004 |website=The Electoral Commission |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060928034337/http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/templates/search/document.cfm/12624 |archive-date=28 September 2006 |access-date=23 July 2017}}</ref> By the end of 2005 this had increased to 39 paid members and 97 registered supporters.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/templates/search/document.cfm/16309 |title= England First Party, The Statement of Accounts for 2005 |website=The Electoral Commission |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060928034337/http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/templates/search/document.cfm/16309 |archive-date=28 September 2006 |access-date=23 July 2017}}</ref> For the year end 2007 the party recognised "100 supporters".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/49390/England-First-Party-Statement-of-Accounts-2007_29180-21651__E__N__S__W__.pdf |title=EFP Statement of Accounts for 2007 |website=The Electoral Commission }}{{dead link|date=July 2017}}</ref> By year end 2010, England First had 42 full members and recognised 111 supporters.<ref>[http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/party-finance/database-of-registers/statements-of-accounts/soa/pdfs/soa_25-05-11_10-46-30.pdf The England First Party statement of accounts] Electoral Commission ]{{dead link|date=July 2017}}</ref>

It sold a magazine ''Heritage and Destiny'', which ran issues every year from July 1999.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.efp.org.uk/page17.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080804073138/http://www.efp.org.uk/page17.html |archive-date=4 August 2008 |title=England First Party – Heritage & Destiny |website=efp.org.uk |access-date=23 July 2017}}</ref> It provided news on the progress of racial nationalism in Britain, Europe and America.

=== Policies on religion ===
The EFP was criticised for a section of its manifesto that promised "the abolition of all non-European faiths and religions".<ref>{{cite web|title=Inside Story – Immigration, race and the British election |date=3 May 2010 |url=http://inside.org.au/immigration-race-and-the-british-election/ |access-date=2010-06-27}}</ref> On 4 June 2010 Mark Cotterill issued a statement that "[f]ar from wishing to "abolish" any religion (from the East or West!), the EFP is committed to traditional English values of religious freedom."<ref>{{cite web |title=England First – The England First Party, Religion and the Holocaust |url=http://efp.org.uk/the-england-first-party-religion-and-the-holocaust/ |access-date=2010-06-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140726220435/http://efp.org.uk/the-england-first-party-religion-and-the-holocaust/ |archive-date=26 July 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> A later version of the party manifesto, last edited 28 April 2010, did not contain the call for abolition of non-European religions.<ref>{{cite web |title=England First – Brief Manifesto |url=http://efp.org.uk/manifesto/brief-manifesto/ |access-date=2010-06-27 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110125194914/http://efp.org.uk/manifesto/brief-manifesto/ |archive-date=25 January 2011 }}</ref>