Nigel Copsey
Teesside University, Professor Modern History, Faculty Member
Research Interests:
Within the political science community, scholars typically draw a sharp distinction between the “radical right” and “fascism.” This chapter challenges such a distinction, and encourages scholars to reprise fascism’s relationship to the... more
Within the political science community, scholars typically draw a sharp distinction between the “radical right” and “fascism.” This chapter challenges such a distinction, and encourages scholars to reprise fascism’s relationship to the radical right. It suggests that (neo)fascism’s past offers the best route to understanding the present-day radical right. Such a historical interpretation seeks to enhance our understanding of the central importance of the neofascist European New Right as the “missing link” between fascism and contemporary radical right-wing populism. Moreover, much of the scholarly literature theorizing the radical right also fails to take into account activist cultures and shared domains. Rather than breaking the historical link between the radical right and fascism, this chapter calls on those studying this field to reinstate this important link, thereby acknowledging the continuing presence of fascism in today’s radical right.
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The political science community would have us believe that since the 1980s something entirely detached from historical or neo-fascism has emerged in (Western) Europe - a populist radicalization of mainstream concerns - a novel form of... more
The political science community would have us believe that since the 1980s something entirely detached from historical or neo-fascism has emerged in (Western) Europe - a populist radicalization of mainstream concerns - a novel form of ‘radical right-wing populism.’ Yet the concept of ‘radical right-wing populism’ is deeply problematic because it suggests that (Western) Europe’s contemporary far right has become essentially different from forms of right-wing extremism that preceded it, and from forms of right-wing extremism that continue to exist alongside it. Such an approach, as this First Lecture on Fascism argues, fails to appreciate the critical role that neo-fascism has played, and still plays, in adapting Europe’s contemporary far right to the norms and realities of multi-ethnic, liberal-democratic society. Political scientists should fixate less on novelty and the quest for neat typologies, and instead engage far more seriously with (neo) fascism studies.
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... Nigel Copsey builds from this by looking at the Labour party's rank-and-file and argues that while it 'spurned invitations' from the communists and Independent Labour Party to form a united front, he writes 'the... more
... Nigel Copsey builds from this by looking at the Labour party's rank-and-file and argues that while it 'spurned invitations' from the communists and Independent Labour Party to form a united front, he writes 'the mass opposition to Mosley came from ordinary members and ...
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This international conference, organised by Teesside University in conjunction with the University of Cambridge (John Pollard), offered a variety of perspectives on leading fascist and far-right ideologues over the course of the twentieth... more
This international conference, organised by Teesside University in conjunction with the University of Cambridge (John Pollard), offered a variety of perspectives on leading fascist and far-right ideologues over the course of the twentieth (and into the twenty-first) century. Focusing upon the historical impact and contemporary influence of key far-right figures and intellectual trends (such as transnationalism and meta-politics), the conference brought together speakers over two days of academic discussion. The conference served several purposes: to examine the continuities and changes in fascist ideology; to present a report on the turn to online anti-Muslim hate by the contemporary far right in Britain; and to mark the formal launch of a new Centre for Fascist, Anti-Fascist and Post-Fascist Studies (CFAPS) based at Teesside University.
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Jenkins, B. and Copsey, N. (1996) 'Nation, nationalism and national identity in France', in Jenkins, B. and Sofos, SA (eds) Nation and identity in contemporary Europe. London: Routledge, pp.95-117. ... There are no files... more
Jenkins, B. and Copsey, N. (1996) 'Nation, nationalism and national identity in France', in Jenkins, B. and Sofos, SA (eds) Nation and identity in contemporary Europe. London: Routledge, pp.95-117. ... There are no files associated with this item.
The revival in interest in the British far right as a result of recent localised growth in support for the British National Party (BNP) necessitates analysis of its political ideology and objectives. This article seeks to demonstrate that... more
The revival in interest in the British far right as a result of recent localised growth in support for the British National Party (BNP) necessitates analysis of its political ideology and objectives. This article seeks to demonstrate that the BNP is virulently hostile to liberal democracy and that this hostility derives from its revolutionary, fascist agenda. The point that the BNP is a fascist organisation is significant and cannot be ignored. At the very least, it raises important questions about the place of the BNP in contemporary British politics.
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... 19A. James Gregor, The Search for Neofascism (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 2006), 28. ... One key factor was the influential role played by Mark Deavin, a former research student of the founder of the UK Independence Party... more
... 19A. James Gregor, The Search for Neofascism (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 2006), 28. ... One key factor was the influential role played by Mark Deavin, a former research student of the founder of the UK Independence Party (UKIP), Dr Alan Sked. ...
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... As Nigel Todd's work5 laudably shows, Mosley's fascists were active on Tyneside in the 1930s, a decade which marked, to use Colin Holmes's description, 'the apogee of anti-semitism in inter-war Britain'.6... more
... As Nigel Todd's work5 laudably shows, Mosley's fascists were active on Tyneside in the 1930s, a decade which marked, to use Colin Holmes's description, 'the apogee of anti-semitism in inter-war Britain'.6 Moreover, in his book on the post-war anti-fascist 43 Group, Morris ...
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... NIGEL COPSEY UNIVERSITY OF TEESSIDE, UK Hitler, the Allies, and the Jews. By Shlomo Aronson. ... According to Aronson, the efforts of the Zionist leadership, including Chaim Weizmann and David Ben-Gurion, were too late and ineffective... more
... NIGEL COPSEY UNIVERSITY OF TEESSIDE, UK Hitler, the Allies, and the Jews. By Shlomo Aronson. ... According to Aronson, the efforts of the Zionist leadership, including Chaim Weizmann and David Ben-Gurion, were too late and ineffective to lessen or stop the Final Solution. ...