Let London Live!

In the 1977 Greater London Council election the far right, fascist political party, the National Front, contested 91 of the 92 available council seats. Despite achieving 117,000 votes, their candidates failed to win a majority in any seats. However the results showed increased support for the party in London during the 1970s as in the previous GLC election of 1973 they had polled under 10,000 votes and fielded candidates in only 6 seats.
1977 proved to be the height of National Front influence amongst London’s voters. The general election success in 1979 of a right wing, hardline Conservative party led by that Margaret Thatcher saw support for the party decline. At the same time the aggressive tactics of the National Front were being challenged by a more co-ordinated anti-racist campaign that included the creation of the Anti-Nazi league and greater activism within the black community. In August 1977 a march of 1000 National Front supporters in Lewisham was confronted by a greater number of socialists, anarchists, trade unionists and black residents resulting in widespread fighting. The following year, confrontation between the NF and anti-racist campaigners in Southall resulted in the killing of Blair Peach by the police. With declining support National Front members dispersed to form splinter groups, the largest of which was the British National Party.