Skye soap maker rebuts claims of fascist links

A Skye couple, one of whom runs a soap business on the island, have rebutted a national advocacy group’s claim that they are involved in a fascist organisation.

On Saturday, an article by The Herald newspaper revealed that Claire Ellis, who runs the Clean and Pure Soap business on Skye, is a member of the Patriotic Alternative group along with her fiancé Kenny Smith.

Patriotic Alternative, which describes itself as an activism group, was founded in September 2019 by Mark Collett.

Mark Collett was formerly chairman of the Young BNP, the youth division of the British National Party (BNP) and was director of publicity for the party.

Patriotic Alternative has been accused as being the “UK’s most active fascist group” by advocacy group Hope Not Hate.

Claire Ellis

Commenting to Radio Skye, Claire Ellis confirmed that her and her fiancé Kenny Smith were part of the group, but said: “We challenge the word fascist. There is nothing in our doctrine that is fascist.

“We are Nationalist or Ethno-Nationalist if you are looking for a term that accurately describes us.”

Within its plan, for what it argues would be a ‘healthy, successful, and prosperous United Kingdom’, Patriotic Alternative claims that indigenous people of the UK will be a minority by 2060, and states that to counter this anyone of immigrant descent who holds a British passport would be offered generous financial incentives in order to return to what the group terms as their ‘ancestral homelands’.

It also pledges to overturn so-called ‘hate speech laws’ immediately and free all those imprisoned under such legislation and have their criminal records expunged. The only exception to this will be those who promote violence or terrorism.

It states that it will promote the traditional family, which it describes as strictly consisting of mother, father, and children as an ideal to be striven for and emulated, and that no public body will promote any alternative as either equal or superior to the traditional family.

Claire Ellis and Kenny Smith have said that assignation of fascist to the people involved in Patriotic Alternative and the organisation is a smear as they categorically reject that ideology.

Kenny Smith

The following clip is taken from the 2022 Patriotic Alternative Spring Conference, in which Kenny Smith, a former BNP member, who originally hails from the Western Isles, speaks candidly about discriminating against other races and cultures.

Warning this clip contains material which may offend.

 

David Lawrence, senior researcher at Hope Note Hate gave this assessment of the group.

He said: “Patriotic Alternative remains small, with an active membership in the low hundreds, and is desperate for relevance.

“As a result, it downplays its extremism when dealing with the public and tries to co-opt existing local concerns as their own.

“Because PA is highly active and relatively well organised there is a risk it may succeed in inflaming local tensions, growing its brand in the process.”

Article by Adam Gordon.

 

**PLEASE NOTE**

This article has no relation to the Isle of Skye Soap Co based in Portree