Young, Nazi and Proud

In 2002, Channel 4 aired a documentary that would send shockwaves throughout the United Kingdom. Young, Nazi and Proud took an unflinching look at the youth wing of the British National Party (BNP) and its then-chairman, Mark Collett. The documentary would go on to win a BAFTA award for Best Current Affairs, but its true impact was in shedding light on the disturbing rise of far-right ideologies among young people in Britain.

Collett, a fresh-faced young man with a charming demeanor, was the perfect embodiment of the BNP’s new image. The party, which had been founded in the 1980s by former members of the National Front, had undergone a transformation in the late 1990s, seeking to distance itself from its racist and fascist roots. The BNP of the 21st century was slicker, more media-savvy, and focused on promoting a message of “British nationalism” rather than overtly racist policies.

But as Young, Nazi and Proud revealed, the party’s new face belied a sinister reality. Collett, who was just 22 years old at the time, spoke openly about his admiration for Adolf Hitler and the policies of National Socialism. He expressed his desire to expel all non-white immigrants from Britain and claimed that Jews were responsible for many of the country’s problems. The documentary also showed footage of Collett and other members of the BNP engaging in violent behavior and making racist remarks.

What made Young, Nazi and Proud so chilling was the fact that Collett and his colleagues were not isolated extremists. The documentary highlighted the fact that the BNP’s youth wing had gained a worrying amount of support among young people in Britain. It featured interviews with several young BNP members who expressed similar views to Collett and praised the party’s efforts to recruit more young people.

The documentary also touched on the broader issue of far-right extremism in Europe, particularly in Germany, where the rise of the neo-Nazi party National Democratic Party (NPD) had become a cause for concern. It was clear that the rise of the BNP’s youth wing was part of a larger trend of far-right movements gaining traction among young people across Europe.

Young, Nazi and Proud was a wake-up call for many in Britain. The documentary forced the country to confront the reality that far-right extremism was not just a relic of the past, but a growing threat to its social fabric. It also exposed the dangers of complacency in the face of such extremism. The fact that young people, who are typically more open-minded and accepting of diversity, were being drawn into far-right ideologies was a warning sign that could not be ignored.

Today, nearly two decades after the documentary aired, the threat of far-right extremism is as real as ever. The rise of groups like the English Defence League (EDL) and the resurgence of the BNP under Nick Griffin’s leadership have demonstrated that the roots of far-right ideology run deep in Britain. However, Young, Nazi and Proud remains an important reminder of the dangers of such extremism and the need for vigilance in countering it.

In conclusion, Young, Nazi and Proud is a powerful and disturbing documentary that exposes the reality of far-right extremism among young people in Britain. It serves as a warning against complacency in the face of such ideologies and a reminder of the importance of standing up for diversity and tolerance. The BAFTA award was well-deserved, but the real value of the documentary lies in its ability to provoke thought and inspire action.