Roy Painter

Roy Painter (born 1933) was a former leading figure on the British far right.

A cab driver, he was a leading member of the Conservatives in Tottenham and had stood as a candidate for them in the Greater London Council. A supporter of Enoch Powell, he was involved with the Conservative Monday Club, although he resigned from the group (and the Tories) in 1972 when the Club began a process of removing its most extreme members.^[1] Following his resignation, Painter joined the National Front, rapidly rising to a post on the NF Directorate by 1974.^[2]

He made a weak start as a party candidate for the NF in Tottenham at the February 1974 general election; he finished with 1,270 votes (4.1%), behind the National Independence Party candidate. An improvement was shown in the October 1974 election when he captured 2,211 votes (8.3%) in the same seat. It has been argued that the vote was as much a personal one for Painter, a popular businessman in Haringey, as it was an endorsement of the NF.^[3]

He became a prominent figure in the 'populist' wing of the NF, opposing John Tyndall and Martin Webster. He wrote an article in a 1974 issue of Spearhead entitled "Let's Make Nationalism Popular" which extolled the virtues of this path. It was followed by a rebuttal from Tyndall who described Painter's arguments as "sheer unadulterated claptrap".^[4] Whilst espousing populism, Painter would tell Martin Webster, "I am a national socialist at heart. Only I am careful."^[5] The 'populists', however, began to outvote Tyndall on the Directorate^[6] and Painter dismissed Tyndall as a "tin pot Führer".^[7]

Painter was believed by The Guardian to be a potential rival leader.^[8] However, he instead supported John Kingsley Read.^[9] Kingsley Read came under bitter attack from the hardliners who regained control of the party in 1976. "Kingsley Read, Roy Painter and other ex-Conservative populists"^[10] left to form the short-lived National Party and Painter was appointed its Directorate.^[11]

Painter rejoined the Conservatives in 1978, although his role with them was confined to local politics.^[12]

Painter continues to be involved on the fringe of the far right. In 2003, with Ian Anderson, he addressed a conference organised by the Conservative Democratic Alliance.^[13] In 2012, he gave a speech entitled "Was Enoch [Powell] right about immigration?" to a seminar organised by Alan Harvey of the Springbok Club and a one time chairman of the Swinton Circle,^[14] with whom he had been in the National Party.