A white supremacist group described by campaigners as "violent Nazis" has today been banned in the UK.
The Base became on Friday the UK’s fifth outlawed extreme right-wing group after MPs approved a proscription order earlier this week.
Membership of or support for a proscribed group is punishable by up to 14 years behind bars under anti-terrorism legislation.
Home Office minister Chris Philp told MPs during a debate on Tuesday that the Base “almost certainly prepares for terrorism.”
“We believe that the training that it provides is highly likely to be paramilitary in nature and is possibly preparatory for offensive action,” he said.
The mainly US-based group formed in 2018 has promoted using violence to establish a white ethno-state, the Home Office said Monday.
Some of its aims and ideologies have been compared to the proscribed group Atomwaffen Division and its alias National Socialist Order - both banned earlier this year.
Home Secretary Priti Patel said she was committed to making it “as difficult as possible for these organisations to operate in the UK.
“We continue to take robust action against evil white supremacist groups, who target vulnerable people across the world to join in their hateful ideologies and their sick promotion of violence,” she said.
Nick Lowles, chief executive officer at the anti-racism charity HOPE not Hate, welcomed the ban, saying the Base was “a dangerous group of violent Nazis” influential around the world.
“Proscription is welcome if it is now used by the police to close down networks and individuals in this country who have engaged with The Base.
“The group has re-emerged recently to recruit internationally again and therefore it is vital to crack down swiftly on their networks,” he said.
But Mr Lowles also called for similar action against the UK-based far right group, the Order of Nine Angles.
“While this ban is a positive development, it remains bewildering that the government has not moved to proscribe the more dangerous, more active, group the Order of Nine Angles.
“Our view remains that it is time for the government to start using their powers to proscribe violent groups that are actually active in this country at the time of being banned," he said.
