A member of a banned neo-Nazi terror group plotted to murder Labour MP Rosie Cooper with a machete, a court heard this week. 

National Action has engaged in a campaign of “virulently racist, antisemitic and homophobic propaganda” in order to stir up a “race war” against ethnic minorities and “race traitors” since 2013, the Old Bailey heard. 

Jack Renshaw, 24, has admitted preparation for a terrorist act by purchasing a machete to kill Ms Cooper, 68, but denies being a member of National Action after it was banned in 2016.

He is on trial with Andrew Clarke, 34, and Michael Trubini, 25, also accused of membership of National Action.

Duncan Atkinson QC, prosecuting, told the court that Renshaw, Clarke, and Trubini remained active members of National Action after it was outlawed.

Material from National Action or consistent with its beliefs was found at their home addresses, as well as on mobile phones and hard drives seized from the defendants by the police. 

Mr Atkinson said Robbie Mullen, a member of National Action before the ban, would be the key witness in the trial. 
He said: “Over time he became disenchanted with the organisation and turned to an organisation which seeks to combat right wing extremism, Hope Not Hate.”

The court heard that at a meeting at the Friar Penketh, a pub in Warrington, Renshaw told the group that he was planning to kill Ms Cooper because of her support for immigration and had already purchased the machete.

 Mr Atkinson told the jury that Renshaw’s motivation was as a “white jihad” and to avenge himself against Lancashire Police who he blamed for having sent him to prison.

Clarke, of Latham Close, Prescot, Liverpool, Trubini, of Dutton Court, Warrington, Cheshire, and Renshaw, from Lancashire, all deny being members of National Action after the ban.

Renshaw complained that Adolf Hitler was “too merciful” in one of his speeches as a National Action spokesman, the court heard.

Earlier Mr Atkinson said when Renshaw told other members of the group of his plan to kill Rosie Cooper at the Friar Penketh no one tried to talk him out of it.

He said: “The politically and racially motivated killing of an MP would be an act of terrorism, and Renshaw has admitted preparing to carry out such an act.”

Jurors heard that Robbie Mullen believed Renshaw was serious and reported what he had heard to Hope Not Hate (HNH). 

Mr Atkinson said that HNH contacted Ruth Smeeth MP who then called Ms Cooper to inform her of the threat. He said that this led to a police investigation and the arrest of the defendants. 

The prosecutor turned to each of the defendants and their backgrounds with National Action prior to its ban. 

He said Renshaw was a spokesman for National Action and that he made two speeches in 2016.

Mr Atkinson told the jury: “The first was at the Yorkshire Forum for Nationalists in February 2016, which includes observations as to the importance as to having a killer instinct.”

The prosecutor told the jury: “Racist and antisemitic views were in his view natural views. 

“His criticism of Adolf Hitler was that he was too merciful.” 

The court heard that at a second speech in 2016 in Blackpool he again made antisemitic remarks.

Mr Atkinson said Clarke used the twitter handle ‘@terrorshanks’ and that there was antisemitic material on his Instagram account.  

The jury heard that the Instagram account also contained an image of Clarke giving the Nazi salute, posted after the ban. 

Jurors heard a Nazi flag, a copy of Mein Kempf and a National Action skull face covering were recovered from the address of Slovakia-born Trubini. 

The trial continues.