It is with deep sorrow that I heard of the sad news of the passing of Gerry Gable (1937–2026) — a towering figure in the fight against fascism, racism, and the far right in Britain.
Gerry devoted his life to defending democratic values and exposing extremism, leaving a legacy that will inspire generations.
I first met Gerry during my time as a Liberal Democrat councillor and Parliamentary candidate, when I faced sustained attacks from the British National Party in Epping Forest and Brentwood.
One notable moment came when the BNP brought a complaint against me as an Epping Forest Councillor to the Standards Board for England over my description of them as “Nazis.” With Gerry’s guidance and support, I successfully defended my words, and the Board ruled that describing the BNP in this way was entirely acceptable within normal political debate. It was a landmark moment — showing that standing up to the far right, and calling out their ideology, was both right and lawful.
Gerry was best known as the founder and long-serving editor of Searchlight magazine, which he co-founded in 1975. Under his leadership, Searchlight became the definitive source of intelligence on the far right, exposing networks, funding, and tactics, and supporting campaigns that pushed fascists back from public life. From the 1960s onward, including his early work with the 62 Group alongside the likes of Sir Gerald Ronson (who later went on to form the venerable Community Security Trust), Gerry never stopped adapting to confront new forms of extremism.
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