In the United Kingdom, the National Front (more commonly called the  NF) is an extreme right-wing political party that had its heyday during the 1970s and '80s.

The NF was founded in 1967 under the chairmanship of A. K. Chesterton, a cousin of the novelist G.K. Chesterton. By 1974 it had as many as 20,000 members and was challenging both Labour and the Liberals in certain bye elections. The NF fought on a platform of opposition to communism and liberalism, support for Ulster loyalism, opposition to the European Economic Community, and, most notoriously, the compulsory repatriation of new Commonwealth immigrants.

1976 Martin Webster leads a National Front march in its heyday

Its base was largely working class who resented the influx of immigrant competition (blacks and Pakistanis) into the labour market. The party also appealed to a few disillusioned Conservatives, who gave the party much needed electoral expertise and respectability. In essence though the party was extremist. Typically like other extremist parties it also had its violent side with certain supporters favouring paki (stani) bashing and racial intimidation. Its leaders enjoyed dressing up in quasi Nazi uniforms and symbolism and its shocktroops were skinheads (once a tribal offshoot of the mods into ska and rocksteady and now forever stereotyped as violent racists)
A common sight in the 70s, the NF was well-known for its noisy demonstrations, particularly in London, where it often faced anti-fascist counter-marchers from opposing groups, including the Anti-Nazi League. At one time 1976-77 the Front was a real threat with it gaining leverage in local elections and increased publicity and the possibility (though unlikely) of some success in national elections.

The NF says "... the opposition mobilised its forces, lavishly funded and supported by the media, the powerful Zionist lobby and International Capitalism. One response was the forming of the 'Anti-Nazi League,' a front organisation for the Trotskyite Socialist Workers' Party with a gloss of respectability being provided by show business dupes and extreme-left Labour MP's."

While the National Front actively recruited at Schools and concerts another opposition front came from Rock Against Racism and in particular an unlikely pairing of punk and reggae in carnivals and concerts which effectively halted this campaign. While in the beginning NF publications attempted to use punk songs like White Riot and I Feel Like A Wog as declarations of support from them' leading punk figures soon put them straight as the article on the right shows. 

Right. NF article from 1977 on Johnny Rotten's anti NF comments >>
Click on article for larger readable image.

Maggie

 Front deputy leader Martin Webster stated that the activities of the Anti-Nazi League played a key part in the NF's collapse at the end of the 1970's. However it could be argued that ironically the real architect of the National Front's slide was Margaret Thatcher and the Conservative Party in 1979 who while moving centrewards politically away from the NF extremist right took a tough right-wing stance on immigration and law and order which caused the  NF's support to shrink.

The NF says "This lie by Thatcher, plus huge Anti-Nazi League rallies and media hyping of the ‘Holocaust’ series on television in the week running up to the election, with the media ever eager to employ the "nazi" smear, and a campaign of voter intimidation by Marxist thugs led to disappointing results in the General Election. "

As of now 2005 the National Front, or whatever name it gives itself, is still an extremist minority party preying on fears and peddling nonsense to the gullible.

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NF quotes courtesy of their wacky and loony website at http://www.natfront.com/history.html
More info about the anti Nazi fight at http://www.searchlightmagazine.com/features/century/cbf.php?include=page7