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A banned neo-Nazi group involved in terrorism are behind a new extreme right-wing organisation recruiting in Scotland.

An undercover probe by the Record and investigative website The Ferret secretly filmed a Scottish Dawn activist admitting their links to National Action.

Ruaidhri McKim also revealed he was a former member of UKIP and claimed he got drunk with David Coburn, the party’s leader in Scotland.

The findings of our seven-month investigation has prompted calls for the UK Government to ban the far-right group.

(Image: Daily Record)

We filmed two Scottish Dawn members after setting up a meeting in a pub following email conversations.

The men used the false names Fraser and John to protect their real identities. But we identified “Fraser” as McKim via the mobile phone number he provided.

It led us to the website of WB Stonemasonry, a firm based in East Lothian, where he was listed as managing director. These details were removed after we contacted McKim to ask for a comment.

This week marks the first anniversary of the murder of Jo Cox, who was stabbed and shot by far-right extremist Thomas Mair.

National Action celebrated the Labour MP’s death in social media posts and praised the killer’s actions.

They later adopted the slogan “Death to traitors, freedom for Britain!” – which was Mair’s declaration when asked to give his name in court.

Speaking about National Action during the pub meeting, McKim told our reporter: “They were getting too successful for the mainstream.

(Image: Daily Record)

“National Action were a good organisation and the stuff we (Scottish Dawn) do is very similar.

“Basically, there are some members in the group who were in National Action. It’s kind of hard to talk about it because they’re a proscribed terrorist organisation.”

McKim added: “I was in UKIP for a while. Then, after Brexit, I left because I didn’t see a point in it any more.

“There’s lots of radical people within the party, but no one with any position is a radical.

“I’ve been drunk with David Coburn – he’s really good fun.”

“John” has not yet been identified.

(Image: Daily Record)

National Action were banned in December under the Terrorism Act 2000. Being a member, or inviting support for the group, is a criminal offence carrying a sentence of up to 10 years’ imprisonment.

Home Secretary Amber Rudd said they were “a racist, anti-Semitic and homophobic organisation who stir up hatred, glorify violence and promote a vile ideology”.

The group were active in Scotland. They ran a “whites-only” food bank in Glasgow and posted a YouTube video of a secret training camp here.

After they were banned, Scottish Dawn emerged early this year. They claim to be “a patriotic society for the defence of our race and nation” who are “active across Scotland”.

McKim insisted: “Everything that Scottish Dawn do is legal.”

He made several Nazi references during the conversation. Explaining to our reporter why he had two phones, McKim said: “I have Nazi phone too.”

He added: “There’s quite a few vegans and vegetarians [in Scottish Dawn] because they’re kind of that sort of Nazis. Nazis were the first government to even basically think of animal welfare.”

(Image: Daily Record)

The Scottish Dawn activists also claimed to have helped homeless people in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen.

McKim said: “We were introduced to the idea by Polish nationalists.

“It’s quite weird, there’s Polish nationalist organisations that are active in the UK.”

Our reporter asked: “What are they called again?”

John replied: “National Rebirth of Poland.”

McKim added: “In Polish, it abbreviates to NOP. They’re OK. They’re a bit mouthy and skinheady, but they are nice guys and stuff.

“They had this big idea to take back homeless outreach from left-wing groups or Christian groups, and put it in the hands of nationalism.”

NOP are an extremely violent neo-Nazi group and there is growing concern over their activities in the UK.

In March, 31 Polish nationals were arrested in Liverpool when neo-Nazis attacked police and local people.

Scottish Dawn have attended at least two demos organised by the Scottish Defence League.

Their first public appearance was at the SDL’s anti-refugee demo in Alloa in March, alongside the National Front. Members were also at the SDL’s demo in Wishaw, Lanarkshire, in April.

They use a bright yellow flag displaying a black symbol known as the “life rune”, which was also used by the Nazis.

At demos, members disguise their faces and wear yellow-tinged sunglasses.

Scottish Dawn have adopted “Alba Gu Bràth” – “Scotland forever” in Scottish Gaelic – as a slogan.

The group’s strategy is to target young nationalists and SNP supporters.

McKim said: “A lot of the people who vote for the SNP are, more or less, ethno-nationalists – especially the working-class kind of SNP supporter. Scottish Dawn as an organisation, we’d like to kind of get those SNP supporters and…”

John completed the sentence: “…take back nationalism.”

McKim added: “Turn them into what we want, rather than what they want.”

(Image: Daily Record)

Scottish Dawn groom new members via initial face-to-face interviews.

Anyone deemed suitable is invited to volunteer at animal sanctuaries or to go camping, hiking or practice boxing.

The group also run martial arts training camps and our reporter was invited to do litter-picking in Edinburgh.

Scottish Dawn use the Telegram messaging service for communicating, as they believe it to be secure and anonymous.

They rely on Protonmail and Tutanota for encrypted emailing and McKim used 4Chan and 8Chan, sites that allow anonymous posting.

Revealing Scottish Dawn’s long-term plans, John said: “There will literally be fascists and communists fighting on the street – that’s how it was after the war in Germany – 1918, factions – and we’re kind of working towards that.”

Last night, anti-fascist groups called for action to be taken against Scottish Dawn.

Matthew Collins, of Hope Not Hate, said: “It’s been quite obvious that National Action have simply been paying lip service to the ban. They continue to recruit, to stir up hatred and make plans for a violent race war.

“Scottish Dawn are one of a series of ‘regional’ groups that National Action believe can circumvent what they seem to feel was merely a ban on their name.

“The Home Secretary needs to enforce the law and look to do more than just ban a name of a group.”

(Image: Andrew Milligan/PA Wire)

Unite Against Fascism said: “It is clear that the people behind Scottish Dawn are hate-filled Nazis. The group might be small just now but they are working with the Scottish Defence League, trying to build a movement, and that makes them dangerous.”

Scottish Dawn did not respond to our requests for a comment.

When we contacted McKim by phone, he cut off our reporter without commenting.

After we emailed him, he replied: “I have sought legal advice and will say that if you intend to print this unsupported trash then it is my intention to take legal action against whoever publishes it.”

Coburn said yesterday: “As far as this bloke is concerned, I have zero recollection of him.

“I meet many Young Independence members. They pay their membership like members of any political party and we know little about them till they do something fabulous or very silly.

“I never ever get drunk with anyone other than Nigel Farage, and then not for many years. I am constantly in the public eye and I am not stupid.

“I think this chap is grandstanding and blethering.

“I am homosexual, speak Arabic and various other languages and I have spent my entire life fighting ignorance, racial and sexual intolerance.

“Print this c**p and I will sue this individual, you and your organ.”

● You can view footage from our undercover investigation at The Ferret’s website.