R.I.P. Rodney Atkinson

We are saddened to hear that Rodney Atkinson, UK political and economic commentator, ASI author, businessman and passionate advocate for national sovereignty, died recently at the age of 78.

Born in Northumberland he grew up alongside his brothers, including the noted comedian and actor Rowan. He studied German at Newcastle, and his early career included lecturing at the University of Mainz. He then transitioned into finance, obtaining an MSc in management studies from Durham and working as a merchant banker in the City of London with institutions such as Grindlays and Banque Paribas. In addition, he built and ran his own commercial property business in the North East of England.

 Always politically active, from 1981 onward, he served as an occasional adviser to government ministers in the Thatcher government.

 He was a prolific political writer and thinker, authoring or co-authoring several influential books, including Treason at Maastricht – the destruction of the Nation State (with Norris McWhirter, 1994), Government against the People (1985), Europe’s Full Circle (1997), Fascist Europe Rising (2001), plus And into the Fire (2013). His website, freenations.net, hosted over 400 articles on political economy, geopolitics, and the case for the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union.

 A committed Eurosceptic and conservative, Atkinson was an early activist in the Freedom Association, founded the Campaign for United Kingdom Conservatism and co-founded the South Molton Declaration. a cross-party political initiative aimed at asserting UK parliamentary sovereignty, particularly against EU influence. He stood as the Referendum Party candidate in North West Durham in 1997 and as a UKIP candidate in the 1999 European elections. Though he narrowly lost the UKIP leadership contest in 2000, his advocacy for British independence left a lasting mark on the political landscape. He later distanced himself from UKIP, citing concerns over its direction.

 Known for his uncompromising criticism of socialism and his dedication to the principles of democracy and national self-determination, Rodney Atkinson was an arch critic of the EU (and almost everything about it). A larger than life character and a voice for all those wary of supranational overreach, he will be missed by all those who share his concerns. 

 Eamonn Butler