ABSTRACT
Historically, the extreme right both in England and in France has always been marginal in terms of popular support. The United Kingdom and France have very different responses to the growth of the extreme right, because the extreme right has grown in the two countries in very different ways. Two indicators, the number of racist incidents and electoral results, point to growth of the extreme right in both countries. According to the first indicator, the far right is having a greater effect than before in England; according to the second, the far right is gaining strength in France. In the United Kingdom, the small absolute number of extreme-right activities has meant that its impact has been largely limited to specialist governmental and nongovernmental organizations dealing with the extreme right and racism. In France, the larger absolute size of the extreme right has meant that its activities have impacted politics and society generally.
