It was a clash between members of the British Union of Fascists (BUF) and anti-fascist demonstrators from the small local Communist Party and National Unemployed Workers Movement (NUWM).

In response Short relocated, helping the unemployed in the churchyard of Holy Trinity Church and holding his political meetings at the Five Lamps in Thornaby.

As only the NUWM and CPGB were barred from holding meetings at the Market Cross, Short and his wife Phyllis organised a series of demonstrations, culminating in a march up and down Stockton's High Street.

When the 5-foot-tall Phyllis was asked if she had assaulted the 6 foot 6 inch Superintendent Hammond standing next to her, her shrug reduced everyone in the magistrates court to fits of laughter.

As there were only a handful of local members London sent the London based BUF speaker; Captain Vincent Collier; who would shortly after become the North East Propaganda Officer, they also sent to Stockton a dozen Tyneside members and a ominously a dozen from Manchester's newly formed 'Defence Force', these latter had been involved in a number of violent altercations in Cheetham Hill, they wore the black shirt as a uniform, which was later used by the BUF as a whole.

When Collier and his 30 men arrived at Stockton's High Street they found the Market Cross occupied by George Short and a peaceful crowd of up to 3000 supporters.

As the BUF withdrew, a handful of the Blackshirts attacked individuals in the crowd, which resulted in isolated pockets of fighting which Collier elaborated upon for the newspapers, who eagerly repeated his fabrications.

I informed him that I was in charge of the area and would not stand for innocent people being bludgeoned, He deliberately attacked one of the crowd with the result that a riot started in a few seconds.

Fortunately, a group of uncommitted locals outside a pub saw the incident, attacked the Reds and rescued him, bandaged his head and got him back to the Blackshirts during a lull in the fighting.

Collier claimed the injury was due to being struck by a potato which had a cutthroat razor blade embedded in it, but Ned's brother John stated it was a stone.

The Battle of Stockton was a hugely significant setback for the BUF on Teesside; resulting in Michael Jordan, who had been with Mosley in the New Party, submitting a long and rather acrimonious resignation letter.

Inspired by the 2011 article by David Walsh, in August 2017 an organisation called The Battle of Stockton Campaign (BoS) was founded in order to commemorate the event.

Other speakers at the commemoration were Stockton North MP Alex Cunningham, North-East MEP Jude Kirton-Darling, actress and president of the International Brigade Memorial Trust Marlene Sidaway, the convener of Cable Street 80; David Rosenberg and Unison's Claire Williams.