Edmonds began his political career in 1972 as a member of the National Front (NF), holding a number of positions during John Tyndall's chairmanship of the party.
In his election address he said, "To young immigrants, Richard Edmonds says that they should study to the best of their abilities, for their duty and future lie in helping their compatriots to build up their own countries."
He followed Tyndall into the New National Front in 1980 and was appointed head of the youth section, editing Young Nationalist magazine.
According to John Tyndall, after this interview took place Edmonds gave Jon Craig and Jo Revell, the two journalists covering the story, his business card telephone number in the strictest confidence.
[10] Edmonds' held the position of national organiser until 1999 when he was forced to resign following the elevation of Nick Griffin in the leadership election that year.
Although he sometimes attended events sponsored by the Nationalist Alliance, Edmonds remained a member of the BNP, playing a leading role in its Croydon branch (which has been at times somewhat cool towards the national leadership).
[11] Edmonds was co-opted by Griffin onto the BNP's Advisory Council in September 2008, thereby returning to the upper echelon of the party and ending his period of apparent dissidence.
[17] He was the NF's candidate in the Batley and Spen by-election, held on 20 October 2016, following the murder of the MP Jo Cox.