| “ | People need a firm hand. It's in their nature. They feel more comfortable with a strong leader, someone who knows when to be lenient and when to be harsh. | „ |
| ~ George Ratcliffe on the Third Reich |
George Ratcliffe is a supporting antagonist in the Doctor Who TV serial "Remembrance of the Daleks". He was portrayed by George Sewell.
Biography
George Ratcliffe is the leader of the Association, a fascist group clearly inspired by the real-life British Union of Fascists. He habours racist and anti-Semitic sentiment and believes that the British government plans to reduce wages by laying off white people and replacing them with "negroes". He also views Adolf Hitler's Nazi Germany as an example of the perfect state, which he wants Britain to emulate.
During the Second World War, Ratcliffe spoke out against Britain's declaration of war on Germany. This got him arrested and he was deemed a quisling by the authorities. After his release, he rebuilt the previously disbanded the Association and turned his attention towards recruiting more members through anti-immigrant rhetoric, his ultimate goal being to stage a coup and establish a fascist dictatorship.
In 1936, Ratcliffe discovered that the Renegade Dalek faction had arrived on Earth. They offered him infinite power in return for helping them retrieve the Hand of Omega so they could defeat the Imperial Daleks. Ratcliffe agreed, thinking he could achive the ends of the Association.
Reconnaissance work by Mike Smith confirmed the Hand had been interred by the Seventh Doctor in the local graveyard. Ratcliffe's men dug up the grave and took the hand, causing Ratcliffe to believe that his problems were over. However, the Daleks betrayed and wiped out his men, informing him that he was merely their "slave" and was "born to serve [them]".
Thinking he could use it to bargain with them, Ratcliffe stole the Dalek's Time Controller to strand them on Earth. However, the Supreme Dalek simply ordered his death. He was saved by an attack from the Imperial Daleks, who wanted the Hand for themselves. During the battle, another servant of the Daleks shot and killed Ratcliffe.
