BNP ready to ditch race-bar rule

Published on Thursday 15 October 2009 22:07

THE British National Party will amend its constitution so its rules on membership do not discriminate on the grounds of race or religion, a court was told yesterday.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission issued County Court proceedings against the far-right party on 24 August after voicing concerns its membership criteria were restrictive to those within certain ethnic groups.

Robin Allen QC, counsel for the commission, said party leader Nick Griffin had agreed to present party members with a revised constitution at its general meeting next month.

He added that the party had agreed not to accept any new members until the new constitution was in place.

In an order issued at the Central London County Court, the BNP agreed to use "all reasonable endeavours" to revise its constitution so it did not discriminate on what are termed "protected characteristics" in clause four of the Equality Bill. These include race, gender and religious belief.

John Wadham, of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, said: "Political parties, like any other organisation, are obliged to respect the law and not discriminate against people."

Shami Chakrabarti, director of Liberty, said: "It would be a pyrrhic victory, to say the least, if anyone thought that giving the BNP a facelift would make the slightest difference to a body with so much racism and hatred pumping through its veins."