BNP's Griffin invited to attend Palace garden party

Published on Tuesday 15 June 2010 22:05

BRITISH National Party leader Nick Griffin has secured an invitation to a Buckingham Palace garden party, it was disclosed yesterday.

The far-right politician intends to take three members of his family to the event on 22 July in his capacity as an MEP for the North West of England.

Last year, Mr Griffin withdrew from attending a similar event out of fear of embarrassing the Queen. He announced his latest invitation during a dinner with party supporters last weekend.

A Palace spokesman confirmed that, as an MEP, Mr Griffin was eligible to nominate himself to attend a garden party, as part of the allocation of tickets to the European Parliament.

Mr Griffin recently indicated his intention to step down as leader of the BNP by the end of 2013, following a humiliating defeat in last month's general election.

In 2009, he was invited to attend a Palace garden party by a BNP colleague, Richard Barnbrook, who, as a London Assembly member, was nominated for two tickets. He bowed out of the event following public protests.