Come and join the party, says Nick Griffin as BNP votes to allow in non-whites

Published on Sunday 14 February 2010 21:48

THE British National Party has voted to approve changes to its constitution that would allow black and Asian people to become members.

The decision came after the far-right party held an extraordinary general meeting in Essex yesterday, a party spokesman said. It was arranged after the Central London County Court told the BNP to amend its constitution to comply with race relations laws or face legal action by the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

Party leader Nick Griffin said he expected a "trickle, rather than a flood" of applications from black and Asian people.

He said: "Anyone can be a member of this party. We are happy to accept anyone as a member, providing they agree with us that this country should remain fundamentally British."

The party's democratic credentials were questioned by a BBC reporter, who told Mr Griffin he had seen a journalist being "bundled out" of the meeting.

The BNP leader claimed the Times newspaper, where the reporter worked, had lied about the party.

He said: "Because he is from the Times, which is owned by Rupert Murdoch, and it lies and it lies and it lies about this party. So he was told: 'We're sorry, you told one lie too many, so we are not allowing anyone from the Times in – kindly leave.' He refused to leave when he was asked so he had to be encouraged to leave."

A spokesman for News International confirmed one of their reporters had been removed from the meeting.

The BBC reporter asked if he would be removed if he said the wrong thing. Mr Griffin replied: "If you utter some outrageous lie about me… you won't be welcome again."

Mr Griffin said he expected to welcome the party's first non-white member, a Sikh called Rajinder Singh, soon. He said: "I will be absolutely delighted to shake his hand and give him his membership card."

He added he expected the party's new constitution would be presented to the commission by tomorrow. It will then have a week to respond, and both parties will return to court early next month.

A spokeswoman for the Equality and Human Rights Commission said: "We hope that the BNP's revised membership policy is no longer discriminatory. We're expecting to see a copy of the policy on Tuesday. When we've received this, we will consider our position ahead of the next court hearing on 9 March."

Last June, the commission ordered the constitution change and threatened legal action if it was not carried out. The commission said the party's membership criteria appeared to restrict membership to those within what the BNP regarded as particular "ethnic groups" and those whose skin colour was white.

In a statement at they time, the EHRC said: "This exclusion is contrary to the Race Relations Act, which the party is legally obliged to comply with. The commission therefore thinks the BNP may have acted, and be acting, illegally."

The BNP told a county court hearing in October that it would make the changes within a month.