BNP still racist, judge rules

Friday, 12 March 2010 2:45 PM

By politics.co.uk staff

The far-right British National party (BNP) has not changed its membership policy sufficiently to stop it being racist, a judge has ruled.

A change to its membership rules allowing "non-indigenous Britons" to join, following legal action by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), was deemed to be inadequate at Central London county court.

The judge accepted the EHCR's argument that "non-indigenous Britons" would have to give up their racial and cultural identity to abide by the thoughts, feelings and sentiments of the party.

He has ordered that their membership list is closed until they comply with race laws, in a further blow to the party's coffers.

Leader Nick Griffin succeeded in persuading party members to back a change in the party's constitution last month, which had previously prevented non-whites from joining.

"Whatever the results of this case, the BNP remains a fundamentally racist and fascist organisation dedicated to the elimination of black and Asian people from this country," a statement from campaigning group Unite Against Fascism said.

The news came as an independent review found banning teachers from joining racist organisations like the BNP would be a "disproportionate" response to the problem.

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