The UK Equality and Human Rights Commission launched county court proceedings against the BNP party leader, Nick Griffin, and two other party officials, Simon Darby and Tanya Jane Lumby soon after the European elections. The EHRC case was quite clear : the BNP party constitution restricts membership of the organisation on grounds of ethnicity & race & the EHRC was created to uphold the UK Race Relations Act. So, in a move which oughtn't surprise anyone who has seen now the BNP are playing the field with their new drive for a slice of the political pie, Nick Griffin has today announced that he will table a new constitution to the BNP conference next month.
If they British neoNAZI party accept this cynical pisstake, people who previously didn't feel the party open to "those of exclusively Caucasian white ancestry" had any appeal for them will of course, no doubt jump on the bandwagon of Britian's fastest growing political organisation & happily put up posters demanding they "go home" and cavort with their new skinhead pals in the EDL........... or is that how it will pan out?
[........."John Wadham, group director legal at the Equality and Human Rights Commission, said: "We are pleased that the party has conceded this case and agreed to all of the commission's requirements. Political parties, like any other organisation are obliged to respect the law and not discriminate against people. "It is unfortunate that the BNP spent several months before conceding and dealing properly with our legal requirements. We will be monitoring the BNP's compliance with this court order on membership, and its other legal obligations, including to its constituents." The court heard Griffin would be given 10 days to submit a signed undertaking confirming the proposed changes.
The case has now been adjourned January 28 to give the BNP the opportunity to comply with the required changes its constitution and membership criteria. The BNP has also agreed to not accept any new members until its new constitution comes into force.........."]
Irish people could of course consider what would happen to Orangeism were the Orange Lodges to be opened up to Catholics. Quite probably hardly any would join but if enough did - could it make a difference? A well organised macro-infiltration of the BNP by the very sections of society targetted by it would quickly have consequences some of which would be purely economic for the party & others which would be quite farcical. The BNP did not limit its membership to UK residents or subjects of the UK Crown or British citizens. Its constitution meant its current membership may be drawn from anyone who is "indiginously caucasian" (whatever that means) in contrast to the membership requirements of New Labour and the Conservatives.
[.........."It is understood that the BNP regarded the action as an attempt to bankrupt the party. Chris Roberts, the party's eastern regional spokesman, said it was too early to say how the proposed rule change would affect its membership. He said: "I cannot speculate as to who will join our party when our constitution changes. "I just believe its another obstacle thrown into our way by the Lib-Lab-Con elite that now we are taking votes from them they are trying to put us out of business."
coverage :
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/oct/15/bnp-non-...mbers
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/8308582.stm
The law :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Race_Relations_Act_1976