Spying claims rock BNP

The British National Party has been engulfed by a bitter internal row with around 50 senior figures resigning the party whip amid claims the leadership has been spying on private emails and telephone calls.

Nick Griffin, the leader of the far-right group, is facing widespread criticism over his handling of the situation, while police confirmed yesterday they were investigating claims that a BNP security team stole files and computer equipment from the home of a regional official.

The Labour MP Jon Cruddas has written to the head of the Metropolitan police, Sir Ian Blair, calling for an inquiry into what he claims are "criminal activities involving senior members" of the party.

"The BNP leadership is showing us its true colours," said Cruddas, who is expected to raise the matter in the House of Commons today. "They appear to be monitoring phone calls and emails of their members and removing computers from private households. This is not the behaviour of a normal political party and I would like to see the police investigate this."

Simon Derby, the BNP's national spokesman, denied the party had done anything illegal and said the equipment that was taken belonged to the party. He said the situation had been "a bit messy" but the people involved had been plotting a coup against Griffin and needed to be challenged. A line would be drawn under the issue over the coming weeks, he said.

"As far as nationalist politics is concerned there is still only one show in town," he said.

A spokeswoman for Nottinghamshire police said: "Nottinghamshire police is investigating the alleged theft of a computer taken from the home of a former BNP councillor. The investigation is ongoing and there is no further information at this time."

Tensions came to a head when two key organisers, Sadie Graham and Kenny Smith, were accused of plotting an inept and ill-timed coup. Graham, who is a BNP councillor in Broxtowe in the east Midlands as well as the BNP's group development officer, claims the party secretly bugged her home. She said the BNP's inner intelligence unit then "tricked" their way into her house when she was out, taking files and computer equipment.

The party's website ran a recording of a conversation between Graham and Smith, who were subsequently sacked for "gross misconduct".

The BNP has insisted Graham's home was not bugged, but rather that she had accidentally dialled a number on her mobile phone that led to the conversation being recorded.

"I think we can call it a catastrophic error on her part," said Derby.

Graham claims she has public support of around 50 officers and councillors, and the private backing of many more BNP members.

According to Nick Lowles, an anti-fascist campaigner from Searchlight, large sections of the party across the north of England and Scotland are now openly hostile to Griffin and the current BNP leadership. "This has become a very serious split and it is difficult to see how the two sides can be reconciled without one group leaving the party," he said.

Guardian