Don't be fooled by the BNP

The party may change its membership rules to allow non-white people to join – but its underlying politics won't change

BNP leader Nick Griffin yesterday announced that his party should change its membership rules to allow non-white people to join. If not, he warned, they would be crushed in the courts.

Griffin made his statement following the on-going court battle over their current membership which effectively bans non-white people from becoming members of the BNP. In doing so he hopes to avoid a heavy financial and possibly legal penalty following action brought by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC).

But let us be absolutely clear. Any change in the BNP membership will not alter the fundamental nature of the party itself. It will remain a racist and fascist party.

There has been much attention focused on the BNP membership rules in recent months. In my opinion too much. Yes, the BNP should have to abide by rules outlawing racism – because of course its membership rules are explicitly racist and so should not be allowed in a democratic society – but a change of its rule book will not alter the true nature of the party.

The BNP will undoubtedly use any change to its constitution as proof that it is no longer a racist organisation. Indeed, there have been some within the party who have been arguing for this change for some time. Two years ago, and with the leadership's initial blessing, some moved a motion at the party's annual conference to allow non-white people to join. The supporters of this motion had previously been behind earlier moves to publicly water down the party's policies so as to appear more moderate for the electorate. The motion was defeated but it was always only going to be a matter of when, not if, changes would occur.

Now Griffin is in the position to claim that he is being forced to act because of the undemocratic Orwellian "equality laws" as a way to change the party rules. No doubt in future elections he will claim the party is not racist because it allows non-white people to join.

Any change to the BNP membership rules is just window dressing and people, especially in the media, should not be fooled. In the recent European elections a succession of journalists initially refused to even call the BNP racist because the party itself claimed it was not. Then Griffin came out with a serious of racist comments, such as non-white people could never be British and immigration was a "bloodless genocide".

While many people have become fixated with the BNP's membership rules there are other sections of its constitution which really reveal its true politics. These are far more important than whom it allows to join its ranks.

The constitution states clearly that only those who can trace a link to Britain before 1948 can ever be defined as British. That of course, excludes almost all non-white immigrants. The constitution also enshrines its fundamental opposition to any integration or mixing of races when it states:

The British National party stands for the preservation of the national and ethnic character of the British people and is wholly opposed to any form of racial integration between British and non-European peoples. It is therefore committed to stemming and reversing the tide of non-white immigration …

While people have become fixated with the BNP membership rules, its definition of who can be British and its opposition to any form of integration are far more important.

Griffin might in due course decide that these too should be dropped from its constitution but even then we should not be fooled. As we witnessed repeatedly during the recent election campaign the BNP will say anything to get elected but when pushed or allowed the freedom to speak their mind they reveal their true nature. Whatever accommodation the BNP will be forced to make to its constitution it will remain a racist and fascist party.

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