October 15, 2009

BNP forced to close membership over race bias

The British National Party was today forced to move to amend its constitution so that it does not bar members on grounds of race or religion.

The move came after the Equality and Human Rights Commission started a county court action against the far-right party, accusing it of breaching the race relations laws. But proceedings at Central London County Court were adjourned after lawyers said that the party leader, Nick Griffin, would put a revised constitution before a BNP party meeting next month.

In the meantime, Robin Allen, QC, for the Commission, said that Mr Griffin had said that the party had agreed not to accept any new members until the new constitution was in place.

The concession was hailed as a victory by the Commission. John Wadham, legal director said: “We are pleased that the Party has conceded this case and agreed to all of the Commission’s requirements. We believed that the BNP’s constitution was unlawful because its membership criteria discriminated on grounds of ethnic minority status and colour. This is not a political issue — the policy of the BNP is not a party for us. It is about obeying the law, which everyone is obliged to do.”

The Commission had statutory powers and duties to ensure that no-one discriminated against another, he added. “We could not ignore a political party that was acting unlawfully.”

Chris Roberts, spokesman for the BNP Eastern region, accused Mr Wadham as they left the court of being a “disgrace” and warned him that he would face a charge for “crimes against the British people”.

Mr Roberts said: “I don’t know what the membership will vote to do but I think we will take a common sense approach.”

He said that the BNP had been forced to give the undertakings by the “liberal Marxist establishment” which wanted to see the BNP put out of business now that it was doing well in the elections. This will not change our core beliefs,” he added. “But if we want to be fighting elections and we are being forced into this, no doubt we will be forced to change our constitution.”

The case was adjourned until January 28 when the judge, Judge Paul Collins, will see if the constitution has been appropriately revised.

But the Equalities Bill, which is going through Parliament, may in any case force the party’s hand as it removes a provision the BNP relies on to justify membership criteria.

Mr Wadham said: “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.”

In the order agreed at the court the BNP agreed to use all reasonable endeavours to revise its constitution so that it does not discriminate, either directly or indirectly on any “protected characteristic” - for example on the grounds of race, ethnic or religious status - as defined in clause 4 of the Equality Bill.

The changes must be made as soon as reasonably practicable, and no later than three months from today.

The order also states that from 15th October 2009, until the new constitution comes into effect, BNP Chairman Nick Griffin will close the membership of the Party to all new membership applications.

The Commission sent a letter to the BNP in June setting out concerns about the party’s constitution and membership because “the criteria appeared to restrict membership to those within what the BNP regards as particular ‘ethnic groups’ and those whose skin colour is white”. That exclusion was contrary to the Race Relations Act, it said. It asked the BNP to amend its constitution and to make clear that it did not discriminate against potential or actual members on racial grounds.

After the BNP had failed to comply with these requirements in August, the Commission issued county court proceedings to seek an injunction to force it to act.

The Times

15 comments:

AndyMinion said...

An Urgent Appeal From Your Chairman, Nick Griffin

Fellow Patriot;

These are dark days for our great Party – the only party, indeed, that can save our beloved country from COMPLETE AND UTTER ANNIHILLATION at the hands of the LibLabCon elite.

Just as the 139 British heroes of Rorke's Drift, the 179 British defenders of the Alamo, the handful of stout British defenders of Helms Deep and President Bill Pullman in Independence Day fought against insurmountable odds and the forces of darkness, the BNP are preparing, as I write, to march proudly into battle against Trevor Phillips and the EHRC and the LibLabCon Marxist elite.

The battle may be protracted. It will be bloody. It may cost lives. It will certainly cost MANY THOUSANDS OF POUNDS in legal costs. The EHRC and the LibLabCon Marxist Zog elite have millions of pounds in Saudi and Soviet funding and the finest legal minds on the planet to draw upon.

We, the torchbearers of all that is good and pure in the World, have thirty-four pounds and Lee Barnes.

BUT OUR HEARTS ARE PURE! A good British heart beats in the chest of every one of our Members, and I KNOW that you will come to the aid of our great nation in the TIME – HONOURED MANNER.

The LibLabCon Marxist Zog Lizardman elite are circling. They believe that we are finished. Just imagine then, Dear Fellow Patriot, the look of HORROR on their cowardly, alien faces, when we reveal OUR TRUE TACTIC.

YES! MY DEAR, DARLING, FELLOW PATRIOT! We shall RAISE MONEY! We need at least a MILLION POUNDS for the plan to work!

And that is why I need YOU to DIG DEEP! DIG AS YOU HAVE NEVER DUG BEFORE! Dig deep to raise the BILLION POUNDS we need to wipe the sleazy grin off the faces of the EHRC and their LibLabCon Marxist Zog Lizardman Dalek faces!

Send your money to:

Nick Griffin
Llaffing
Allthew Aytothebank
Welshpool
Gwent

Make cheques payable to “Cash”

P.S: We've decided to spend the money on a white flag.

irishtony said...

Feckin marvellous

Could this be the beginning of the end?

How will the hate filled knuckle draggers who share the family brain cell react to this one??

Fat Nick I suspect is not a contented vegetable eating burrowing animal

Ben Trunch said...

Just watched the BBC report and interview with John Wadham of the CEHR. Who was the idiot doughnut prancing around in the background? Yes, you guess right: Dickie Bumbrook... These idiots never change, do they.

Anonymous said...

Close the membership list - would they like us to believe that there are still people out there who wish to join.

Unknown said...

It appears that a purge of South Western BNP officials is underway.

All information gratefully received.

West Midlands Unity said...

The icing on the cake would be Lee Barnes being man-handled into an emergency vehicle from the funny farm :)

Anonymous said...

"It appears that a purge of South Western BNP officials is underway.

All information gratefully received."

Look at NWN forum

Anonymous said...

I agree with AndyMinion ,the BNP are finished, despite all there begging letters the FASH are on there way out. There will be a few drinks being sunk in Hebden to night.
RebeccaPaul.(Caldercats.com)

Anonymous said...

Begging yet more Begging once of a day you would not see one begging letter from the bnp but now its every week. Members have given Millions of pounds to the Party. My question is Where AS IT GONE????

The BNP are a MUGS PARTY and only feed GRIFFINS GREED FOR HIM AND FAT JACKIE. Dont be a MUG Fuck him Off.

Anonymous said...

I can't believe you think this is going to be so easy. All the people that have been banned from joining the BNP will now be able to join. Police, Prison Officers, Teachers, Union members, and all public sector workers. You can't keep them out now. Has anyone thought about this?

Barbara said...

LOL Nice one AndyMinion, another appeal to BNP muppets is probably in the pipeline already.

Antifascist said...

'I can't believe you think this is going to be so easy. All the people that have been banned from joining the BNP will now be able to join. Police, Prison Officers, Teachers, Union members, and all public sector workers. You can't keep them out now. Has anyone thought about this?'

More than you have, clearly. How will making the BNP conform so that the party lets in people other than whites going to affect the ban on, for example, police officers being members of the BNP? I don't see the connection.

AndyMinion said...

Sorry, Antifascist, but the rules are changing and there's nothing we can do about it.

Once you've got effective anti - discrimination laws (which we've never had before), you're obliged to apply them. So long as the Nazis were just a bunch of nutters on street corners they could be ignored: As soon as they get Councillors and MEP's they have to conform. If they conform, in law, there's little we can do if their Members want to be coppers or teachers.

Personally, I think the EHRC action will prove disasterous - playing right into Gri££in's hands and shoring up their martyr complex even more.

The only thing we can do is to up our game. In my case (because I'm not very bright), that involves laughing at the bastards - make them look like the ridiculous, amateur clowns they are.

Anonymous said...

"Personally, I think the EHRC action will prove disasterous - playing right into Gri££in's hands and shoring up their martyr complex even more."

I disagree, I think that it is forcing them into a corner and they will respond by trying to work around the constitution issue with something more sinister which will get pounced on as soon as it's announced. Like for example Lee Barnes' (JJB, Lidl, Matalan) crazy plan to install the Daleks... no or was it something to do with new members needing to be referred into the party by existing members and then not being able to vote for years?

AndyMinion said...

I really hope you're right, Joe. Mind you, having just heard Darby on the wireless, there's a chance you are...

The greasy sod wouldn't be forced to say that he, personally, would welcome non-White Members.