BNP failed to to revise constitution after legal challenge from the Equality and Human Rights Commission last year
The BNP will vote today on whether to change its constitution to allow non-whites to join the party.
Following a legal challenge by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) last year the BNP agreed to use "all reasonable endeavours" to revise its constitution to ensure it did not fall foul of race equality legislation. But the far-right party has so far failed to follow through on that promise and last month it was ordered to amend its rules, which restrict membership to "indigenous Caucasians", or face prosecution.
After the January hearing, BNP spokesman Simon Darby said the party would have to "emasculate its constitution" and described the case as "a deadly serious attempt to put us out of business".
The BNP rushed out letters to its 14,000 members in order to allow for the 14 days needed to alert them to the proposed changes. An extraordinary general meeting, being held today at a secret location, is widely expected to agree a new constitution.
Griffin has urged party members to back the changes to its constitution but has deplored the EHRC's actions and described them as a waste of money. He told the BBC that ethnic minority members would "be welcomed, providing they're there to do the things that we want to do, and providing they accept and agree with our principles".
Rajinder Singh, a Sikh man who has written Nick Griffin letters of support, provided the BNP leader with a character reference at his 2005 trial for inciting racial hatred, and appeared on the party's online TV channel, is believed to have been lined up as the first non-white member in the event that the constitution is amended.
The party's communications and campaigns officer Martin Wingfield personally endorsed him on his blog, calling for the BNP to "give the brave and loyal Rajinder Singh the honour of becoming the first ethnic minority member".
Observer
February 14, 2010
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5 comments:
So the BNP are voting to decide if they will obey the law. Is this meeting the waste of money Mr Grffin talks of?
Rajinder Singh won't be able to join until after 9 March, which is when the BNP is back in court, and then only if the court accepts that the BNP's constitutional changes go far enough. The BNP is moaning that its three-month membership freeze has become a five-month membership freeze.
overwhelming vote in favour of ethnic minority Britons to be allowed to jouin up - only BNP members 5 voted against
whats it matter if this soppy Sing joins or not, he's already known as one of Nicks nutty mates. All that'll change under the new rules is he'll pay for a bit of paper certifying him
"overwhelming vote in favour of ethnic minority Britons to be allowed to jouin up - only BNP members 5 voted against"
I wonder if it was a secret ballot? Most BNP delegates are sheep who will blindly mouth the party line. Any with any independence would have left years ago.
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