Ban BNP members from working in public sector, say unions

TUC calls for urgent talks with the government about extending the current ban on BNP members working in the police and prison services

Unions today called for a ban on members of far right parties such as the BNP working in the public sector. The call to bar British National party members from working in public services came as unions vowed to mobilise against the threat of fascism.

Delegates at the TUC conference in Liverpool unanimously backed the call for urgent talks with the government about extending the current ban on BNP members working in the police and prison services.

Janice Godrich, deputy general secretary of the Public and Commercial Services Union, said the "BNP's message of hate and fear" stood in stark contrast to the values of equality and access for all on which public services were based.

"It is not acceptable that you can be a fascist at weekends, yet work between Monday and Friday accessing confidential information of members of the public," she said.

Tim Wilson, of the National Association of Probation Officers, said it was "wrong" that BNP members could work in the profession.

Colin Moses, president of the Prison Officers Association, rounded on the BBC for considering inviting the BNP leader, Nick Griffin, on to its Question Time programme, a view echoed by the National Union of Journalists.

NUJ delegate Tim Lezard challenged the claim that the broadcaster was duty bound to include the BNP in political programmes. "The BBC says they have to invite the BNP onto Question Time. No they don't," he said.

Godrich blamed mainstream parties for letting down voters and allowing the BNP to prosper at the European parliament, where they won two seats for the first time.

"Mainstream parties need to urgently address the serious gaps in the policies that allow the BNP and far right to exploit division to suit their own ends," she said.

Guardian

Ex-BNP activist 'recruiting prisoners to join al-Qa'ida'

A former British National Party activist who converted to Islam in a maximum-security jail is being held in isolation on suspicion of trying to recruit fellow prisoners to terrorist groups.

Stephen Jones has been confined to a segregation unit in Whitemoor prison, Cambridgeshire, for three weeks while the intelligence services investigate his alleged links to al-Qa'ida. It is thought to be the first time a prisoner has been put in isolation because of fears he was attempting to radicalise other inmates. The authorities were also said to be concerned about his safety. Two other Muslim prisoners are thought to be in the same unit.

Fears have been growing that extremist groups are using prisons as a fertile recruiting ground. Britain is believed to have more prisoners with terrorist sympathies than any other European country.

The Prison Officers' Association (POA) has called for extremist prisoners to be kept away from inmates who could be vulnerable to radicalisation.

Steve Gough, the POA's vice-chairman, told the BBC: "If you can get someone that's so right-wing to be converted, then a normal prisoner is going to have absolutely no chance."

An internal review of security at Whitemoor – where almost a third of the 500 inmates are Muslim – warned that officers were struggling to deal with Muslim gangs. It concluded that staff feared a "serious incident is imminent".

Henry Bellingham, the shadow Justice Minister, who has raised concerns about Whitemoor, said: "What we have got to do is work with the moderate Muslim organisations to try and stamp this out."

He said prison officers needed support to tackle the threat and added: "They have got a huge challenge, particularly at a time of overcrowding."

The Ministry of Justice has announced initiatives to curb the spread of extremism. They include rooting out extremists and improved training of staff.

Independent