Can the BNP change its spots?
At an extraordinary general meeting on Sunday 14 February the British National Party (BNP) approved its new constitution allowing people of all ethnicities to become members.
The new constitution, groundbreaking for a party whose appeal is largely based on fostering distrust of immigrants and foreigners generally, was approved by an overwhelming majority of the 300 BNP members attending, with just five votes against and four abstentions.
The change of heart was in response to a court order following legal action taken by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) in which it accused the BNP of contravening discrimination legislation – specifically, the Race Relations Act.
BNP leader Nick Griffin MEP said nobody was ‘happy about being denied the right of self-association’, but the party now had to get on with the ‘serious business of saving Britain from the ravages of the establishment parties’.
What are the policies behind this ‘serious business’?
The BNP’s policies paint a picture of a downtrodden British populace struggling against the evils of immigration, the Euro and the politically correct. The overall impression is one of xenophobia mixed with a rose-tinted vision of the good old days. These were the days when, or so the policies’ authors claim, we did our own thing without the interference of politicians, globalisation and foreigners from our former colonies setting up home in our green and pleasant land.
One of the party’s policies, for example, advocates introducing ‘voluntary resettlement’ for these latter legal immigrants and deporting the rest. It has no truck with ‘asylum seekers’, all of whom are either bogus or could find refuge much nearer their home countries.
On Europe, by which the party presumably means our membership of the EU, it supports what it calls the ‘overwhelming majority’ of British people who want to keep the pound sterling and ‘our traditional weights and measures’.
The police will be freed from their ‘politically correct straitjacket’ so they can do their jobs properly.
The party also calls for the ‘selective exclusion of foreign-made goods from British markets’, the ending of ‘trendy’ teaching methods, a reduction in foreign aid, a boost to defence spending, putting pensioners before asylum seekers (them again) and allowing the people to decide about capital punishment.
These policies – in particular the ones about unleashing the police and the possible reintroduction of capital punishment – are scary to the more liberal-minded among us. They have a definite resonance, however, with many of the nation’s voters, including some members of the black and ethnic minority community. A Sikh, Rajinder Singh, 75, in a protest against what he sees as the Islamification of Britain, is already reported to have said he wants to be the first non-white BNP member.
Singh is not alone. Peter David, 56, an elder of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, who came to Britain in the 1970s from Trinidad, told Times journalist Dominic Kennedy that he supported the BNP’s policy of stemming immigration. There are so many immigrants here, he said, that our little island might sink. Kennedy recorded these words just before he was forcibly expelled from the extraordinary general meeting for having previously written a critical piece about the party.
Which perhaps speaks volumes about the reformed BNP.
The BNP has every right to promote these policies, of course, providing it does not incite racial or religious hatred, discriminate against any section of the community or break any other laws.
Its policies might remind some people of the bilious inanities of a saloon bar bore, but it’s a free world – and all that.
But with the BNP having had to change its rules, that has got me wondering whether any other organisations – even, perhaps, some involving lawyers – might have to do the same?
I wonder about the status of a group such as the Association of Women Solicitors (AWS), whose membership is restricted to women solicitors or trainees who are Law Society members or associate members.
Why, when the BNP has to toe the racial discrimination line, was the AWS allowed to get away with ‘discrimination’ on the grounds of gender and exclude men from its ranks?
For that matter, how can an organisation calling itself the Black Solicitors Network (BSN) be allowed?
It turns out that it is because there are different rules for clubs or associations and political parties. The former can confine membership to a specific group so long as their main purpose is to provide benefits to their members. Neither the AWS nor the BSN discriminates on the grounds of colour. The AWS campaigns on behalf of women of all races and the BSN specifically states on its website that people of all colours and race who share its values are welcome to join.
The BNP, on the other hand, is a political party whose main aim is not just to benefit its members. It also aims to win elections, gain political power and represent the public – and so, like any other political party, has to comply with colour and other discrimination legislation. So there you have it.
Comments
One does wonder about the
One does wonder about the Ligali Party though, who claim to represent the Pan African community of Great Britain.
Never mind; found the answer.
Never mind; found the answer. It doesn't appear to actually stand in elections.
'Can the BNP change its spots?
‘voluntary resettlement’ already exists as a Labour policy. I am not keen on capital punishment but the party does not even have an MP yet and plenty of time to fight to change various issues and policies. It is what the public want but I belive they are mistaken, in the Britain created by the current one party state it would just be a money making enterprise for Channel four and 'reality TV' with guests in the studio awaiting the hanging.
I ask everyone to engage with the BNP if you want improvements. With jobs going abroad and the population rising Britain is heading towards being a third world slum with permanent high unemployment, centers of Islamic power (Stans) growing in areas with high Muslim populations, and a total loss of sovereignity and identity.
It is only by reforming the nationalist parties of Europe to ditch the racial obsessions of the past that a challenge can be mounted to the globalist Conlablibdem-Islamist alliance. Mr. Griffin has had committed nazis thrown out of nationalist parties across Europe and even though a number of older members in the party such as the legal director John Lee Barnes really should go, there is simply no one to replace them until the new membership works it's way through.
Watch the video 'Sardar Rajinder Singh' on youtube to understand what Mr. Singh is warning of. I hate living in a Britain where an official-unofficial 'no platform' is being operated by the marxist NUJ to report "With extreme prejudice" the BNP. And where the fascist bootboys of the ruling uberliberal elites take to the streets as Baseji to carry out violence against a legal political party. I would also draw your attention to the video 'BNP Against Fascism' on youtube.
The British way was always engagement. It is the fundamental battle lines between left and right and the survival of the multiculturalist uberelites that is making the now leftist parties like the Conservatives and the old leftist parties like Labour and the Lib Dems revert to their old communist tactics.
In my opinion Mr griffin would have made this change without the aid off the type of let's face it; extra-judicial tactics used by the marxists through unelected quangos to extend their control over us. Are you happy to live in a country where you live in fear of the thought police to speak, where you are told how to think, what to believe and what to say? Big brother arrived a good while ago and as Vladimir Bukowsky said "I lived in the Gulags of Siberia, you in Britain live in the Gulags of the mind."
Ligali party same stance as BNP
Thanks for pointing them out. for someone who had never heard of them before it is a wonder what the confusion is about. They have taken the BNP option. All are welcome regardless of colour creed etc. religion as long s they follow the party line. Not ideal but then neither is the BNP.
I saw this articleafter the
I saw this articleafter the Lantern Festival. Never mind; found the answer. It doesn't appear to actually stand in elections.
bnp constitutional change
is having non indigenous british people in the bnp any different from having non jews[gentiles] in the zionist movement .all parties when elected compromise .the bnp if elected would move towards the left and this would force the conservatives to move to the right again .britian is becoming an executive for a federal europe and soon will become just a region.if a bnp mp was elected he or she would have parliamentary priveledge and anyhing recorded in hansard can i assume be repeated without the risk of prosecution so in away it is inportant that they get a mp so we can see what they really think .also mr griffin knew that if there was a hung parliament he would have to scramble about trying to change the party constitution between elections as it is possible there will be two elections in quick succession.
Different form of discrimination
People set up clubs or associations to further their views and they employ other people to lobby politicians on their behalf, these organisations may not be political in nature, but the end result is the same.
Political parties are set up to further the views of it's members and elected by the voting public, the only difference between the two is that political parties cut out the middlemen.
Applying different rules to what is essentially the same beast is just a different form of discrimination.
BNP has change it spots over a decade ago.
I don't agree with all what the BNP say but im warming to their economy, withdrawl from eu, grammer schools/education, anti-war stance - tough on crime & anti- mass immigration policies.
They do NOT only appeal to the working class, they are for people from all walks of life!
However if some of the mainstream parties adopted these policies i would happily give them another chance!
shahid malik
Just go on You Tube and type in "terrorist in a suit" and you see this labour minister in action,,,that'll tell you it all and Peter Hain had a cheek to make horror remarks about the B.N.P...he who himself was arrested in Putney in the 80's for a suspected bank robbery
domnic kennedy
If you all go on the B.N.P site 17th Feb you will see the truth and the reasons why Kennedy was ejected...no problem with journalists who geninely want to report it as it is...it's on the national news side with the microscope
Right-On Sister
Achingly predictable - almost rhetorical - drivel from yet another rent-a-gob desperate to parade his right-on credentials.
Of course the BNP's enforced constitution wasn't a change of heart. It was, er, enforced.
But why should the BNP be forced change? It's their perfect right to associate with whomsoever they choose in order to effect political change.
The only genuinely illiberal abuse going on comes from the ruling party - the Labour Party - and their quangocrat allies. They are attempting to legislate how people are able to vote and that is an outrageous abuse of power. It is a dis-enabling act.
That is the genuine threat to genuine liberalism. Not a small minority part daring to question the so-called consensus (actually minority rule by a liberal elite foisting its opinions on a lazy majority)
BNP policies
I agree with all the BNP's policies, except their policy on abortion.
I am still a firm believer in the right of choice when it comes to abortion.
However, that won't stop me from voting BNP in the forthcoming elections.
Mr. Rayner appears to be
Mr. Rayner appears to be using the well established routine of putting all the bits he disagrees with in inverted commas.
Funnily enough these are the self-same bits with which eveyone outside of the metropolitan "elite" agree wholeheartedly (see what I did there?)
How does it feel to be in a minority Mr. Rayner?
RRA 1976 and Equality Bill 2010
The RRA allows all membership associations, including political parties, to discriminate on racial grounds (race, nationality, ethnic origin), by Section 26. You can't discriminate on colour - but it is OK to use "black" or "white" if you need to use these words to define the race, (Britons might be black or white or anything, so you need a word of colour in order to be precise.)
The Equality Bill will replace the RRA when it comes into force (October 2010 probably). At Schedule 16, it says political parties can no longer discriminate on race, nationality, and ethnic origin - however other Associations can continue to do so as before with only colour discrimination still barred for them. So the BNP were bullied into changing their constitution before the law came into force - they are, and always have been, fully legal under the RRA 1976 because of Section 26 and a House of Lords court case (Watts v. Ahsan) which ruled that political parties were Section 25 Associations covered by Section 26.
Apart from failing to mention that the law is not in force yet, the article is therefore correct. However, that is rather a large failure in my view - how can a case be brought to court when the law it relies on is still at the Bill stage? I have heard of retroactive law (dictators are fond of it) - but preemptive strike law? With costs? That's a new one on me.
....speaks volumes about the reformed BNP.
Speaks volumes.....Oh does it? What does it say about the anti-British Labour Party when, not so long ago as I recall, they forcibly ejected a very elderly gentleman from one of their conferences simply because he was voicing disagreement with their policies?
A Leftist/Marxist bunch of bully boys who, with help from the ConLibs, are committing genocide against the indigenous peoples of these islands.
Anyone who thinks that is an extreme claim should Wiki the definition and see if they can deny that is the result of a failed (but deliberately engineered) multiculturalism experiment perpetrated by all parties over the past 50-60 years along with the creeping Islamification being thrust upon us.
Edith: exactly correct, it's
Edith: exactly correct, it's not law yet so how can it enter court as a case, seemingly it can, where horrible hatefilled Trevor Phillips ( actually rounding ethnics up to join..i only red of tricks like this in espionage comics) is involved, he's going to look silly in a few months and so are the U.A.F....can't they see that the present government are the fascists...they just love hate.....terms like Fascists,,Nazis..Racists..it makes their stupid organisation look better to the numptys that follow it..and keeps a feel safe mode running for Horrible labour and Conservatives...I'm also surprised that the B.N.P. lawyers can't make the point more to the judge that it's not law yet and 1million voters have elected this party democratically....Crazy
Pro BNP comments
Are all thes pro BNPcomments Law Society Gazette readers or is the party so well organised that it monitors the web for mention of BNP in publications, blogs etc and then sets to with a stream of supportive Comments? I am curious because I would not have thought that such a high number of BNP supporters, to the exclusion of other 'commenters', were readers of this journal. Or have I completely misjudged the amount of support there is for the BNP? I don't think so...
lost the thread
Jill Stevens...you've lost the thread here...when you put bnp news into google it comes up with a few headings...bnp french bank..bnp sikh joing the party and the heading of this story "can the b.n.p. change it's spots",,,hence all the supporters following the klink here and commenting and it's good advertising to get all you anti b.n.p. thinking about the mess your country is in and how it can be great again...not with Lab/Con...Jill i have voted 40yrs..3children..3 grandchildren ( iworry about their future....and i have voted for the B.N.P. for 3yrs....yes they're on the way up no matter how much the fascist Labour and Cons try to stone them...they are a passionate, dedicated people party trying to save your country for you, before your lose your identity and everything else british...the flag is already outlawed, nursery rhymes, etc etc...freedom of speech is gone unless you are some mad religious freak or criminal...WAKE UP BRITIAN
spot changes on the political spotmarket
It was clearly evident to the Rev. Tulkinhorn that the writer of the article was not a journalist. "No journalist worth his salt would have passed up such an opportunity to lie and libel, besmirch and defame, missprepresent and make up the news on the BNP.....For that reason Sir" Said Tulkinghorn, "I judge the author to have been a lawyer or somesuch."
Loved the "Tailgunner"
Loved the "Tailgunner" pseudonym above- Joe!
Much Ado about Nothing...a
Much Ado about Nothing...a leopard never change its spots! It's well-known...to be convinced with a stronger than a mere Darwinian Theory ...someone with Higher IQ is welcome.
Let's think about Britain: It had its abuse of its Commonwealth Nations and yet it still want a share in Europe to pursue the hidden agenda of the Democratic USA ....Overall, are we really an independent nation at this level (God Save The Queen!) ? So the point is do we really BNP to save us from sheer mediocrity and political correctness ( through passing every colourfull bills ) to in our boardrooms?
Back to the basics, it's down who we are and what values we really believe in to accept each other! Humanity defies Logic!