Members have backed amending its constitution following an extraordinary general meeting in Essex. The vote comes after the Central London County Court told the party to alter its constitution to comply with race relations laws or face legal action by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC). After the hearing on January 28, the BNP sent letters to its 14,000 members in order to allow for the 14 days needed to alert them to the proposed changes. Speaking after the vote, BNP leader Nick Griffin told Sky News: "Fundamentally we previously had an ethnic-specific membership policy - you had to be indigenous British to join. "We've had a number of members of ethic minorities, very close to us, friendly with us, working with us, who weren't able to be members. "That's been the rule for the party since 1982." http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Po...n_To_Accept_Black_And_Asian_People_Into_Party Does this move amount to a change in BNP policy or outlook? Griffin has said that membership is recognized based on BNP political, social, cultural beliefs. Any other brits out there, what do you think? Is it the beginning or the end of the BNP? I think it is going to give them more political clout in the pan-nationalist movement throughout the EU since it can no longer be coined a racist party.
Its a natural progression of any political party that wants to remain in power. I've seen the Shiv Sena move in the same way:
I doubt it, but it seems the court case was all about trying to get the BNP to spend as much money as possible defending themselves, possibly bankrupting them. Had the refused to change thier admission criteria they would definately be finnished, they just can't afford it.
The BNP would have been forced to make the decision anyway - probably through a lengthy, and expensive court battle, which would have done tremendous damage to their PR. By making the decision themselves it might be seen as something of a PR victory - and politically a smart move. The attitides towards immigration and immigrants of many of many 2nd/3rd generation immigrants to Britain are often indistinguishable to those of "indiginous" (I dont really beleive there is such a thing) Britons - by distancing themselves from their race-based policies and focussing more on their general immigration related campaign points they migh begin to gain wider support outside of their traditional powerbase of ignorant low-income white-trash bigots. I think it would take quite some time for people to forget about the BNP's roots though.
