BNP new membership rules biased (From St Albans & Harpenden Review)

BNP new membership rules biased

2:41pm Friday 12th March 2010 in

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The British National Party's new membership rules are likely to discriminate against non-white people, a judge has ruled.

Last month the far-right group scrapped its whites-only policy following the threat of a possible court injunction from the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC).

But at Central London County Court, Judge Paul Collins ruled: "I hold that the BNP are likely to commit unlawful acts of discrimination within section 1b Race Relations Act 1976 in the terms on which they are prepared to admit persons to membership under the 12th addition of their constitution."

The Equality and Human Rights Commission said the judgment found that, while it is not unlawful to hold discriminatory views, it is unlawful for such principles to be used for controlled entry to a political party.

Susie Uppal, director of legal enforcement at the EHRC, said after the judgment: "The commission is glad that today's judgment confirms our view that both the BNP's 11th constitution and the amended 12th constitution are unlawful.

"Political parties, like any other organisation, are obliged to respect the law and not discriminate against people who wish to become members.

"The BNP will now have to take the necessary steps to ensure that it complies with the Race Relations Act.

"This matter could have been resolved last year by the BNP changing its constitution properly, rather than believing that it could find a way round discrimination laws so that it appeared to be open to members regardless of their ethnicity, while in practice continuing to prevent them from joining."