bobbyw24
11-15-2009, 08:32 PM
LONDON (Reuters) - Far-right British National Party (BNP) leaders said on Saturday they had voted "overwhelmingly" in favour of balloting all members on whether to change party rules and allow non-whites to join.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission launched legal action against the BNP earlier this year, arguing the party's exclusion of potential members on ethnic grounds broke the Race Relations Act.
BNP leader Nick Griffin had warned the party faced potentially crippling legal bills if it fought the case and agreed to revise its constitution accordingly.
On the first day of the BNP's annual conference in Wigan, northern England, delegates debated whether its membership policy should discriminate on the grounds of race or religion.
"Today we, some 300 members, voted overwhelmingly in favour of changing the constitution. At a later stage it will be put to the entire membership of the party," said John Walker, deputy press officer for the party.
He said the their were 13,500 BNP members across Britain.
http://uk.reuters.com/resources/r/?m=02&d=20091114&t=2&i=12412257&w=192&r=2009-11-14T212416Z_01_BTRE5AD1NGS00_RTROPTP_0_BRITAIN
Griffin told the BBC "we have changed under duress, but nevertheless once those people are in the party, they will be welcome."
He is due to give a keynote speech to delegates on Sunday, the last day of the conference after 12 policy motions are debated.
Members of the public and journalists have been barred from the meeting, though a small group of protesters marched to the conference venue shouting "Black and White unite and fight" media reported. Continued...
http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE5AD1HC20091114
The Equality and Human Rights Commission launched legal action against the BNP earlier this year, arguing the party's exclusion of potential members on ethnic grounds broke the Race Relations Act.
BNP leader Nick Griffin had warned the party faced potentially crippling legal bills if it fought the case and agreed to revise its constitution accordingly.
On the first day of the BNP's annual conference in Wigan, northern England, delegates debated whether its membership policy should discriminate on the grounds of race or religion.
"Today we, some 300 members, voted overwhelmingly in favour of changing the constitution. At a later stage it will be put to the entire membership of the party," said John Walker, deputy press officer for the party.
He said the their were 13,500 BNP members across Britain.
http://uk.reuters.com/resources/r/?m=02&d=20091114&t=2&i=12412257&w=192&r=2009-11-14T212416Z_01_BTRE5AD1NGS00_RTROPTP_0_BRITAIN
Griffin told the BBC "we have changed under duress, but nevertheless once those people are in the party, they will be welcome."
He is due to give a keynote speech to delegates on Sunday, the last day of the conference after 12 policy motions are debated.
Members of the public and journalists have been barred from the meeting, though a small group of protesters marched to the conference venue shouting "Black and White unite and fight" media reported. Continued...
http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE5AD1HC20091114