'Anger' over BNP's military link

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Lord Guthrie of Craigiebank accused the BNP of trying to use the good name of the Armed Forces to "promote the pernicious politics of racism".

He pointed to the many contributions of overseas soldiers in the Army, singling out the bravery of SAS Sergeant Talaiasi Labalaba in the 1972 Battle of Mirbat.

He revealed that a new statue of Sgt Labalaba, who was from Fiji, will be unveiled at SAS headquarters in Hereford the day before Remembrance Day. Lord Guthrie, who was Chief of the Defence Staff between 1997 and 2001 and is Colonel Commandant of the SAS, dismissed as "rubbish" the BNP's claim to be inspired by Winston Churchill and other military leaders.

Meanwhile, anti-racism campaigners were due to stage a public rally ahead of BNP leader Nick Griffin's appearance on Question Time. Unite Against Fascism (UAF) were holding the meeting as a last-ditch effort to stop Mr Griffin appearing on the show.

Wales Secretary Peter Hain wrote to the BBC's governing Trust, appealing to it to reconsider its decision to allow the BNP to "the top table of UK politics".

He believes the party is currently illegal because it does not allow ethnic minorities to join.

Mr Hain appealed to the Trust as a last resort after BBC director general Mark Thompson rejected the Cabinet minister's arguments. He wrote that Mr Thompson "shows no willingness or ability to genuinely review his own decision" and was "too close to the decision".