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Assembly tries to stop BNP ‘hijacking’ the Queen’s party
Rashid Razaq and Katharine Barney21.05.09
The London Assembly is trying to stop BNP leader Nick Griffin attending a Buckingham Palace party.
Richard Barnbrook predicted there would be a “to-do and a hoot” after he said Mr Griffin would be accompanying him to the event. He was told he must retract the invitation to his guest or face being excluded from the Queen's party himself.
Mayor Boris Johnson accused Mr Barnbrook of “hijacking” the event in July. Today Darren Johnson, chair of the Assembly, said he would write to the chief executive of the Greater London Authority to ask him to ensure Mr Griffin did not attend.
Mr Johnson, who received a letter from the Mayor last night expressing his concerns, said: “I totally agree with the Mayor. I will write to the chief executive to ask that unless Mr Barnbrook brings a more acceptable guest the invitation will be recinded.”
Mr Barnbrook is one of six new Assembly members to be given tickets from City Hall's allocation of 25. Today he reacted furiously to the restriction and jumped out of his seat during the Mayor's Question Time to interrupt the warning.He said: “This institution is rotten to the core. You have the audacity to tell me who I can or cannot bring. You need to look at your own politics.”
The Mayor interrupted: “It is essential to ensure the Queen's garden party, a happy annual event, is not turned into a political stunt. I strongly advise the authority to take whatever steps are necessary to sort this out.”
The Palace has said the Queen does not decide who will attend and guests could only be barred on security grounds. The party will come after the June local and Euro elections, which could see the BNP gaining more local seats and their first MEPs.
Reader views (31)
All the publicity ,they the (BNP) could have wanted ,was given on a plate to them by "BRAIN DEAD JOHNSON" !
- Anthony Coxon, wolverhampton England
I agree with the majority view here. Not only is Boris Johnson giving the impression that he is against democracy but also willing to give the BNP extra publicity in the process. If he carries on like this I will exercise my rights and protest against him in future.
- Harry H, London UK
Boris, i have always shouted people down when they slated you becuase i thought i knew what you stood for. Now it seems you are both anti democratic and totaly PC.
You have lost my support and confirmed in me that the whole lot of you are just in it to line you own EU pockets.
Shame on you Boris Johnson
- Chris, wirral,England
I don't see the argument here...an elected member of the BNP is given two tickets for the garden party but cannot take with him a fellow member, who happens to be the leader, of that same BNP party.
Why one and not the other...it doesn't make sense.
- Libby, Caldedale UK
What happened to free speech? He is a legally elected member and should not be excluded because of what he believes in and has significant support. Based on this attack on democracy, I will consider voting BNP in the Europe elections.
- Nick, UK
Perhaps Ray, from London will answer my 2 comments? if he can , come on.
- Carl Mason, windsor
Just leave the Politics alone Boris and get on with your elected job.
- David., Chertsey.UK.
Sooooo glad I didn't vote for you Boris, the reason being I considered you (and rightfuly so)a Tory but no different to a PC Labourite.
WHO THE HELL ARE YOU TO SAY A LEGALLY ELECTED PERSON, SHOULD BE DENIED ACCESS TO ANY GATHERING, LET ALONE A ROYAL FUNCTION, just because you don't like it or believe, in their beliefs.
You should be very very carefull of sittng on the fence, or just becoming a Tory Labour clone.
It will come back and bite you at election time.
I am so very glad i voted for the BNP instead of you, and the reason I did, is because of this type of outburst from you.
You were not elected to sort this PC nonsense out, and your getting worse that Ken was.
- P Staker, London
what's it got to do with democracy or choice? These fascists shouldn't be allowed to be treated as ordinary politicians. It's not to do with disagreements. Nick Griffin was convicted of race hate crime, as have many other leading BNP leaders.
No one would suggest it suitable for convicted rapists, murderers or paedophiles to meet the Queen, so why the fascists?
On this one I agree entirley with Boris.
- Ray, London, England
Let the man attend. I'm sure the Queen can handle the situation.
- Paul Freeman, London, England
My son in law is black and votes BNP ,when asked why? he replied this country was over run with immigrants , does this make him a racist?
- Carl Mason, windsor
Perhaps Borris should spend a lot more time trying to attract jobs for the 3 million unemployed , at the next election he might be 3 million and one.
- Carl Mason, windsor
One of the most interesting aspects of this situation was watching this debated by Matthew Wright on this morning's 'Wright Stuff' T.V show.
Sat next to him was every black Tennis players favourite woman:'Carol Thatcher' who stayed strangely quiet during this section of the show. Does she have an invite to the Queens party also ?,maybe she can go as Prince Philip's guest who as we all know is a great friend af all ethnic minorities !
- Nigel, Southampton
I thought we lived in, and were proud to be called, a democracy. Albeit that our democratically elected free-loaders have been caught with their long fingers in the cookie jar and acting in a most undemocratic way, we still pride ourselves in being called a democracy. So should we not accept all political views, as we do religeous persuasions, and allow these BNP people to partake in this democracy as the others are allowed too? Why the hooha about who he brings with, does it really matter in the bigger scheme of things, or are we just looking to give them more publicity than they deserve?
- Chicken Little, Essex
It is completely wrong to ban a person from an activity just because you don't agree with them. I have grave reservations about the BNP but provided they stay within the law they are entitled to be heard and not shouted down because you disagree. It is called democracy, and we should resist all attempts to gag people just because we don't like what they are saying
- James, Cranleigh England
It makes me sick that the corrupt 'career' swindlers liars and cheats that call themselves politicians from the main parties have the gaul to cast a moral opinion on a legitimate recognised political party that has so far been shown to play within the rules which is much much more than can be said for Labour and Tory Mp's who do anything but. Shame on you Boris for trying to deny freedom of speech and access to a political party which at the moment is speaking much more sense than any of the other parties, this just reinforces my opinion that aprty liek the BNP deserves more air and would probably serve me better than the other corrupt parties.
- Crowlander, London England
Of course Crowlander - you've obviously ignorant and racist enough to have been brainwashed and indoctrinated so that you'll no doubt vote for them! Like you'll need an excuse - yeah right!
- Napoleon Blownaparte, London
Maybe the BNP chappies just want to meet Prince Harry in his legendary fancy dress costume? Or enjoy Prince Philip's sense of 'ethnic' humour?
- Brian, London
No doubt this "elected democrat" would deny the Ghurka's the right to settle here. The man is a racist & if given power would be likely to unleash untold misery. The publicity of the invitation and/or a refusal simply gives him the stage he desires. Better still to ignore this one issue and concentrate on keeping his from further inroads into British life. I doubt that HM will notice him but even were she to do so, a Royal snub is due to follow.
- Jon, London
Let Richard take his boyfriend along. No harm. IF the others feel so strongly, they could always boycott the event. It seems pretty dull anyway.
- Ben Farrell, London
If you have attended a Buckingham Palace garden party you would realise that it is a complete waste of time. And does anyone really think that these BNP guys stand a snowball's chance in hell of being "presented" to a Royal?!
- Jb, London
I think this deformed ploy of attacking the BNP in a hope the main three parties keep support at the next few elections will backfire. The British public are not stupid we know the BNP are a fascist bunch of humpty's but they have the right as citizens to not be castigated or for them to be removed from the political process. If the BNP have committed a crime then give them a day in court if not people should not be attacking them particularly MP's given the recent pond life behaviour.
People died defending our freedoms and I am sick of do gooders trying to censor people they judge unworthy whilst, I view most MP's but listen when they speak because that is how we do things in this country.
The biggest threat to this country is el presidente brown
- Gary, Brentwood
The BNP has NOT 'hijacked' the Queens garden party at all. A democratically elected member of the GLA has been issued an invitation which allows him to bring a guest of his choice.
- David Moon, Seaford, East Sussex, UK
It's all very well describing the BNP as a legitimate organisation and harping on about democracy.
But wasn't Hitler's Nazi party a legal party too? And weren't they voted in by a democratic process? Look what happened there.
The BNP model themselves on the Nazis who both my grandads fought against so that we wouldn't have to put up with fascism and tyranny.
Why Nazis? Because their modus operandi is exactly the same as the National Socialist Party in 1930s Germany: epxloit the vulnerable during times of economic woe with promises of riches and an easy target to blame (replace the Jews/Catholics/Masons of the 30s with immigrants and Muslims in the 00s) in order to divide communities.
No white supremacists in MY country please. This is my Britain, a proud m nation with a rich heritage and a rich future. And hopefully one without the repugnant BNP.
Go Boris!
- Leanne, London, UK
Why then do we condone the Communist Party members? The BNP/Fascists are no different to the Communist Party and should be treated with the same contempt. Come down to Croydon and visit Ruskin House there you will find local Labour Party members including Councillors virtually holding hands with their Communist Party friends. ... and remember the Communist Party is responsible for over 100 million deaths worldwide all in the past 250 years with many occurring in the past 100 years let alone the untold suffering for hundreds and hundreds of millions more where we have present day examples in Burma, Zimbabwe and Venezuela! Something we can all look forward towards in the European Union of Soviet Socialist Republics where left-wing loonies always know best i.e doom & bust Brown!
- Joe, Thornton Heath, UK
CROWLANDER - London really needs to wake up if he/she honestly believes that the BNP are not corrupt and are not milking the system for what they can get out of it he/she should try looking on the website of Barking & Dagenham Council where he/she will find proof that the BNP Councillors do not attend meetings, do not work for their community all they do do is attend their once every 6 months meeting for which they pice up approx Ł1700.
I along with the rest of the country are appalled at the "expenses" for MPs that have been exposed, but please dont go painting the BNP whiter than white because they are not in fact they are worse.
- Lizzy, dagenham
I'm amazed at the stupidity of those who give the BNP tons of free publicity through their reactions.
Mind you, Her Majesty would probably not bat an eyelid, as she's used to meeting Mugabe types and other foreign despots?
- Jools, London
I don't like the BNP, but it seems to me that as the elected representatives of a large number of Londoners who voted for them, they have the right to attend. I saw 'Unite Against Facism' on Sky News last night and their views reminded me of facism; they want to ban an elected political party whose views they dislike.
- Anthony, London
It makes me sick that the corrupt 'career' swindlers liars and cheats that call themselves politicians from the main parties have the gaul to cast a moral opinion on a legitimate recognised political party that has so far been shown to play within the rules which is much much more than can be said for Labour and Tory Mp's who do anything but. Shame on you Boris for trying to deny freedom of speech and access to a political party which at the moment is speaking much more sense than any of the other parties, this just reinforces my opinion that aprty liek the BNP deserves more air and would probably serve me better than the other corrupt parties.
- Crowlander, London England
What a storm in a teacup. The people who are the loudest to object are the cabal of MPs caught up in endemic fraud in the House of Commons. LOL
- Frank, Bristol UK
“If there's anything that we can do to stop the BNP hijacking this event, then we will do."
There's usually a few thousand people at one of the Queen's garden parties and she usually only meets a very few of the guest.
The only people I see hijacking it is the PC brigade who appear more fascist than the BNP!
- Mark, South-East London
Surely this will only provide the BNP with greater publicity and whatever happened to free speech? The BNP is a valid political party, it is not a proscribed organisation. There is a hysteria about the BNP which will only encourage more support for them. Ignore them and they will go away. I would have voted for Boris if I still lived in London, let's face it almost anyone other than Livingstone would have been good but it seems that Boris is being influenced by the lingering left wing / municipal socialist culture that he should be sorting out. You're losing it Boris!
- Ranter, Maidstone, UK
