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Churchill's family denounces BNP election broadcast
26 May 2009The family of Sir Winston Churchill today described as "offensive and disgusting" a decision by the BNP to use his image in a party election broadcast.
Pictures of Britain's wartime leader feature alongside archive footage from the Second World War in the British National Party's broadcast, to be aired tonight.
BNP chairman Nick Griffin can be seen adopting part of Churchill's famous "blood, toil, tears and sweat" speech to promote his own manifesto.
Conservative MP for Mid-Sussex, Nicholas Soames, hit out at the appropriation of his grandfather's image and said he had tried to get the Electoral Commission to ban its use by the BNP.
Mr Soames said: "My views are that they have behaved in a disgusting manner. They should not take my grandfather's name in vain. He would have been appalled by their views and the way they claim to represent the wartime generation. It's nonsense. Were it possible to take action, we would.
"We find it offensive and disgusting."
In a magazine called The Rune published in 1995 and edited by Mr Griffin an article appears to praise the exploits of the SS during the Second World War.
It says: "The tales of Waffen SS courage and sacrifices are almost limitless."
It adds: "In an unbiased assessment of war crimes, however, the Waffen SS were undoubtedly no worse than the troops of other nations - countless Allied war crimes are simply not publicised."
A year later, Mr Griffin picketed Coventry Cathedral to hand out leaflets referring to the "mass murder" during the Allied bombing of Dresden.
A spokesman for Searchlight, which campaigns against racism and fascism, said: "Nick Griffin's hypocrisy is sickening. This is a man who has heaped praise on Hitler's SS and accused RAF pilots of mass murder.
"For him to evoke the memory of Churchill and our Second World War servicemen is a disgrace."
BNP deputy chairman Simon Darby today refuted suggestions Mr Griffin supported the actions of the Waffen SS.
Referring to his party's election broadcast, he said: "There is a substantial amount of Churchillian rhetoric in it."
He added: "It is very relevant to what is happening today. I am extremely upset at what is happening to the country. What was the point of fighting the Second World War if this is where we are going to end up?"
