Leading Greens today responded with "outrage and disgust" to reports that BNP leader Nick Griffin is to attend a garden party at Buckingham palace.
Invitations sent to the London Assembly have ended up in the hands of the BNP's only assembly member Richard Barnbrook. Although "plus-one" invitations are usually intended to imply spouse or partner, Barnbrook has apparently decided to bring his party leader.
Peter Cranie, the Green Party Euro-candidate who is head-to-head with BNP leader Nick Griffin in the North West England Euro-constituency, said today:
"I'm absolutely certain the Queen did not intend to invite blatant racists to Buckingham Palace."
Mr Cranie, who according to the recent ComRes poll is on course to defeat the BNP leader in the fight for the eighth North West England MEP seat, continued:
"The BNP's racism is deeply, deeply offensive to most British people."
"And as Head of the Commonwealth the Queen presides over a grouping of nations that remain together on a mutually-respectful basis - and the vast majority of people in Commonwealth countries would be outraged by the vicious racism at the heart of BNP policies."
He concluded:
"The BNP in no way represents what it is to be British in the 21st century."