Furor In Britain Following BBC Appearance of BNP Party Leader

BBC News yesterday reported that many in Britain are outraged over the appearance last week on BBC One's Question Time of British National Party leader Nick Griffin. The BNP limits its membership to members of Caucasian British ethnic groups and has been outspokenly anti-Muslim. It is under court order to change its constitution to eliminate discrimination on the basis of race or religion. (See prior posting.) Griffin complained that the BBC program should not have been held in London because "it is no longer a British city" due to its level of immigrants. Former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey urged Christians to "stand shoulder to shoulder" in rejecting the BNP, after BNP's Griffin referred to "Christian Britain" during his BBC appearance. BNP says 3,000 people registered to join the party during and after the broadcast. The broadcast had a record audience of 8 million viewers.