Nick Griffin
Nick Griffin (born 1959) is the National Chairman of the far-right British National Party (BNP).
Griffin was born in 1959 in north London and grew up in ruralSuffolk, England. Griffin’s mother, Jean, was the BNP candidate against Iain Duncan Smith in the 2001 Election. His father, Edgar, was (until August 2001, when he was expelled for being linked to the BNP) a member of the Conservative Party and a former Councilor. Griffin studied history, and then law at Cambridge University. Griffin dabbled in collegiate boxing while at Cambridge. He graduated with an honors degree in law.
Griffin got involved in political activities at the age of 15, when his father, Edgar, took him to meetings of the National Front (NF). By 1978, Griffin was a national organizer for the NF. He left the NF in 1989. After leaving the NF, Griffin formed his own group - the International Third Position. By 1991, that group ended due to financial problems.
In 1995, Griffin joined the BNP. Until he became National Chairman, Griffin edited the Spearhead, a BNP publication. He became National Chairman in 1999 by defeating John Tyndall. Since his election, Griffin has tried to transform the BNP into a "mainstream" political party through a policy of Euronationalism, copying tactics from European politicians such as Jorg Haider and Jean Marie Le Pen.
Griffin has had his share of detractors though. He is a Nazi and a fascist. Griffin has worked with David Duke and has praised Louis Farrakhan. In 1988, Griffin went to Libya (at Moammar Al Qadhafi’s expense) to raise money. In the past, Griffin has denied the holocaust, he attacked a fellow holocaust revisionist, David Irving for admitting that some Jews died at the hands of the German state in the Second World War. He has also embraced Anti-Semitism, claiming in a leaflet "who are the mind benders" that Jews dominate British media. In 1998, Griffin was convicted of stirring up racial hatred by giving out racist literature.
In June 2001, Griffin ran as a BNP candidate in the constituency of Oldham West & Royton and got 16% of the vote. The full result was:
| Oldham West & Royton, June 2001 |
|
| Labour |
51% |
| Conservative |
18% |
| British National Party |
16% |
| Liberal Democrat |
12% |
| Green Party |
2% |
Totals may not add up to 100% due to rounding
After the result, Griffin was unsuprisingly accused of exploiting racial tensions in Oldham that resulted in riots that happened before the June 2001 vote. In May 2003, Griffin stood for election again in Oldham for a seat on the local council. He was not elected.
Despite claiming to be for "law and order", Griffin has a conviction for inciting racial hatred.