Synod votes in favour of BNP ban

BBC News | Tuesday, 10 February 2009 | Click here for original article

The General Synod of the Church of England has voted overwhelmingly in favour of measures to stop clergy being members of the British National Party.

The proposal, from a lay synod member who works for the police, was passed by 322 votes to 13, with 20 abstentions.

Plans to ban clergy from the BNP are modelled on a policy adopted by the Association of Chief Police Officers.

Previously, Church of England leaders have explicitly called for voters to shun the BNP during recent elections.

However, banning clergy from joining political parties had not been possible under current rules.

The proposer of the motion, Vasantha Gnanadoss, who works for the Metropolitan Police, said the measure was necessary to prevent parties such as the BNP from associating themselves with the Church.

She said a membership ban would send a clear message against racial prejudice to the public at large.

The BNP campaigns for the voluntary repatriation of immigrants, but chairman Nick Griffin has repeatedly insisted that neither he nor his party are racist.

The party's website says it "unashamedly addresses itself to the issues and concerns of the indigenous British population and... seeks to ensure that British people remain the majority population in this country".

The Association of Chief Police Officers' policy on political party membership speaks of a "general duty to promote race equality".

Previously, the synod - the Church's parliament - passed a resolution deploring what it has called the "sin of racial prejudice".

But banning clergy, trainee clergy and staff who speak for the Church from membership of particular political parties is a more fundamental step.

The proposal followed the publication last year of a list of 12,000 names of BNP members, which included five clergy.

The Church of England said none of them was a serving Anglican priest.