Teeth and Hate 2.0
Finally the EHRC shows some teeth.
The Commission thinks that the BNP’s constitution and membership criteria may discriminate on the grounds of race and colour, contrary to the Race Relations Act. The party’s membership criteria appear to restrict membership to those within what the BNP regards as particular “ethnic groups” and those whose skin colour is white. This exclusion is contrary to the Race Relations Act which the party is legally obliged to comply with. The Commission therefore thinks that the BNP may have acted, and be acting, illegally.
I've previously ranted about the BNP here and here.
On the subject of the EHRC, here and here I've pointed to EHRC coming across as a toothless body too chicken to enforce anything. I currently have a couple of complaints open against the EHRC, another story for another day.
The Chair, Sir Trevor Phillips was the former Chair of the Commission for Racial Equality, so he's understands issues pertaining to racism a lot more than other equality strands.
No doubt some right wingers will see this as EHRC stepping too far, and being a left wing loony bin. Whilst people in a minority - like myself - thinks the EHRC isn't doing enough.
Whatever way, I hope BNP is challenged to its core. And on a related note, the BBC is running an article on Hate 2.0.