Photo of BNP leader with extremist

Deborah Linton

May 06, 2009

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Don Black at a conference Nick Griffin

Don Black at a conference Nick Griffin 1/2 Play Slideshow

PHOTOS have emerged of BNP leader and north west European Parliament candidate Nick Griffin with a Ku Klux Klan leader.

Griffin, who is contending the north west seat in the European Parliament elections next month, is pictured sharing a platform with American Nazi Stephen 'Don' Black, who is banned from Britain for stirring up extremism.

Black is on the list of banned people made public by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith yesterday as an example of behaviour that would not be tolerated here.

Griffin and Black - founder of racist website Stormfront and formerly a KKK grand wizard - appeared on the same bill at an 'American Renaissance' conference in 2005 and 2006.

A BNP spokesman denied the pair had any further connections.

A spokesman for anti-fascist magazine, Searchlight, which made the photos public, said: "We warmly welcome the fact that the BNP's white supremacist friends have been banned from the UK.

"The fact that Nick Griffin chooses to embrace someone as divisive as Don Black tells you all you need to know about Griffin and his organisation. The European election campaign has only just started and already the BNP's mask of moderation has been torn away."

Griffin could win the European seat with just eight per cent of votes.

Nick Griffin said his association with Black did not go further than sharing a platform with him and he did not agree with significant amounts of what Black does. But he said he would not have banned Black from Britain and added: "I believe that the only people who can be kept out are the people who inflict violence which to my mind Don Black has not."

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Robert Whatever (06/05/2009 at 06:35)

Another BNP smear story?

Yawn.

There must be an election coming up.

stephenc, prestwich (06/05/2009 at 07:40)

we fought 2 world wars and thankfully we still have freedom of speech. dont let labour take them away. extreme right or extreme left wing as long as its free speech

Count Alucard, Whitby Bay (06/05/2009 at 08:04)

Jacqui Smiths list of banned people doesn't seem to include the 'Preachers of Hate' who are still here.

Jay B, oldham (06/05/2009 at 08:46)

its a little bit convenient that as the list of people banned from britain gets published and the run up to European elections are taking place that this photo has only just emerged.
this is just one of those petty little propoganda things that might actually help them. dont give them the coverage they want!

Guten Tag, Manchester (06/05/2009 at 10:04)

Nick Griffen and Co don't do anything to help their cause, do they? When I hear the words Klu Klux Klan, I think of burning crosses, lynchings and men dressed in pillow cases. Being associated with the Klu Klux Klan in whatever context is just laughable. If the BNP want to be seen as a credible party, then they should switch on and sack their public relations officer (if in fact, they have one).

Ace Shakespeare , manchester (06/05/2009 at 10:29)

Didnt some of our royals have Nazi sympathies during the last war?Im sure former king Edward used to holiday with Nazis including Hitler? ,I wonder if he was sorry later.

The stinking kipper, pinned under the table (06/05/2009 at 10:42)

Rober Whatever: an excellent, succinct post.

Andy., Bury (06/05/2009 at 10:48)

Their old PR officer was filmed by the BBC admiring Hitler among other things Guten. It's not about PR. It's about the odious beliefs which remain behind the newly besuited party. They've not changed, just got smarter.

Andy., Bury (06/05/2009 at 10:50)

Another BNP smear story Robert? Give over. Griffin shared a platform and broke bread with David Duke the leader of the American KKK years ago. Do you think this is acceptable?

The stinking kipper, pinned under the table (06/05/2009 at 10:57)

"The fact that Nick Griffin chooses to embrace someone as divisive as Don Black tells you all you need to know about Griffin and his organisation. The European election campaign has only just started and already the BNP's mask of moderation has been torn away."

Who is/are Searchlight? Who finances them/it? Are they as extreme leftist as the BNP are to the right? I think we should be told.

PS: second attempt to post this but the commissars didn't like it.

Munkey Boy, Audenshaw (06/05/2009 at 11:04)

There's a huge back catalogue of Griffin with just about every hate-mongering low life you could imagine. Tip of the iceberg.

Mark, South Manchester (06/05/2009 at 11:35)

Oh right, so we shouldn't be made aware of this then?
Of course our media have never told us about or published pictures of politicians, royalty etc - shaking hands and in the company of "dubious characters" before have they???
Probably the photograph is a fake, eh?

Matthew Wright (06/05/2009 at 12:12)

Ace is right. Edward VIII attended Mosleys marriage in Goebles and Hitler in toe.

Come-On-City. Manchester. (06/05/2009 at 12:17)

"But he said he would not have banned Black from Britain"

However Griffin does want to 'voluntary repatriate' black people from Britain.

Ace Shakespeare , manchester (06/05/2009 at 12:27)

Munkey Boy, Audenshaw
Surely that goes for most of our politicians and Prime ministers? I remember seeing some of our greatest politicians shaking hands of Saddam hussein (who murdered a lot of people)And other politicians who have committed atrocities (Idi Amin)who actually ate human flesh.he was always in the camera with our politicians and royals? does this make them "killers/canibals"?He loved the "British way of life!".

Munkey Boy, Audenshaw (06/05/2009 at 12:34)

Come-On-City: "However Griffin does want to 'voluntary repatriate' black people from Britain."

That's very true, you only need to read their website to see it. What's chilling is we already have voluntary repatriation - it's called an airport. The concept that their idea of repatriation would be voluntary is laughable and another gimmick the BNP use to hide behind in an attempt to appear moderate.

Don't believe a word they say.

Mr Manchester (06/05/2009 at 13:13)

Yes, let's not be too quick to judge. They could be doing nothing more harmful than taking turns to sing. Happiness is a warm gun, the Beatles, perhaps.

Available for birthday parties, I understand.

Count Alucard, Whitby Bay (06/05/2009 at 13:17)

If a bunch of cranks get together for a photo shoot - so what?

Anyway that's enough about The Labour party!

Ace Shakespeare , manchester (06/05/2009 at 13:20)

Count Alucard, Whitby Bay
Brilliant hehehehehehehehehehehehehe.

Rt Hon Dr Rev MC Spanner MP QC FCA FRICS JP OK (06/05/2009 at 13:25)

Jacqui Smiths list of banned people doesn't seem to include the 'Preachers of Hate' who are still here.
Count Alucard, Whitby Bay

The list does contain preachers of hate. The names published this week were only those banned in the last six months. I still have no idea what Labour gained from publishing the list.

Ace Shakespeare , manchester (06/05/2009 at 13:55)

Its taken labour over ten years to get the idea that there are terrorists and people on this planet that want to come to britain to fight wars and kill our british citizens,Why has it taken all this time for labour to do something."That is what you have to ask yourself".No wonder our country is down the pan,with the lack of law and order.Is it going to take another ten years or more to work out that killers/rapists/criminals,Should be dealt with properly."The death sentence,The Birch,Corporal punishment.

Theowolfe (06/05/2009 at 14:29)

I seem to remember Tony Blair and George W. Bush being photographed together many times. And you can't get much more extreme than that pair, responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths.

citycentre, manchester (06/05/2009 at 16:52)

"Jacqui Smiths list of banned people doesn't seem to include the 'Preachers of Hate' who are still here"

so we should ban people who are already here from entering the country? want to think taht one through?

Garry Reedman (06/05/2009 at 16:56)

So what? We have all seen the images of Blair and other senior Labour Party politicians with the likes of the IRA's Gerry Adams! Also what the Manchester Evening News has deliberately failed to mention that Duke left the KKK at least a decade before the photo with Griffin was taken. In fact Duke far from being a KKK member was actually a US senator at the time (you know - elected into the US Senate by the electorate)! Perhaps the Labour Party supporting Manchester Evening News would like to amend its smear story accordingly?

Is It Me? (06/05/2009 at 17:05)

And here's me,from the headline,thinking that Griffin was being photographed with Gordon Brown!!!

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