Tea Time For Fascists

Genius move inviting this cretin to have tea with the Queen.

The Queen was last night facing a political storm after it emerged that BNP leader Nick Griffin could be a guest at one of her garden parties.

Mr Griffin, who has a conviction for inciting racial hatred, is set to enjoy tea and cucumber sandwiches at Buckingham Palace on July 21.

The revelation sent royal aides into a tail-spin and threatened to hand the far-right group an unrivalled propaganda coup.

It comes at a time when the party is hoping to make a decisive electoral breakthrough by winning its first-ever seat in the European Parliament on June 4.

Mainstream parties fear the BNP will tap into the mood of public anger over MPs' expenses and also pick up council seats, which are contested the same day.

Mr Griffin would be on the Palace lawn as the guest of Richard Barnbrook, BNP member of the London Assembly.

The assembly is given a quota of tickets each year and Mr Barnbrook plans to claim one.

MPs and anti- racism campaigners reacted with anger. Labour MP Jon Cruddas said: 'It is astonishing that somebody with a criminal conviction for race crimes could be allowed to attend a garden party at Buckingham Palace.

'Surely it is possible for someone to have a quiet word with Richard Barnbrook. There are plenty of other people he could bring.

'He should not be allowed to make political capital of our Royal Family during an election period.'

The anti-fascist group Searchlight said: 'Nick Griffin is a convicted criminal. We would have thought that on security grounds alone he would be denied access.'

Mr Griffin's conviction came in April 1998, 18 months before he was elected as BNP leader.

The 49-year- old Cambridge law graduate was given a nine-month suspended jail sentence for inciting racial hatred by distributing material denying the Holocaust.