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02/09/2009: "Bishops resist moves to outlaw BNP membership"

William Fittall, Secretary General to the Synod, has circulated a paper which states that the Church's legal advice was that the policy could not be enforced.

He wrote: "Since the BNP is not a proscribed political party, it is lawful to be a member. Merely being a member of it could not, therefore, provide a basis for disciplinary proceedings against a member of the clergy."

Vasantha Gnanadoss, the proposer of the motion and a civilian member of staff with the Metropolitan Police, argues that the policy should be adopted to "carry a clear message to society at large".

She said: "It will make it much more difficult for the BNP or similar organisations to exploit the claim that there are Anglican clergy or church representatives who support them."

[ That's the real motivation behind this law: to try and suppress the fast rising popularity of the BNP. ]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article5689311.ece