Nick Griffin

Nick Griffin ( * March 1, 1959 in Barnet, London) is a British politician, chairman of the British National Party (BNP ) and Member of the European Parliament. He was repeatedly accused of hate crimes and recently in 1998 for incitement to racial hatred ( " incitement of racial hatred" ) finally convicted.

Childhood and studies

Nick Griffin was born in 1959 as the only child of Jean and Edgar Griffin in Barnet. When he was eight years old, Nick Griffin moved to Southwold. There he attended, with the help of a scholarship, one of only two boys, the former girls' boarding school Saint Felix School.

At the age of 14 he became a member of the National Front, and reportedly Griffin stayed at the age of 16 years at Martin Webster, a leading member of the National Front. 1999 Webster claimed that he had a homosexual relationship with Griffin, who at that time was in charge of public relations for the BNP. Griffin has denied any homosexual relationship.

In 1977, Griffin wrote in Downing College, Cambridge, in order first, then to study history Jura. His relationship with the National Front was first published during a debate of the Student Union, and his picture was published in a student newspaper. Later, Griffin founded the "Young National Front Student organization". He completed his law degree with a grade from Good. In Oxford, Griffin also learned boxing after he had beaten in Lewisham with a member of an anti-fascist party.

Beginning of the political career

In 1995, he became active in the BNP, took over editorial responsibility for the party newspaper Spearhead and was party spokesman. In many occasions, there was positive about Adolf Hitler. In 1998, he had to of "inciting racial hatred " brought to justice. In an article in the magazine The Rune ( Issue No. 12/1997 ), in which he acted as editor, he called black among other things, as "slave half-breeds". During the proceedings, he compared the idea that six million Jews died in the Holocaust, with the idea that the earth was flat, and named, among others, the French Holocaust denier Robert Faurisson as defense witnesses. He was sentenced to a nine-month suspended sentence and a fine of £ 2,300. After the verdict was read, he handed the Royal criminal type a certiorari. In the grounds he urged the court to provide evidence of the existence of gas chambers.

Party Chairman

1999 Griffin was chairman of the party by the former party chairman John Tyndall replaced by a ballot. From now on, he tried to give the party a new moderate image by banishing any Nazi symbolism from the public appearances (as it was still common practice at the time of his predecessor ). The model for this policy included the French Front National and the Austrian Freedom Party. Open racism and anti-Semitism since then trying to avoid, mainly criticism of multiculturalism, which supposedly imminent " Islamisation " of Britain and the alleged restriction of freedom of expression by political correctness are discussed.

Between 2000 and 2009, Griffin went to in numerous elections in the United Kingdom for the BNP, but was unable to reach mandates. 2004, several BNP members were arrested after a BBC documentary, including Nick Griffin and John Tyndall, the founder of BNP. During the recordings made ​​concealed BNP members had said, among other things, they wanted to " kill Pakis ". In the following procedure Griffin said his remarks had no racial background, but should criticize Islam as a religion, and referred to the right to freedom of expression. Ultimately, Griffin was acquitted of the charges.

MEP

In the European elections in the UK 2009's Griffin and Andrew Brons mandates for the British National Party and made ​​it to the European Parliament. Shortly after the election reached Griffin renewed attention when he proposed to sink boats with refugees who want to migrate from Africa to the EU, so that Europe can not be " swamped by the Third World " will. On demand he further stated that one could the refugees " yes throw a life raft, then they can return to Libya ."

In October 2009, Griffin was invited at the first BNP politician in the prestigious policy shipment Question Time the BBC, a decision that was very controversial in the British public. In the broadcast, he criticized again Islam. At the same time, he distanced himself with reference to " European law " of his earlier holocaust -denying statements, but declined further explanation to his position change. In the same consignment Griffin described homosexuals as " scary " and defended joint appearances with leading persons of the Ku Klux Klan. He claimed part of this organization are not violent.

In December 2009, Griffin criticized the UN climate conference in Copenhagen, where he participated as representatives of the European Parliament. He described global warming as "the greatest swindle in history", which should only justify the increase in taxes and energy prices. Through the support of biofuels, go for cultivation at the expense of food production, climate activists to " mass murderers " would. Here, Griffin was not aware that environmental organizations like Greenpeace see the cultivation of biofuels very critical.

Griffin is attached member in the EU Parliament. He is a member of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety, in the Delegation for relations with Belarus and the Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly EURO- NEST. As a deputy, he is on the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy, in the Delegation for relations with Switzerland and Norway as well as Joint Parliamentary Committee EU-Iceland Joint Parliamentary Committee European Economic Area.