BNP trying to 'hijack' British Armed Forces

Nick Griffin has claimed the British National Party is widely supported by rank-and-file soldiers after a group of former generals warned that the Armed Forces were in danger of being hijacked by the far right.

The BNP leader rejected their criticism of his party - suggesting they were "in the pockets" of the Tories - and insisted his views were being misrepresented.

Former military leaders wrote to The Times voicing anger at the BNP's tactic of using images of Winston Churchill and wartime insignia during recent European election campaigns.

The letter, signed by former heads of the army General Sir Mike Jackson and General Sir Richard Richard Dannatt among others, said far-right groups were "fundamentally at odds" with the values of the British military.

"We call on all those who seek to hijack the good name of Britain's military for their own advantage to cease and desist," they said. "The values of these extremists - many of whom are essentially racist - are fundamentally at odds with the values of the modern British military, such as tolerance and fairness."

General Jackson specifically attacked the BNP for using the army's image. He said: "The BNP is claiming that it has a better relationship with the Armed Forces than other political parties. How dare they use the image of the army, in particular, to promote their policies? These people are beyond the pale."

But Mr Griffin, who was elected as an MEP earlier this year, insisted his party was popular among the forces rank-and-file.

"I'm the one who talks to the families of young squaddies and large numbers of ex-servicemen and they all say that almost everyone at the coalface, fighting in Afghanistan, vote for the British National Party," he said. "The generals might not because some of these generals are now in the pockets of the Conservative Party, who used to be able to take Armed Forces votes for granted but now can't."

Mr Griffin dismissed claims that he wanted a white-only military, but admitted that the Victoria Cross-holding black corporal, Johnson Beharry, would not be allowed to join the BNP.