BNP banned after failing to pay £25 electoral registration fee
The British National Party has been banned from standing for election after failing to pay a £25 annual electoral registration fee.
Under UK law, all political parties are required to submit a form every year detailing their leadership structure and registered address, along with a small fee, to the Electoral Commission.
Failure to do so means the party will now be banned from standing any candidates under the BNP name.
A spokesperson for the commission confirmed the party had failed to either submit the form or pay the fee.
"It’s a legal requirement for any registered political party to submit both an annual notification confirming that the details they have registered with the Commission remain accurate and a re-registration fee of £25," a spokesperson for the Electoral Commission told Politics.co.uk
"The registration fee was not made by the BNP."
The party now has two years to resubmit the form and pay the fee. After that period the party will lose all exclusive rights to use their name.
British National Party (BNP) has today been removed from the register of GB political parties. (1/2)
— Electoral Commission (@ElectoralCommUK) January 8, 2016
The BNP has been in a state of steady decline over the past few years, following the rise of other hard right and far right parties.
In 2014 the party lost all it's MEPs and all but two of its councillors nationwide. Following a disastrous set of local elections Nick Griffin was ousted last year, only to be replaced by disgraced former teacher Adam Walker.
Walker received a suspended sentence and a driving ban two years ago after chasing down three boys aged between ten and twelve in his car, before slashing their bike tyres with a knife.
His initial two-year ban from teaching was extended to a lifetime ban by former education secretary Michael Gove.
Walker's appointment marked the end of any attempt by the party under Griffin to pose as a non-racist organisation.
Walker has previously described Britain as a "multicultural shithole" which is under the process of "ethnic cleansing" and warned that the country faces many more Lee Rigby-style executions perpetrated by "tribal African" people.
