Nick Griffin: British far-right politician, former BNP leader and MEP
Profile of Nick Griffin, British far-right politician who led the British National Party and served as an MEP for North West England, detailing his rise, political career, controversies and later developments.
Nicholas John "Nick" Griffin (born 1 March 1959) is a British far-right politician best known for leading the British National Party (BNP) and for a period serving as a Member of the European Parliament for North West England. He was born in Barnet, in Hertfordshire.
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Early life and background
Griffin grew up and received part of his education in Suffolk. As a teenager he became involved with the National Front, joining that organisation at about 14. After studying at Cambridge University he worked within the party structure and, by 1980, had a role on its governing body. During the following years he contributed articles to several right-wing magazines.
Political career
He moved to the BNP in 1995 and rose to its leadership in 1999. During his time directing the party he pursued changes intended to broaden its appeal and reduce emphasis on some of its most extreme positions. In the 2009 European Parliament elections Griffin won a seat representing North West England.
Public controversies and later developments
Griffin attracted widespread attention in October 2009 when he appeared on the BBC television programme Question Time, an appearance that generated considerable controversy.
In March 2017 he said he wanted to move to Hungary, adding:
“And I hope that Hungary, the Hungarian government, the Hungarian people, will welcome people who are genuine refugees from western Europe but keep out the liberals who have brought western Europe to this state in the first place.”
The Hungarian government subsequently banned him from entry and residence in May 2017, declaring him persona non grata.
Questions and answers
Q: Who is Nick Griffin?
A: Nick Griffin is a British politician who is the chairman of the British National Party (BNP) and Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the region of North West England.
Q: When did he join the National Front?
A: He joined the National Front when he was 14 years old.
Q: What did he do after graduating from Cambridge University?
A: After graduating from Cambridge University, he became a political worker for the party.
Q: When did he become leader of the British National Party?
A: In 1995, he joined the British National Party and in 1999 he became its leader.
Q: What happened at the 2009 European Parliament election?
A: At the 2009 European Parliament election, Griffin was elected an MEP for North West England region.
Q: What caused controversy in October 2009?
A: In October 2009, Nick appeared on BBC television show Question Time which caused controversy.
Q: What did Nick state in March 2017 about wanting to emigrate to Hungary?
A:In March 2017, Nick stated that he would want to emigrate to Hungary and hoped that they would welcome genuine refugees from Western Europe but keep out liberals who had brought Western Europe to its current state.
Author
AlegsaOnline.com Nick Griffin: British far-right politician, former BNP leader and MEP Leandro Alegsa
URL: https://en.alegsaonline.com/art/127592