Robert West, leader of the British National Party's front group, the Christian Council of Britain, has formally stepped over from the Conservative party to the BNP.

West claimed that his move was prompted by the issuing of Tory leader David Cameron's so-called A-list, which features a high proportion of female and ethnic minority parliamentary candidates, saying; 'I have decided to seek refuge from political correctness by applying for asylum with the British National Party...The Conservative Party's list of candidates which deliberately exclude white male candidates in favour of women, non-white and homosexual or lesbian candidates, is discrimination of the worst kind.'

We've written about West before, here  http://82.69.12.18/lancasteruafblog/index.php?itemid=224 , here  http://82.69.12.18/lancasteruafblog/index.php?itemid=140 , here  http://82.69.12.18/lancasteruafblog/index.php?itemid=131 , and here  http://82.69.12.18/lancasteruafblog/index.php?itemid=127 .

None of this is true, of course. The fact is that Robert West has been working with the BNP for some time, has been a vocal supporter of Nick Griffin, has attended and spoken at BNP meetings and events, and worked with senior members of the party to bring about the creation of the Christian Council of Britain, which the BNP thinks will endear it to right-wing Christians but which in fact seems to be attracting a bunch of swivel-eyed nazis who like singing hymns.

West has been under suspension from the Conservative Party for a month or so and was recently suspended from the county's Racial Equality Council (REC), where he had been placed as a council rep. According to vice-chairman of the REC, Sidney McFarlene, 'A motion to suspend Mr West from the council was put before the district council and was not even seconded. But if they won't do it, then we will do it ourselves.'

The church as a corporate entity was horrified at the creation of the Christian Council of Britain. Anthea Cox, Methodist Coordinating Secretary for Public Life and Social Justice, has commented on the organisation - saying: 'I am outraged that the BNP and its allies are using Christianity to further their agenda of segregation and division. I think most Christians will be deeply affronted by this and want to speak out against such misguided extremism. We reaffirm our earlier statements that Christian belief is incompatible with any political party or philosophy that is based on hatred or treats people as inferior because of their race, beliefs or for any other reason. We are deeply concerned that some people are now appropriating Christian language and symbols for policies that are the very opposite of Christian values.'

Conservative deputy chairman Eric Pickles said recently that West's behaviour had been a matter of concern for some time and following his latest indiscretion of speaking at a BNP meeting, his appeal over suspension was unlikely to succeed.

West, who bizarrely described the BNP as 'fine' and 'decent', should now do the fine and decent thing himself and resign his seat.