And as if Norn Iron didn't have enough problems with bigotry and hatred....

Blicky

BNP to stand for election in Northern Ireland
The British National Party is to fight elections in Northern Ireland for the first time.

The far-right group is to field a candidate at the next European elections.

A spokesman in Belfast says the party will urge voters to back its vision of keeping out asylum seekers and saving manufacturing jobs.

He said: "This will give people in Northern Ireland a genuine alternative to sectarian, tribal politics."

But the SDLP's Alban Maginness claims the brand of racism, sectarianism and ultra-nationalism offered by the BNP is not welcome.

The North Belfast MLA said: "Northern Ireland already has enough political madmen and cranks so there really is no need for this political export from Britain."

The move was ratified during a BNP meeting in the greater Belfast area last month attended by party leader Nick Griffin.

With fewer than 100 members in Northern Ireland, activists have set a £10,000 fundraising target to stage an effective campaign in the June 2004 poll.

Limited funds forced the BNP to abandon plans to contest Stormont Assembly elections which were set for next May before devolution was suspended.

"(The European election) is better value because we only need to get a £1,000 deposit rather than the expenses of individual constituencies," the spokesman said.