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Nick Griffin, Chairman of the British National Party, has defended party literature which tells members that Asian Britons and black Britons "do not exist" and said that the attempt by a "liberal elite" to label such people as British amounts to a "bloodless genocide."

Mr Griffin, who plans to run as a candidate for England's North West region in upcoming European Parliamentary elections, spoke to a team from BBC Radio 4's The Report (23 April, 8.00pm) who have been following his European campaign.

The "BNP Language And Concepts Discipline Manual", leaked to anti-fascist group Searchlight and seen by the BBC, says that "BNP activists and writers should never refer to 'black Britons' or 'Asian Britons' etc, for the simple reason that such persons do not exist."

Questioned about the leaflet's content, BNP Chairman Nick Griffin said: "In civic terms they are British. But British also has a meaning as an ethnic description."

He said: "We don't subscribe to the politically correct fiction that just because they happen to be born in Britain, a Pakistani is a Briton. They're not. They remain of Pakistani stock."

He compared large numbers of people of foreign origin assuming an English identity to "a sort of bloodless genocide."

The programme looks in depth at the BNP's campaign in the North West region. It examines the connections between the BNP and European far-right activists, and assesses the party's tactics and ideology.

The proportional system at European elections means the BNP would need less than 9% of the vote to win a single MEP seat.

The BNP is using the slogan "British Jobs For British Workers," widely associated with Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

"When I heard Gordon Brown use our slogan – British jobs for British workers – I was delighted," Nick Griffin said. "We feel that he's legitimised our message."

Hazel Blears, Communities and Local Government Secretary, said: "I certainly regret the fact that the BNP could be using language we've used in order to legitimise what I regard as divisive, pernicious policies which will actually do working class people no good at all.

"What I don't regret is the fact that we need to have a proper discussion in this country about making sure that British people have a chance to get the skills, the education, to be able to get the jobs of the future."

PR