BNP leader should apologise for nearly causing grooming trial to collapse, says MP

Simon Danczuk MP

A reckless publicity stunt by Nick Griffin nearly allowed nine of the country’s worst paedophiles to escape justice, Simon Danczuk MP has argued.

Rochdale’s MP confronted the BNP leader in an interview for the BBC Sunday Politics Show and demanded that he apologise for the tweet he’d posted about the outcome of last year’s Rochdale grooming trial, which nearly caused the case to collapse.

“You are not interested in justice for the victims of the nine paedophiles in Rochdale and you should use this opportunity to apologise for the victims of these crimes,” he told Griffin in angry exchanges. “You should use this chance now to say sorry.”

Griffin’s tweet led to the defense counsel calling on the judge to dismiss the jury because their impartiality and independence had been compromised. An appeal has subsequently been lodged.

Mr Danczuk said he had agreed to take part in the interview, departing from Labour’s traditional ‘no platform’ policy with Griffin, because he was so angry at the BNP leader’s attempts to derail justice.

“He has no interest in solving the grooming problem or Rochdale where he’s supposed to be representing people in the European Parliament,” he said afterwards. “Nick Griffin is only concerned with cheap publicity stunts and promoting himself rather than letting justice run its course. Thankfully people have now seen through him and I think the BNP are finished as a political force.”

During the interview Mr Danczuk also asked Griffin what he had achieved for the people in the North West during his time in Brussels. Griffin responded: “We don’t do very much, we’re fig leaves for the European Commission.”

Griffin admitted his party “had taken a hit” from Labour over the last few years in terms of voters deserting the party. But he also blamed the BBC and a “politicized police” for the BNP’s decline.