BNP to form alliance with EU's far-right parties

Amid concerns across Europe that economic woes may nudge voters towards radical right-wing political groups, the British National Party (BNP) joins forces with EU's far-right groups.

The right-wing BNP, accused of inciting fascism and racism, announced on Thursday that the new grouping, the European Alliance of National Movements, would seek funds from the European Union.

The BNP leader, Nick Griffin, whose party secured two EU seats following this year's elections, estimated that the funding would be 11m euros (£10m).

This is while the alliance lacks sufficient membership for official recognition in the European Parliament as a political bloc. At least 25 members from seven countries are required to gain recognition as a political bloc in the parliament.

The movement was launched in Brussels by Griffin ad fellow nationalists from the French National Front and the Hungarian Jobbik party.

Griffin added that the money would be used for political activities of the groups.

There seems to be an obvious contradiction between BNP's official policies and its ambitions, as the group is seeks UK's withdrawal from the EU, a ban on immigration, and a freeze on foreign aid.

"In place of the EU, we intend to aim towards greater national self-sufficiency, and to work to restore Britain's family and trading ties with Australia, Canada and New Zealand, and to trade with the rest of the world as it suits us," says the policy section of the group's website.

The new alliance must now move to satisfy complex EU rules to gain access to EU funding.

A previous attempt to form a similar group in the previous parliament, under the name of 'Identity, Tradition, Sovereignty' (ITS), collapsed in November 2007, according to the BBC.