St Philips barrister resigns to stand for BNP in general election
A tax barrister at Birmingham’s St Philips Chambers who went to the same Cambridge University college as British National Party (BNP) leader Nick Griffin has resigned from the set so he can fight a seat for the party at the upcoming general election.
Robert Grierson
Robert Grierson, who was until today a door tenant specialising in tax, trusts and wills and estate work, intends to contest the Sutton Coldfield seat at the forthcoming general election.
The BNP website states: “Barrister Robert Grierson will contest the Sutton Coldfield constituency […] Mr Grierson who was educated at King Edward’s School, which was the school that Enoch Powell attended [sic].
“Robert then went on to attend Downing College Cambridge, the same college where Nick Griffin MEP received his higher education.”
In a statement St Philips said: “Robert Grierson has resigned from his position as a door tenant of St Philips Chambers from 25 March 2010. He accepted that his candidacy in the forthcoming election was a distraction to the proper work and approach of St Philips Chambers, its members and its staff.
“As far as St Philips Chambers is aware Mr Grierson remains in practice as a barrister as a sole practitioner from his home address, which has in fact been the position since December 2008.
“It is reiterated that St Philips Chambers was not aware that Mr Grierson was a member of the BNP and further that any views Mr Grierson purports to hold or express in the forthcoming election must be taken to be his own personal views and not that of St Philips Chambers or any of its members.
“Apparently he joined the BNP in September 2009, a significant time after ceasing to be a member of chambers.”
Christine Kings, chambers director at Outer Temple Chambers, highlighted the fact that the Bar Council’s equality code requires sets to have an equality and diversity policy in place, adding that chambers could lose instructions from solicitors if it was felt that any member or tenant did not abide by the code.
“If I were a solicitor and concerned about equality and diversity I wouldn’t instruct a chambers that didn’t take action on this,” she said, adding: “I couldn’t stay in a chambers that had a member of the BNP as a member and expect that many colleagues would find it difficult. Many chambers have constitutions that will provide for suspension or dismissal of a member - it will depend on the terms of a constitution.”
A judge at Central London County Court recently ruled that the BNP’s constitution, which no longer restricts membership along racial lines, but requires members to uphold the “integrity of the indigenous British” was still likely to be discriminatory.
Maurice Cousins, a researcher at the campaign group Nothing British about the BNP, said: “If you look at the Front National in France, it has a long history of attracting doctors, lawyers and even a few millionaires.
“This is emblematic of how the BNP has become more respectable to some individuals in the professions - this is a new breed of candidate. It’s a bit of a stain on the legal profession.”
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Readers' comments (88)
catherine milner | 25-Mar-2010 6:12 pm
Why on earth should a lawyer not be a member of the BNP? The threatening, creepy authoritarianism of New Labour Quangocrats like Christine King should be exposed for what it is: crawling to political masters and a disgusting abuse of power
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Ian McPhee | 25-Mar-2010 6:19 pm
Surely Christine that should of read 'if I were a Solicitor and had NO CONCERN about equality and diversity I wouldn't instuct a chambers that didn't take action on this?' Is this the famous equality that states you are free to hold any opinion as long as its mine?
I regularly hear that lawyers should come from every section of society. So why not from the Nationalist community?
It's very easy to work for Amnesty, and talk of human rights in far away places, but it appears it's harder to practice what you preach in this country.
There is no suggestion that Mr Grierson has treated any client in a less professional manner because of their faith or colour, so why the very clear threat of economic boycotts of him or any other BNP member based soley on their viewpoint?
Robert Grierson has stood up for what he believes in and should be defended, not condemmed. Perhaps he should of joined a Conservative Party front organisation and pretend it was a 'campaign group'.
Liberal/leftist lawyers talking democracy while intimidating someone with a different view. Well that really is a stain on the legal profession!
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John Moran | 25-Mar-2010 6:28 pm
What a brave man. I'm sure there are far more who just keep their heads down because of fear of losing their livelihoods thanks to veiled threats like those from Christine Kings.
This is a man to be admired. His political convictions have outweighed his desire to make money.
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Arthur Lincoln | 25-Mar-2010 6:38 pm
“I couldn’t stay in a chambers that had a member of the BNP as a member and expect that many colleagues would find it difficult".
Change the words 'member of the BNP' in this statement to 'Muslim'. Now how does that square with 'Blind Justice'?
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darren | 25-Mar-2010 6:41 pm
I find it difficult to understand why someone in the (bnp) should be ostrisized from there job,no matter what profesion.It goes to show that the ruling elite are frightend of losing there positions of power,and will do anything to hold on to them.At the end of the day its up to the voters at election time,not the p.c brigade .
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Margaret Wilson | 25-Mar-2010 7:47 pm
Mr Grierson is clearly a brave and honourable man who puts his country's interests before his own. My Father who died recently also attended Downing College Cambridge. Any legal work required by myself from this time forth will be on its way to Mr Grierson.
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Bob | 25-Mar-2010 7:53 pm
Nice to see someone with a bit of backbone who's willing to do something to save this country from complete destruction.
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John Bell | 25-Mar-2010 11:14 pm
Good for Mr. Grierson, a straw in the wind. If we were all ready to make such a sacrifice for our poor old country we could transform her fortunes beyond recognition!
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carl mason | 25-Mar-2010 11:32 pm
So would the legal world find it difficult to work with some one who was a card carrying communist, or a member of the i.r.a, or a member of islam 4 uk?? perhaps you should all brush up on sharia law , because in 25 years time that will be the only law of the land,
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Sylvia Howard | 25-Mar-2010 11:36 pm
On the contrary, it is hardly a stain on your profession to stand to stand up for what you believe in, rather than be part of this left wing cancer that is eating away at everything this country has stood for since the Second World War. How is it right for the media to report almost daily how immigration is ruining this country, but at the same time calling the BNP racist for having said this for years, and actually wanting to do something about it? Why is it wrong to want this immigration to stop? The BNP want to pull out from the EU, so does most of this country. They want our boy’s home from Afghanistan, so does most of this country. We are glad this gentleman is standing. We will vote for him, and we make no apology for this what-so-ever.
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