Anti-fascist protesters staged a noisy demonstration outside the home of the English National Ballet today as "BNP ballerina" Simone Clarke prepared to take the stage. Principal dancer Clarke is due to dance the lead role in a matinee performance of Giselle - the first time she has performed in public since she was outed as a British National Party member. More here
Ms Clarke, whose partner Yat Sen-Chang is an acclaimed dancer of Chinese-Cuban extraction, went on to defend her membership in a detailed interview with the Mail on Sunday, saying the BNP was the only party "willing to take a stand" against immigration.
Yesterday campaigners said that she was using her position to promote the far right party's policies. Weyman Bennett, of the group Unite Against Fascism, said: "We are calling on all who have an appreciation for the arts to demand that the promotion of racist and fascist politics is incompatible with an institution such as the English National Ballet."
The row is becoming increasingly difficult for the English National Ballet, which as a publicly funded organisation is obliged by the Race Relations Act of 2000 to promote good race relations. More on the protests here
Her personal (together with her chinese boyfriend)website is here
Another view on here situation here: "Ballet and the BNP"
A Guardian journalist went undercover for seven months to explore the clandestine world of the BNP: how it operates, recruits and holds meetings. Read it here
More about the BNP-boys here: "BNP chief 'slated multiracial hellhole"