April Fool BNP

[Sir Tokyo Sexwale]

This seems to have gone un-noticed

 

"Cambridge to strip BNP boss of degree" said the headline in today's [Rag].

 

The "exclusive" story recounted that Downing College was to rescind BNP leader Nick Griffin's 2:2 law degree. "Uni snub for vile Griffin" read an approving sub-headline.

 

There were numerous nods of approval at Cambridge's apparent decision, on Twitter. The BNP, meanwhile, were outraged, accusing the university of trying to rewrite history and pandering to Muslim students.

 

But there was one snag – the story isn't true. The [Rag] and BNP had been taken in by an April Fool by an online Cambridge student magazine, the Tab.

 

Its spoof story, written by a 17-year-old sixth former, said:

 

In an unprecedented move, Griffin is set to become the first person to have a degree that has been studied for rescinded by the university.

It is believed that the university's association with the hate figure has become untenable due to his recent appearance on Question Time, where he was booed, heckled and shouted down at regular intervals.

 

A harassed duty press office at the university said he had spent much of Good Friday denying the story. "It was an ill-advised April Fool by a student newspaper," he said.

 

Alasdair Pal, the 20-year-old theology student who edits the Tab, said he had been contacted by an "irate" Cambridge press officer urging him to remove the story from the website.

 

He refused. "The Guardian has kept up its spoof story about Gordon Brown, so we did the same," Pal said.

 

He added: "It was a good day for the Tab."

 

The story was written by Alasdair's younger brother, Gordon, who is studying A-levels at a college in Blackpool.

 

He said: "I didn't really expect anyone to be taken in by it. It was pretty funny that the Sun fell for it."

 

Gordon, who has a provisional place at Cambridge next year, added: "It was more satisfying that the BNP was taken in. They just think everyone is out to get them, they looked stupid."

 

The BNP put out a press release condemning the university's apparent decision. It was headed: "Nick Griffin creates history as Cambridge University tries to rewrite it."

 

It accused the university of trying to rescind Griffin's degree "because they believe it might be losing them fees from foreign Muslim students who could be put off coming to the university".

 

The press release was later removed from BNP's site after they twigged they had been fooled.

 

 

f***ing thick reactionary c****

[Ramón Benítez Hernández]

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