Dr Evan Harris, an MP for the Liberal Democrats, today expressed the opinion that banning members of the BNP from teaching is the wrong thing to do.
From The Times:
It is obviously illiberal to declare that legal membership of a legal political party will be a bar to earning a living as a teacher, especially as what should be actually banned is behaviour — not thoughts, or unexpressed views.
I look forward to the outcome of the government's investigation into whether the BNP is actually racist. But, personally, I happen to agree with Evan Harris MP and — shockingly — something Nick Griffin MEP keeps saying:
although I disagree with [them] I'd fight to the death to allow [you] to have those views
Perhaps the Labour government are taking a hard line because they don't believe teachers can hold personal, extreme views and not impress these upon their students?