The British National Party (BNP) said it was "standing for local freedom, security, identity, democracy" and putting "Britain first".

The party has 24 local councillors and leader Nick Griffin said he "could not say" whether it would win any more in the council elections next month.

Mr Griffin launched a "12-point" plan for Britain in Grays, Essex, saying the BNP's policies included "low taxes", "action against corruption", "equal treatment", "asylum clampdown", "zero tolerance for anti-social behaviour", and the ending of "trendy failure" in schools.

Mr Griffin proposed the widespread closure of "Teacher Training Colleges" and said he would bring retired teachers back to school to "train new teachers".

"We would end all recruitment of teachers from Teacher Training Colleges where discipline is disparaged and traditional teaching methods are not taught exclusively," said the BNP manifesto.

"Instead BNP-controlled Education Authorities will take on retired teachers with at least 30 years experience and get them to train new teachers 'hands-on' in the class-room."

It went on: "Once pupils have attained basic literacy and numeracy skills, there is a good case for giving them lessons in British Sign Language so that they can communicate with deaf people ..."

Mr Griffin said the party would introduce compulsory competitive sports - "such as egg and spoon races" - for all children from the age of five.

The BNP would campaign to "give teachers back the right to smack disruptive pupils" and "campaign for the re-introduction of head lice checks in schools".

The manifesto added: "Canteen-style catering will be phased out and replaced by one choice of meal for all pupils, eaten in staff-supervised sittings which all pupils must attend."

Mr Griffin said a BNP government would allow pupils the option of bringing sandwiches.

He said the BNP was also proposing to separate "foreign pupils" from "native English speakers".

"Everyone living in our country should have to learn English. If minorities want to teach their own children their native languages, they should do so in their own time and at their own expense," the manifesto added.

"Where foreign pupils have not achieved a satisfactory standard of English, they should be taught separately rather than being allowed to drag down standards and hold back native English-speakers."

The manifesto said "the dumping of asylum seekers on our communities is fundamentally the fault of the Government" and "BNP councillors will do everything in their power to prevent asylum seekers being dumped in our areas".

It added: "We do not believe that the current wave of asylum seekers have (sic) any right to be in Britain, while they are here we will insist that benefits provided by the local community are repaid by asylum seekers being put to work to clean up the streets ..."

Mr Griffin, who arrived in the hall to the sounds of loudspeakers blaring the sound of a football crowd chanting "England", said he was not racist and his party was not racist and nobody "really believes we're a Nazi party".

But he said he did not want Britain to "end up like America where everyone is coffee-coloured and drinks Coca-Cola".

He said the BNP would accept votes from racists, adding: "If someone has got that level of hatred building up in their system, if they can get it across by putting a cross in a box in has to be better than putting a brick through a window."

The BNP launched its manifesto in a working men's club next to a Sikh temple after officials met journalists at the entrance to a nearby Morrisons supermarket.

Journalists were searched before being allowed in to the meeting hall. One refused to be searched - but was allowed in anyway.

No members of opposition parties were at the launch.

The party said a "record" 356 BNP candidates would stand for election next month.

By Ian Morgan
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