Press Association
Saturday 4th July 2009
A worker in the Queen's household whose name appears on a list of British National Party members has denied being involved in the far-right party, Buckingham Palace said.
Paul Murray a storeman in the Master's Department has said he is not a member of the organisation.
The allegation emerged with the publication on an internet blog of a list of more than 12,000 BNP supporters, which included current and ex-servicemen, religious ministers and teachers.
Pc Steve Bettley, a Merseyside officer named in the register, is being investigated by his force because being a member of the far-right party is banned by police.
A Buckingham Palace spokesman confirmed that Mr Murray was on the list and also a former employee who worked as a senior porter.
Commenting on Mr Murray he said: "We understand he's not a member of the BNP."
The storeman, who is said to work at Windsor Castle, believes his name may have appeared on the list because he was once invited to a BNP social event which he did not attend.
Merseyside police confirmed on Wednesday it was investigating whether Pc Bettley has links with the far right party.
The Green Party has revealed one of its former parliamentary candidates joined the BNP because he believed its climate change policy "was more radical". Keith Bessant, who ran for MP in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, in 2001 and 2005, was named in the list of members of the far right organisation.
The party also confirmed a church minister, Rev John Stanton, from Rochford, Essex, also exposed on the membership list, was also once a local Green Party chairman.
