CANDIDATES for the British National Party will stand in a bid to become MPs for two parliamentary constituencies.

Julian Leppert and Jim Clift will stand in the General Election on May 6 for Chingford and Woodford Green and Leyton and Wanstead respectively.

Mr Leppert's planned appearance at hustings in Chingford this evening has prompted other candidates to boycott the event.

Labour's parliamentary candidate for Chingford & Woodford Green, Cath Arakelian, has said she will protest, along with representatives of the Waltham Forest branch of Unite Against Fascism, outside the meeting at Chingford Assembly Hall at 7pm today.

Candidates from the other two main parties have also said they are not attending.

Dr Geoff Seeff, the Liberal Democrat hopeful, said he was concerned there would be trouble at the event and he was "deliberately keeping out of it."

A spokesman for Conservative Iain Duncan Smith said there was a "diary clash" and added the incumbent MP would not attend hustings organised by another candidate.

The hustings have been organised by Independent candidate None of the Above, who said he invited all candidates to ensure fairness.

Mr Above, who changed his name by deed poll from Adam Osen to stand in the election, said: "It was important to have everyone there and it would have been nice if the candidates from the main parties could be there.

"The BNP is a legitimate party. I don't agree with what they say, but I will defend their right to say it."

Mr Leppert, 41, is a postman from Loughton and was a councillor in Hainault.

He also stood in the 2004 London mayoral election.

Reports in the Daily Mirror last year claimed his car registration number - NA51 ZCY - suggested the word Nazi, but he denied deliberately choosing the numberplate.

A BNP spokesman said the decision not to share a platform with the party was "undemocratic".

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