Griffin pulls out of Queen’s tea party

The great Buckingham Palace garden party dilemma has been averted: Nick Griffin, leader of the ultra-right BNP, has pulled out of attending, saying he has "no wish to embarrass" the Queen.

His decision means Palace officials will no longer have to make what looked like a difficult choice - either to ban him, which was bound to bring the party considerable publicity, or allow him in, with the risk of appearing to give the BNP the Establishment's blessing.

Griffin, whose party is expected to pick up its first ever seat at the European Parliament elections next week, was due to attend the garden party on July 21 as the guest of Richard Barnbrook, the BNP member of the London Assembly.

Barnbrook was one of a group of Assembly members to be invited. Rather than take a girlfriend - his previous partners include the ballet dancer Simone Clarke - he opted to be difficult and take his party leader.

Since the news came out, Barnbrook has been under pressure to drop his controversial guest. Jeff Jacobs, deputy chief executive of the Greater London Authority, warned him that he must stop exploiting the situation for publicity or face his nomination for a ticket to the garden party being "reviewed". ·