Britain moved yesterday to prevent racist and other extremist groups from being elected to a new London assembly, just days after the capital was hit by three nailbomb attacks aimed at ethnic and gay communities.
The House of Commons approved, without a vote, a government amendment to draft legislation setting up the assembly to require any party to secure at least five per cent of the vote to win a seat in the 25member body. The threshold is sure to make it tougher for marginal racist groups such as the British National Party (BNP).
Mr David Copeland, a 22year-old engineer from Hampshire, has been charged with all three bombings.
