Shadow Security Minister Baroness Neville-Jones has called on Home Secretary Alan Johnson to proscribe the extreme right-wing group Blood & Honour.

Last week the group was reported to the police for distributing racially offensive CDs which spread hatred against Jews, Asians and blacks. The Home Office confirmed that its status would be re-assessed.

Baroness Neville-Jones said: “This is a flagrant example of the kind of hate speech that should be dealt with. There is a danger that this is growing in extent and goes unchecked.

“This government has taken such a strong stand on hate crime but if it goes unchecked groups like this will think they have tacit approval to act on what they are saying.

“The government should have been onto this group by now.”

Groups like this must not go unchecked

The baroness has written to Mr Johnson complaining that as well as distributing the CDs, the group has a “field manual” which refers to “die-hard Nazis” who “still have an option through leaderless resistance and direct action … to stalk the worst enemies of our race. They expect no support and assistance but they deserve acknowledgement and understanding.”

Baroness Neville-Jones has asked the Home Secretary for his assessment of the group’s activities. She said she believed Blood & Honour was breaking the Public Order Act of 1986 and the Terrorism Acts of 2000 and 2006, which specify that “the encouragement of terrorism and the dissemination of terrorist publications are offences.

“On the face of it, there appears to be a very strong case for the proscription of Blood & Honour.”

A Home Office spokesperson said: “Proscription is a tough but necessary power to tackle terrorism. Decisions on proscription must be proportionate and based on evidence that a group is concerned in terrorism as defined in the Terrorism Act 2000.

“Organisations which cause us concern, including those which might change their name to avoid the consequences of proscription, are kept under constant review.

“As and when new material comes to light it is considered and the organisation re-assessed as part of that process.”