In the early part of summer 2001 some of the worst race riots ever seen in Britain occurred in the North of England. The far right British National Party claimed that this was the inevitable consequence of the "failure of the multi-cultural experiment".

Only a few weeks later the BNP polled its best ever result in the General Election. Throughout the country their vote tripled.

The Party's profile has been maintained in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks with a campaign against Islam and the Muslim community at home and abroad. Now, they are preparing for future electoral success with the aim of returning Britain to whites.

BNP leader Nick Griffin claims the party has undergone major changes in the last two years to improve its image.

He refutes the view that the BNP is "extremist", but says, "I would describe us as a populist party aiming to get into the mainstream."

But how fundamental are the changes that have taken place in the BNP?

Panorama has been given access to a range of BNP events. During the investigation reporter Jane Corbin started to gather evidence that suggested that there might be another side to the BNP that was not quite so appealing.

Production Team:
Reporter Jane Corbin
Producer Murdoch Rodgers