The black man who could help the BNP win Barking

Labour is worse than Nick Griffin's 'racist' party, says the Rev George Hargreaves of the Christian party

As protesters proclaiming themselves "the Workers of England" amplify the Beat's Stand Down Margaret into the busy high street, the Rev George Hargreaves tells me why his Christian party can't possibly do a deal with Labour. It's theological, he explains. Deep. Psalm 94, verse 20 warns that there will be a "throne of iniquity", and that's the Labour government, with its equalities act forcing Christians to make nice with gays; its education rules hampering them from running faith schools as they wish; its hostility to creationism. And how can I make any sort of deal with Margaret Hodge here in Barking, he asks me? In terms of morality, he says, she's the worst. "Abortion, gambling. She has no Christian credentials at all."

And this is fine as it goes, for Hargreaves probably won't win the parliamentary seat, despite his best endeavours. And the Christian party is unlikely to win the council. But with Hargreaves working the black churches in the area with what we can indeed call religious fervour, he could do Labour a deal of damage, leading to what many see as the most likely nightmare scenario, a BNP-led local authority.

So how could you, a smart black churchman, take that risk, I ask him.

But I come to see that his perception of "risk" is different. The BNP is bad, he says. "Racist at its core," but ultimately powerless. One MP or council won't change that. By contrast, Labour, says Hargreaves, with its history and ability to legislate against the interests of high-octane Christians, seems much worse.

There have been talks, he says, immaculate in a crisp blue suit and matt-white dog collar. Anti-BNP types have "begged, pleaded".

"But they are just a front for Labour." Nothing doing.

For his party is "here to win", Hargreaves insists, with backing from rich, disgruntled Tories and platforms hostile to Europe and continued immigration. "We are the feelgood factor. People can vote for us and feel good about it." And perhaps some will; black churchgoers and fed-up white people. But what if he has miscalculated? How will he feel on 7 May if it transpires that he was, in effect, Nick Griffin's secret weapon?

Bad, but not awful. Scary.