Nick Griffin was educated in Suffolk, and joined the National Front when he was 14. He became a political worker for the party after his graduation from Cambridge University. In 1980 he became a member of its governing body, and later wrote articles for several right-wing magazines. In 1995, he joined the British National Party and in 1999 he became its leader. He made several attempts to make the party electable including the removal of certain extremist policies. At the 2009 European Parliament election, Griffin was elected an MEP for the North West England region. In October 2009, he was on the BBC television show "Question Time" which caused controversy.