Blair rejects 'repellent' Le Pen policies

The Prime Minister today condemned Jean-Marie Le Pen’s ‘‘repellent’’ policies and said he was confident France would reject his brand of ‘‘extremism’’.

Challenged at Commons question time, Mr Blair said of the French far-right leader’s presidential poll success: ‘‘There is no future in that type of narrow-minded racism and nationalism.

‘‘I believe most people understand that not only are those policies wrong they offer no real solution to the challenges that face developed countries in the world.

‘‘Therefore, I hope sincerely and believe that they will be rejected not just by people in France but by people right across Europe and the wider world.’’

Mr Blair was replying to Labour’s Mike Gapes (Ilford S) who urged the rejection of the ‘‘vile, racist, xenophobic politics of the anti-Semitic Islamophobes of the British nazis, the BNP’’ in the local

elections on May 2.

Mr Blair replied: ‘‘I am sure France is a strong and a decent country and I have no doubt they will reject the form of extremism represented by Mr Le Pen.

‘‘Those policies, I find repellent and I believe many people right across the world do too.’’