In late 1996 Charlie Sargent said, "If we stand for election, we'll get eliminated. The loyalist paramilitaries or Sinn Fein when they stand for election, they're humiliated basically, but as a paramilitary group they get respect. That's how we've got to go."

In January 1997 three C18 supporters in Denmark were arrested for sending letter bombs to three addresses in Britain. The group imploded soon after as an internal feud left one man dead and Sargent sentenced to life imprisonment.

The 1997 BNP manifesto had a two strand policy of immigration. They were the halt of future non-white immigration and the repatriation or relocation of non-whites living in Britain. It claimed that this would succeed in 'returning' the country to its white status.

BNP Candidates in the 1997 General Election have nominal success. Three deposits were saved, two in East London and one in West Yorkshire, but elsewhere its vote was negligible.

Although Griffin had joined the BNP, he accepted that the National Front had a more recognisable name. During discussions with leaders of the NF, Griffin was keen for a merger. This came to nothing as his plans were seen as beneficial only to the BNP leadership.