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Mr Griffin has told the jury that his speech was not an attack on Asians in general, but on Muslims. The defence also argued that since he was speaking at a private meeting, he could not be accused of trying to stir up hatred among the public - although neither men seemed careful to moderate their language after today's court victory.

During the 2004 speech Mr Griffin had drawn attention to the reported problem of Muslim gangs attacking young white girls in the area, and he blamed Islam and the Koran for their behaviour.

He told the court: "This isn’t a racial thing. It’s not an Asian thing. It’s a cultural and religious thing."

He said that his study of Islam and the Koran had led him to believe that the idea of moderate Islam was a "politically correct nonsense" but that his criticism of Islam was not a cover for a hatred of all Asians.

Mr Griffin has told the court that until the late 1990s "the party, even myself to a certain extent, could be described as racist", but this was no longer the case". Mr Collett said his speeches were only intended to motivate party members to take part in "legal and democratic" campaigning.

The retrial was heard at a time of heightened racial tensions and a parallel political debate on the rights and wrongs of Muslim women wearing the veil in British public life.

Summing up yesterday, the Recorder of Leeds, Judge Norman Jones QC, said: "Issues have arisen during this case which have drawn attention to politics and religion.

"This case is not about whether the political beliefs of the BNP are right or wrong. It’s not about whether assertions made about Islam are right or wrong. Those are issues to be debated in different arenas."

He continued: "We live in a democratic society which jealously protects the rights of its citizens to freedom of expression, to free speech. That does not mean it is limited to speaking only the acceptable, popular or politically correct things. It extends to the unpopular, to those which many people may find unacceptable, unpalatable and sensitive.

"Along with those rights come rights and duties not to abuse them."

Speaking outside the courtroom, Mr Griffin once again accused young Muslim men of ganging up to attack British women of other faiths and races, describing it as the "final taboo".

He also attacked Mr Cramphorn, the West Yorkshire police chief, for having dedicated "three or four" officers full-time for up to six months to investigate Mr Griffin's speeches at a time when Mohammed Siddique Khan and the other 7/7 bombers were planning their attacks on the London transport system.

Speaking of the victims of those attacks, he said: "The fact they were all horribly blown to pieces is in part the fault of Colin Cramphorn."

As he spoke a cordon of police in high-visibility reflective jackets kept the BNP supporters away from a group of anti-fascist protesters gathered across the street.

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