Craig Woodhouse Scotland Secretary Jim Murphy today warned politicians north of the border not to be complacent about the threat posed by the British National Party.
Mr Murphy told MPs that the BNP in Scotland was often underestimated but said it had attracted 27,000 votes at the recent European elections - up from almost zero 10 years ago.
And, during Commons question time, he added: "I believe that the BNP are also a Scottish problem."
Earlier this month the BNP gained two seats in the European Parliament, with party leader Nick Griffin elected in the North West region and Andrew Brons registering a success in the Yorkshire and the Humber area.
No BNP candidates were returned in Scotland but Mr Murphy warned against thinking they pose no threat.
Responding to Tory Peter Bone (Wellingborough) about differing levels of government funding across the UK, Mr Murphy said: "I don't share the view that the Barnett formula or the methods of funding across this disparate kingdom in any way fuels extremism or is a cause of the vile kind of British National Party support. I don't agree with that at all.
"However, in Scotland on occasion there is a sense of complacency about what happens in respect of the British National Party.
"Of course we all know that they are racists and anti-Semites but their vote in Scotland has gone from near zero 10 years ago to 27,000 at the European elections. The BNP vote in Scotland was higher than the ethnic minority proportion of the population in Scotland as shown in the most recent census.
"Rather than the complacency that sometimes creeps into Scottish politics, I believe that the BNP are also a Scottish problem."
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