The only thing you need to know about the BNP is that the Official Monster Raving Loony Party is fielding twice as many candidates in the general election.

The BNP will only field eight candidates in the election, a dramatic drop in numbers compared to the 339 BNP candidates who stood in 2010.

The far-right party's membership has also plummeted, currently standing around an estimated 500, compared to 4,220 paid-up members at the end of 2013.

The party has undergone such a huge implosion that The Official Monster Raving Loony Party, who revealed their 'manifesto' on Twitter today, is fielding almost twice as many candidates in this year's election.

Internal divisions have racked the BNP recently - former leader Nick Griffin was expelled in October 2014 for "trying to cause disunity" by "fabricating a state of crisis".

BNP controversies Show all 15 1 /15 BNP controversies BNP controversies December 2014: Nick Griffin's visit to Syria Former BNP leader Nick Griffin went to Syria where he visited one of the holiest mosques in the Islamic world amid comments questioning whether he is working as "an MP for president Bashar al-Assad" Twitter BNP controversies November 2014: Controversial poster George Gill did not give permission to the BNP to use his image or his quote, and had no idea he was the subject of a recruitment poster, calling it "disgusting" BNP BNP controversies November 2014: BNP calls for Remembrance Day minute silence – a day late 'Others forget but we remember', the BNP said of the traditional Remembrance Day silence on Twitter on 12 November, only they managed to forget the very date on which the First World War ended themselves BNP controversies October 2014: Nick Griffin expelled from BNP The British National Party expelled former leader Nick Griffin for allegedly “trying to cause disunity” in a bid to destabilise the organisation Getty images BNP controversies May 2014: Fight Back video BNP released the Fight Back video, featuring Jack Renshaw as the leader of the BNP youth Facebook BNP controversies May 2014: BNP Twitter gets hacked, no-one really notices Someone claiming to be affiliated with Anonymous hacked into the party's official account, and began posting messages including 'F*ck ALL govs'. It seems they weren't looking to push a particular message and didn't even really know much about the far-right party, but were instead just looking to cause trouble BNP controversies April 2014: BNP food banks 'are for indigenous Brits only' says Nick Griffin Nick Griffin tweeted: “For the avoidance of doubt, our BNP food banks are for indigenous Brits only. 'Minorities' all have their own (taxpayer-funded) charities” Getty BNP controversies BNP accused of using ‘food bank’ handouts to win support British National Party activists are going door to door with mobile food banks in a bid to win support ahead of the local and European elections. The far-right party has even produced a YouTube instruction video to teach volunteers how to build trust with voters in deprived areas by offering soup, teabags and washing powder on the doorstep BNP controversies January 2014: Nick Griffin stars in first cookery role as BNP TV chef offering ‘traditional British fare’ The BNP leader Nick Griffin appears to have made a first attempt at launching himself into a career as a TV chef, with what threatens to be the first of many cookery programmes on BNP TV. Dressed in a Help for Heroes rugby shirt and standing in his home kitchen, Mr Griffin talks the viewer through his recipe for a beef stew, in a video posted to YouTube entitled “Recipe for beating the Tory blues” YouTube BNP controversies January 2014: BNP leader Nick Griffin declared bankrupt BNP leader Nick Griffin announced his bankruptcy claiming the declaration made him happy as it freed him from "financial worries" Getty Images BNP controversies December 2013: BNP wish members a 'White Christmas' in racist looking greetings card The far-right British National Party’s (BNP) Christmas card appeared on its website, and features the sinister slogan: “Wishing you a White Christmas”. Signed from the party’s leader Nick Griffin and the BNP, a photo of a blonde-haired Caucasian girl holding a white box wrapped with a red ribbon appears on the front. The gift is tagged with a heart-shaped BNP logo. According to the BNP website, recipients included those officially signed up to the party, as well as "various people in the media, bishops and opposition politicians" British National Party BNP controversies June 2013: BNP and anti-fascists clash on the streets of London At least 58 people were arrested in London after anti-fascist demonstrators clashed with British National Party members outside the Houses of Parliament. The far-right group's march was one of around 60 planned across the country to mark the death of Drummer Lee Rigby, murdered in Woolwich Rex Features BNP controversies June 2013: Nick Griffin urges supporters to ignore police ban on planned march at scene of Drummer Lee Rigby's brutal murder The leader of the far Right British National Party Nick Griffin urged his followers to ignore a police ban on the organisation's planned march near the scene of the brutal murder of Drummer Lee Rigby in Woolwich. The call comes despite police warnings that any BNP members who try to demonstrate in south east London risk arrest Getty BNP controversies November 2012: Nick Griffin makes B&B gay couple tweets Michael Black and Jonathan Morgan were told they could not stay at a guesthouse by its Christian owner, who was later prosecuted for discrimination. Following the decision to take action against the guesthouse owner, Mr Griffin had urged his Twitter followers to demonstrate outside the couple's home. As a consequence they had a police presence at their house for several days GETTY IMAGES BNP controversies July 2012: The General Synod of the Church of England clears the way for a ban on clergy membership of the BNP Members of the Church's national assembly gave final approval to legislation making it "unbecoming" or "inappropriate" conduct for clergy to be members of a political party with policies and activities declared "incompatible" with Church teaching on race equality Getty

Andrew Brons, former party MEP for Yorkshire and the Humber left in anger shortly after Griffin was expelled, claiming the former leader had "destroyed the party".

In a statement on his website, Brons also said that "80 or 90 per cent" of the party's membership, activists and former officials had quit.

Last year's local elections worsened the party's implosion, leaving them with only two councillors in the whole country - Cathy Duffy in Charnwood and Brian Parker in Pendle.

A spokesman for the BNP blamed the party's huge fall in popularity on the media, saying: "This party has been subjected to a constant stream of poison from the left-wing press."

"Why would we spend half a million pounds fighting an election when no one in the mainstream media will give us any fair coverage?"

"There's such dissatisfaction with the system that this election really isn't worth our time."

The 2010 election was the high-water mark for the BNP, as they fielded a record number of candidates - but 267 of those candidates got less than 5 per cent of the vote, losing their deposits and costing the party £133,500.

Blaming Ukip for the party's vanishing support, a BNP spokesman added: "Ukip has been used to co-opt the BNP's message. There's been a push in that direction by the power structure of this country to hurt our vote."