The local party group's move follows similar action taken by the party's national leadership.
Last Friday Hirvisaari was stripped of his party membership by a unanimous decision of governing council members after a series of highly public missteps.
Hirvisaari’s expulsion followed widespread criticism for hosting the Tampere extreme right figure Seppo Lehto at the parliament, taking a photo of his guest posing in a Nazi salute and posting it online.
The colourful politician has since joined the Change 2011 movement (Muutos 2011), a group which gained party status in 2010. Advocating 'direct democracy', the party says it accepts all outlooks and political orientations, and makes a point of having no party discipline. Hirvisaari is the fringe party’s first Member of Parliament.
Note:
Article updated at 4 pm on Thursday. In the picture caption "extreme nationalist group Change 2011" was changed to "the Change 2011 group". In the lead, "infamous" MP James Hirvisaari was changed to "controversial" MP. In the last paragraph, "anti-immigrant and nationalist group" was replaced with "a group which gained party status in 2010. Advocating 'direct democracy', the party says it accepts all outlooks and political orientations, and makes a point of having no party discipline."