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Brown: 'Bigoted' BNP will be exposed on TV
22.10.09
The appearance of British National Party leader Nick Griffin on Question Time this evening will present a good opportunity to expose his "unacceptable" views, Gordon Brown said today.
The Prime Minister said the decision to invite the BNP on to the show was a matter for the BBC, and he did not want to interfere with it.
He urged people who might be tempted to cast a protest vote against one of the mainstream parties not to lend their support to the BNP, which he described as "racist and bigoted".
Speaking on Real Radio in Yorkshire just hours before the recording of the controversial edition of BBC1's flagship political discussion programme, Mr Brown said: "If on Question Time, they are asked about their racist and bigoted views that are damaging to good community relations, it will be a good opportunity to expose what they are about."
Asked whether Mr Griffin, who was elected an MEP earlier this year, should have been invited on to the programme, Mr Brown said: "It was a decision of the BBC. We are not trying to interfere with the decision of the BBC."
He defended the decision to break with Labour's previous practice of refusing to share a platform with the BNP and to allow Justice Secretary Jack Straw to debate with Mr Griffin this evening.
"The issue is: should we have someone there?" said Mr Brown. "Jack Straw is a very experienced person who has had to deal with the BNP and their awful politics over a period of time...
"I hope that the exposure of the BNP will make people see what they are really like."
Mr Brown told Real Radio's Ian Brannan: "At every point, I believe we have got a duty to expose the BNP for what are racist and sectarian politics.
"Anybody who listens to what they are really about will find that what they are saying is unacceptable.
"In a recession, people are tempted to vote against their traditional voting patterns like voting Labour, which we regret. But I want to persuade people that voting for the BNP is not the right thing to do."
Only last week, the BNP was forced by the courts to accept it must change its membership rules, which stated that only people who were "indigenously Caucasian" could join, said Mr Brown.
"We have got a country that is diverse, where people have a lot of freedoms and choices," the Prime Minister said.
"For a political party to exclude people on the grounds of race is completely unacceptable.
"Their views about mixed marriages and everything else are unacceptable for the modern world."
In a message to voters considering a protest vote in the forthcoming general election, Mr Brown asked: "Do you really want to vote for, support or give succour to a party that wanted to exclude people from their party on the grounds of race and colour in the way that they did for many years?
"Do you want to support a party that has some of the most bigoted views in our country?"
Reader views (10)
Sanjay, Hounslow, UK - Spot on!
- Dave Davies, Basingstoke, Hants
So Brown thinks that open debate will expose the BNP. No wonder he's trying to avoid one himself! We need an open and honest public debate about immigration in this country. The politicians need to listen to the electorate for the first time in forty years on this matter.
- Mark, London
Brown's opinion on anything nowadays is not important to anyone.
I hope the rioting by the great unwashed and assorted antis outside the BBC will be seen to not involve any BNP members. All the violence is usually caused by the anti this and anti that.
I don't vote BNP but it is good to see them upsetting Labour on the councils.
- Michael, London, UK
If question time can give Gerry Adams airtime, Whats the problem with allowing Nick Griffin on?
They are both equally vile.
- Simon, kingston
"THe BNP are a legitimate political party that over one million people have voted for them and they have every right to be on question time and in parliament. Banning them stinks of real fascism and communism and is a failure of our democratic society.
- Dirk Diggler, Soho, London"
Unfortunately Dirky they are posing as a legitimate party, pretending to comply whilst paying lip service to the law.
They have a hidden agenda that is not to well hidden. You only have to read blogs by their supporters and defenders to realise that.
I have always held the view that racism is a weapon used by a bully who is unable to cope with being inadequate in one or many ways. Perhaps they are less successful, less intelligent but certainly not able to improve their lot without blaming someone else.
- Sidney, UK
THe BNP are a legitimate political party that over one million people have voted for them and they have every right to be on question time and in parliament. Banning them stinks of real fascism and communism and is a failure of our democratic society.
- Dirk Diggler, Soho, London
Quite right Sanjay.
Which is worse, the emotional and intellectual deficient claptrap of "racist and bigoted" - try and improve your vocabulary and your logic, Clown - or the 'treasonous and treacherous' Liebore Party, destroying this country from within?
And since BNP members pay the licence fee, why should they not have their say?
This way, the public can compare what they say with what the 3 main political parties say, and more importantly DO, when in power, and whether what they state has merit, and destroy with logic and sound reasoning that which is indefensible.
Clearly, the two main parties have utterly failed the voters' demands over areas regarding immigrants - especially ILlegal ones, and will continue to do so until proper recognition and expression is given to the will of the majority of the British public.
- Ralph, London
Gordon can you just remind all of us, when you are going to appear in a debate on TV?
No you can't as you keep backing out of the idea, probably best not to slag other politicians off, when you don't even have the guts to appear in a debate yourself.
- P Staker, London
Spot on Sanjay. Also, the Tories are keeping quiet on immigration too, again not helping matters at all.
- Dom, london
"Do you want to support a party that has some of the most bigoted views in our country?"
What's the alternative - We already have a party that has no strategy on the future of our country!
Mr Brown, YOU are the reason they are getting so much publicity. YOU are the reason they are getting votes. YOUR incompetence when it comes to immigration policy is the reason this vile 'party' is becoming popular!
- Sanjay, Hounslow, UK
