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BNP to get free advertising on BBC for general election
Joe Murphy and Nicholas Cecil23.10.09
A new row broke today when it was confirmed that Nick Griffin's BNP will get free television advertising during next year's general election.
The far-Right party will get at least one Party Election Broadcast in the three weeks before Polling Day.
Gerry Gable, publisher of anti-fascist magazine Searchlight, said they should be cancelled. “I think it's ludicrous for the BBC to give the BNP any more publicity through any more airtime,” he said.
“I think once was enough. They came out of last night's Question Time without any integrity and no support apart from the handful of people they already had in the audience.”
Under broadcasting law any party that contests at least a sixth of the seats in England is entitled to a free broadcast of up to four minutes and 40 seconds in length.
Simon Derby, the BNP's spokesman said the party would fight “at least” that many seats and probably several times more and hoped to qualify for two broadcasts.
“We do not know how many seats we will contest in the end - but the number is increasing all the time,” he said.
A BBC spokesman stressed that a right to a free broadcast was set down in UK law and it had no power to refuse. The BNP was given two broadcasts in May this year for the European elections and one during the 2005 general election.
Weyman Bennett, joint national secretary of Unite Against Fascism, said: “If they get more chances to broadcast then we will witness the increase in racist attacks and bigotry and go back to the days of the 1970s.”
“I think the BBC is being totally irresponsible to try and legitimise the BNP and we would urge them to reconsider their position.
“We can already see the corrosive impact of the BNP in Barking and Dagenham and showing more of them on television is an insult to every Jewish, black and Asian citizen to pay their licence fee for.”
But MPs who opposed the BBC's decision to have Mr Griffin on Question Time said the election broadcasts were a different matter. “All the parties are entitled to election broadcasts,” said Labour's Mark Lazarowicz. “That's different from being invited on a flagship current affairs programme.
A liaison group of BBC executives will begin meeting shortly with independent TV channels to decide exactly how many broadcasts and what time of day they are shown.
Video: Watch Nick Griffin on Question Time
The BBC faced further outrage when Europe's most notorious far-Right leader said it had given Nick Griffin a massive potential boost.
In an exclusive interview with the Standard, Jean-Marie Le Pen lavished praise on the Corporation and predicted that the BNP could now enjoy a surge in support. “Small fish will become big so long as God gives them life,” he said. “All political groups have started as marginal before becoming important.”
His chilling forecast came as the BBC came under blistering fire today for giving Mr Griffin a Question Time platform, which he used to attack Islam as “wicked” and smear gay people as “creepy”.
Labour MP Diane Abbott said the BBC had handed him “a big win” in terms of publicity.
Cabinet minister Peter Hain added: “The BBC should be ashamed of single-handedly doing a racist, fascist party the biggest favour in its grubby history.”
Le Pen's career was transformed when he appeared on the French equivalent of the show in 1984. It catapulted his National Front from the fringes of French politics and in 2002 he sent a shiver across Europe when he came ahead of former premier Lionel Jospin in the presidential race for a run-off against Jacques Chirac.
“The BBC is conducting itself in a democratic way with regard to the English people,” Mr Le Pen claimed.
“He [Griffin] will reveal his ideas. It's the people who will judge.”
Mr Le Pen, 81, who in 1987 described the Holocaust as a “detail of history”, insisted the BBC's decision was “normal”.
But Ms Abbott, Labour MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington, said: “For the BNP going on Question Time at all, that acceptance being in the mainstream, that's a big win and they got so much publicity.”
Former Europe minister Denis MacShane called on BBC director general Mark Thompson to resign if there was a rise in racist attacks.
But other MPs believe the BNP may have been damaged. Jon Cruddas, who represents Dagenham for Labour and has been asked by Gordon Brown to devise strategies to beat the far-Right, said: “It was a very poor performance.
He was subject to greater scrutiny than I thought he would be. Griffin was in denial and it did not work, although I fear some people might think he was ganged up against which will play into their sense of victimhood.”
Mr Le Pen claimed the uproar over the BBC stance suggested a “narrow idea of democracy” in Britain, adding: “Trying to stop an elected individual from expressing himself on mainstream media appears scandalous.”
The French MEP criticised last night's demonstrators saying: “If someone does not share your opinion you try to stop them speaking — it's the inverse of democracy.”
Reader views (59)
There have always been "far-right" parties all over Europe, just as there are far left. Remember Le Pen of France? Why is everyone getting their knickers in a twist over this? If you don't like someone's politics you don't vote for them.
- Wen, Oxfordshire
What an absolute farce,I used to have a lot of respect for Dimbleby but last nights fiasco was a disgrace,he never even stopped the audience from being so rude,which he usualy does,and actualy joined in with some of the insults.
- Davey_Bouy, Chertsey UK
The true discrimination of this country was exposed when a man (if we agree or not) was politically elected but is not given the right to free speech. I am not a member of any polictical party or wish to be, but seeing the harrasment and abuse handed towards Mr Griffin, a legally elected official was terrible. It makes me think who the real racist was in the studio and from the comments and actions of the people in attendance it definately was not Mr Griffin. The TV show was nothing more than a sustained attack on a individual, not the question time we have come to watch with current political debate. In this instance Mr Griffin has my full support and I will be sure I am not the only one. He should be offered another appearance on the show to debate his parties policies on current affairs with a more suitable panel and audience who could talk on a moral level than racial abuse !
- Brian A, Scotland, UK
Anthony Heatg - "I really am beginning to wonder who are the fascists here".
Are you really? They are the ones who want to make Britain an exclusively "white" country, who think NHS resources are wasted on disabled people, who are proud of their "Blackshirt" heritage. Let's not muck about here, they may have learned that saying "indigenous identity" plays better with the voters than "racial purity" but the BNP are (and always have been) Fascists.
- Nolan, Londonist
The BNP are and always be, the extreme side of conservatism which was evident in the goings on under the "right wing" Thatcher. Under the BNP we would be living back in the past as was the system in Victorian times when the poor were poor and the servants of the rich and kept that way. The cause of the slave "trade" too.
- Thomas Hayes, Leeds UK
Kevin, UK: If Gordon Brown has the intellect you profess, I wish he'd use it more often.
Presumably Brown agreed with the invasion of Iraq and the sending of troops to Afghanistan as member of the cabinet? That was truly clever of him. If he, say, disagreed with those moves, why did he not resign as did the late Robin Cook? A Prime Minister should in my opinion not only be able but must also have integrity. Brown's intellect, whatever it might be, is stifled or damaged by a liberal dose of megalomania - he's never wrong.
As for Osborne, well, I have worked with some of the best lawyers in this country, who did not have a degree. So your comment about him might be correct but it also displays a degree of intellectual snobbery, which possibly our Leader may also suffer from?
- Captain Black Of The Mysterons, Broxbourne
I am sorry, but Bonnie Greer's comment on the Roman Empire in Britain, on BBC Questiontime last night, is totally inaccurate regarding multi-culturism and citizenship.
The Roman Empire did not give citizenship to all inhabitants of Britain, as she stated, or indeed the members of the occupying forces. Slavery existed and citizenship had to be earned by long service to the state.
The Roman Empire in Britain, as in other parts of the world, was a fascist empire, the symbol of which is the fasces (a bundle of rods with protruding Axe), from which Fascism gets it's name. I would have expected better from the Vice-chair of the British Museum about Romano-British history.
But there again, she is an American who was appointed by Gordon Brown!!.
Her performance was eclipsed by Sayeeda Wahsi's attack on Jack Straw's governmental policies on immigration.
Leonard Pope
- Len Pope, Stockton on Tees, England
Legal Immigrant,-best comment so far today,this whole debate is becoming a bit boring now,yesterdays QT was a shambles with a lynch mob audience hand picked by leftist liberals, having said all that Griffin never really hit back at the slurs thrown at him and looked very nervous and rattled for most of the hour long show,a bit like a lamb in a lions cage,it was however the right decision to allow him air time.Jack Straw looked as slimey as ever and evaded all questions regarding mass immigration,but to cut to the chase, it was in my opinion a huge anti climax after all the hype of the last week,I look forward to Griffins next appearance on this the most leftist of all political debates,so much for its impartiality policy !!.
- Auf Deutsch, Bent Kent in Broken Britain.
This was nothing more than a bunch of left wingers attacking Nick Griffin from both the panel and the hand picked audience. These tactics do not work and will only add to their (BNP) popularity. The BBC are not conning anyone with their puppet show politics.
- John The Butcher, Fulham, London
Many people watching last night were horrified by the co-ordinated attacks mounted by a selected audience and the panel. They were also shocked by some of the language used by the audience to attack Mr Griffin, adjectives that would draw a roar of dissaproval if used publically against any of our serving politicians despite what many people see as fraud and dishonesty in Parliament. The Guardian reported for a few minutes (presumably the article was BBC withdrawn following some political advice) that the website had been inundated with comments expressing dismay at the way Mr Griffin had been bullied. We have been left none the wiser on BNP policy because Mr Griffin faced sustained and frenzied attacks from all sides. The political establishment needs to come to terms with the fact that Mr Griffin has exploited their misjudgement of the public mood on issues such immigration, the EU and the denial of a voice for the people over the Lisbon Treaty, and the way in which parliament has trivialised the consequences of the fraud and moral turpitude that is the expenses scandal.
- Roberto, Geneva Switzerland
WELL ,WELL,WELL.
It looks like finally the U.A.F mob have turned Nick Griffin and the B.N.P into political martyrs.
Because of all the fuss over the programme the B.N.P had increased the traffic to their website 1000% and had nearly 14 milion hits i now believe.
As a jewish father/grandfather i am now getting very worried that the B.N.P have now been made to look like victims on national t.v .Make no bones about it , due to the actions of anti fascist organisations demonstrating out side the bbc and the obvious lack of balance in the audience on QT, and the way he was treated by host and panel alike, Nick Griffin was made to look a victim, and this will garner him votes.
I think the mishandling of the situation will quadruple the B.N.P vote as Jack Straw and other panel members had problems in dealing with the immigration issue on national tv in front of possibly the biggest audience QT has ever had.
I can almost hear the jackboots.
My heart bleeds.
MR (NEVER WILL I POST ON THIS SUBJECT AGAIN) PASTRY
- Mr Pastry, london
Does no one see what is really going on - take a look at what went on in 30s in Europe and Britain and learn from the past- If we are to stop someone like him getting into power we have to address the issue as to why have more people started to vote BNP. Attacking him will only seem to make him more popular.
- Katy, Kent
Did anybody watch This Week, which followed QT? Host Andrew Neil talks about the West London studio audience:
"I wonder whether we see a different programme from the one that's being watched out in the country? The danger tonight was that the British people, famous for their fair-mindedness, saw one man being beaten up by five other people on the panel, including the presenter, and by an audience that was overwhelmingly hostile to him."
- Mark, South-East London
I really am beginning to wonder who are the fascists here, because the way the arguement is going, I just cannot tell.
- Anthony Heatg, Godalming
If the main parties had the courage to address the very real problem, and, concern of the vast majority of British people on immigration, there would be no BNP! The BNP is a consequence of the cowardice of the British Parliament in dodging this issue!
- Kevin Sullivan, Roehampton, London.
"to Kevin UK, you said...
'No real political or intellectual talent whatsoever'
Am I missing something, does Gordon Brown not also fall under your comment? Most of the country would agree he does.
- Tony, Barnet"
You certainly are missing the point.
I'm no Labour supporter however Brown is without doubt one of the most intellectually able politicians of his generation, whether you like him or not the man is smart.
Compare him to George Osborne who has enjoyed the best education money can buy and comes out with a second class degree in history and they want to make him Chancellor.
As for Mr Griffin if you are impressed with his talent then..........
- Kevin, UK
We live in a democratic free speech society. Banning any party from having their views broadcast because it offends is the rule of dictatorship! Do people not learn? What happens when a film or song gets banned? It becomes even more popular because people are too curious to leave it up to the government to judge what is right for them. Let the BNP spout its nonsense and give the public a reason to go out and vote next year. It might even lead to some propoer voting and passion for politics for once rather than the pathetic turnouts we usually get...
- Mr Opinion, London
The Panel and the Chairman were absolute rubbish, and I include the american historian who was lamentable - I don't need a history lesson! Most of the audience weren't much better, either.
They berated Griffin - thus giving him the opportunity to play the victim (which he knew would happen and he lapped it up) - without extracting from him what the public wanted or needed to hear, what are his and the BNP's true policies, not just on race but other issues, too.
If we are ever going to get to the bottom of the real BNP - assuming we want to - on reflection, it would be better if he was interviewed by 3 panellists who would not mindlessly boo, heckle or shout him down every time he went to speak but actually extract what he is all about.
Last night, the Chairman, the Panel and the audience were so incredibly psyched-up that they probably played into his hands; they all overheated. He will, I am sure, regard last night as a step upwards; a coup.
When it came to an inter-parties issue, on immigration, they all floundered because their focus was entirely on rubbishing Griffin.
The public wanted to know what Griffin and the BNP stands for [yes, we all know about 1 or 2 policies they have] and to debate them with him so as to decimate them both; the Panel failed - simple.
Will we ever get to know? Proably not. Will their popularity increase? Probably, unless the vacuum left by mainstream parties on race and immigration isn't filled by them and a solution found.
- Captain Black Of The Mysterons, Broxbourne
Most people want over population to be stopped and the only way to do this is to limit its growth. To limit our population by stopping immigration is now considered racist. The programm last night was just a bear baiting exercise against the BNP. What a squirmer that Jack Straw is. Birth control should be the governments main objective. But as usual they will avoid the issue.
- Frederick, London
"Jack Straw, representing himself and government, revealed all of the slithering, evasive, weasel words of the New Labour Party."
Ed, London
Very well said Ed - I couldn't agree more. I watched QT and must say that it was quite frankly a "bear bating" contest with the panel and audience attacking Nick Griffin at every turn.
Yeah, great way to expose him for what he "really is" by cutting him off every 2 seconds.
Clearly the incompetent,communist parasites of ZaNu-Liebour are terrified that the BNP will continue to garner support from those people who are totally appalled with their failed open-door immigration policy.
Thank you to the QT audience member who made that point to Jack Straw and made him squirm.
- Anon Pc, London Compound,Londongrad,EUSSR
15,000,000 additional hits to the BNP website and 2000 additional member enquiries.
The UAF may wish to rethink their strategy. The current one (shout down anyone who has a differnce of opinion) obviously does not work
- Jimbob, Kensington
Face it; it wasn't Question Time.
It was attack Nick Griffin time. It was a big set up and although Griffin was rubbish, Jack Straw actually managed a worse performance. BBC bottled it with this one. Oh, and to the disgusting demonstrators outside; we can make our own minds up thank you.
- Jules_London, london
to Kevin UK, you said...
'No real political or intellectual talent whatsoever'
Am I missing something, does Gordon Brown not also fall under your comment? Most of the country would agree he does.
- Tony, Barnet
In recent years, this party has always been given a Party Political Broadcast. This isn't new news.
- Ben Pearson, Hackney
Jack Straw, representing himself and government, revealed all of the slithering, evasive, weasel words of the New Labour Party.
The one man I can think of who would have articulately challenged Nick Griffin most competently, is George Galloway. While I don't admire the man, he has a first class political brain. New Labour and their friends at the BBC have been shunning Galloway for years and that bias has cost us on this occasion.
None on last night's panel were capable of stripping bare and exposing Griffin for who he is, and his below the surface odious policies and beliefs. Galloway would have been the man to do that. Last night on AQ, every panel member there was was shown up as inadequate for the job. Confused, weak willed and as was hopelessly apparent, unable to rise to the occasion.
- Ed, London
They didn't allow Nick Griffin to have his say on Question Time last night, instead they interrupted the majority of the points Nick Griffin had made, and then drew the conclusion "he has been exposed for what he really is."
- Anon, London
Strangely I think both Nick Griffin/BNP AND those opposed to them got the programme they wanted I.e a show which almost wholly about the BNP and the controversy about whether they should be allowed on mainstream TV!
"Question Time" is supposed to be about the issues of the day...there was only ONE central issue discussed last night....THE BNP.
Dimbleby said about two thirds or more through the event that he..." didn't want the show to be ALL about the BNP" too late for that David MUCH too late.
- Jason Stone, Stratford, Newham
I admired the BBC for allowing Griffin on but the way the debate was handled just handed him the victim card that he craves. As someone else said, it was just bear-baiting. What the BNP needs is to be defeated in a fair debate. Last night was obviously anything but fair and I doubt anyone sympathetic to the BNP will have had their views changed.
- Kevin T, Beckenham, Kent
From a neutral's point of view, it was pretty poor television. Dimbleby said at the beginning that it wasn't just going to be about the BNP, but in practice there was just one monotonous topic.
He then allowed panelinsts too much petty squabbling, which disrupted the flow.
Nor did he probe why Chris Huhne MP claims to support a cap on immigration but strongly supports EU membership, which means practically unlimited migration from Europe. Dimbleby has long been observed as being lenient to LibDems.
Weyman Bennett is right to say that black/asian/Jewish viewers did not get value for their TV licences. Nor did anyone else.
- Jools, London
I don't recognise the England which Nick griffin claims to espouse. I live in Bethnal Green, in the heart of an area in which many people from immigrant backgrounds live. It is an area of considerable poverty. There is a sense of community; not communities.
The BNP attempt to portray Islam and immigrant communities from Eastern Europe as undesirables, when in reality the more frequently he speaks the more accurately that label should be attached to him.
He is attempting to exploit the unhappiness of many people who have been struggling to exist during the most severe recession for eighty years. He is not sufficiently intelligent enough to seek positive outcomes, so goes for the the soft option of the "blame culture" which has been tried by many extremists of both the left and right in politics for many years.
Having viewed his defensive and ugly performance last night on Question Time it is easy to apply the Fascist label to him and to remember that it was people of his ilk that my parents fought in 1939-45 to save the UK from.
See him as he really is and actively work to rid our society of him and people like him.
- Alan Mead, London, UK
I agree with most of the comments here saying that it was so one-sided as to just lend a potential sympathy vote to the BNP. It would be interesting to see the same debate outside of the capital. London is a distinct city and is not necessarily representative of the rest of the UK.
- Tam, London
Whilst i agree that immigration in this country is out of control, we need to look at what Nick Griffin actually stands for. This is a man who has racist views and morals, a man that goes against the true meaning of being British. Being British is being Multicultural, we have embraced so many cultures and that is what makes our country so fascinating. Think of all the good things immigration has given us. Wake up people, Nick Griffin is not the answer to our immigration problems.
- Ash Khan, birmingham
The show was a shambles! No wonder Nick Griffin smirked all the time. They made him the centre of attention and the rest of the panel behaved like a pack of dogs attacking a caged animal. No discussion of policies. Jack Straw was allowed to speak uninterrupted for what seemed an eternity, but every time Griffin tried to reply, the all lept in and drowned his answer. As a foreign born British citizen, I do not agree with his views, but the spectacle of all those hypocrites and a more than biased audience was not very edifying. You could see people in the audience turning around to see how others where reacting. During 'normal' Question Time broadcasts, when the issue of immigration comes up, at least half the audience make is clear that they are not happy with the current system. Last night, there was one who dared to mention 'unemployment/immigration', but his views were not even acknowledged, let alone discussed. No wonder the BNP thrives in certain areas. People's concernes and fears are ignored by the likes of
Jack Straw who no doubt lives very comfortably at our expense.
- Beatriz, London
One of the most interesting and remarkable performances of the Broadcast was that of Bonnie Greer,her demeanor during the whole of the debate was one of complete control,and Nick Griffin could not handle her,because her facts were such that he had no replies to her questions...As for the question on Immigration it was a debacle for Jack Straw,how come a Country like China can count for everyone in and out of the Country,where by the UK cannot determine who has departed,do not get me wrong the USA have had the same problem and have now rectified the problem,but UK have to provide resources to combat this at ALL departure gateways...finally the audience played a great part in the debate in showing that the British People what ever color they be can expose the true color of people like Nick Griffin,because until the British People stand up and express their opposition then the likes of Nick Griffin will prey on the uneducated and sow the seed of discontent further
- European, Hong Kong China
I have to say I think it was a good thing that he appeared on Question Time - hopefully, it has made the UK population have absolute clarity that there is no way we could elect this person and party to run our country!
- Kirsty, Dorset
Like them or not (and I don't by the way), the scenes of public disorder and violence we saw yesterday outside of TV Centre, perpetrated by non-elected 'anti-fascist' groups, played right in the hands of the BNP. The QT audience was clearly picked to give Mr Griffin a hard time, and thus masked the substantial support they have in some parts of the country, and one wonders why the BBC didn't stage the programme in Manchester or Leeds. Extremism on both sides have a vested interest in stopping proper and honest debate on immigration.
- Philip, London, England
Honestly how many potential BNP supporters do you think watch question time when they could be watching cage fighting on the other channel?
- Dr Who, London
I don't know if my British family lineage goes back 17000 but where does that place our Royal Family.
Will he encourage them to leave? Have they thought this through, on last night's performance obviously not.
- David, UK
WOW!, if he is at the top of the BNP food chain then what does it say about everyone under him. No real political or intellectual talent whatsoever.
- Kevin, UK
Unfortunately for Mr Griffin as much as he tried he could not escape his past. I say past but perhaps I should say his past open statements.
He looked like a man with a hidden agenda and personally if I was in the BNP I would be worried. The cat is out of the bag.
- Stuart, UK
Let's face it, Griffin was on a hiding to nothing, so that extent it was of benefit to the BNP asit had nothing to lose. He was on the ropes until a question from the floor about the main parties' policies with regard to immigration and the vacuum they have created that has allowed the BNP in.
Jack Straw, in particular, was woeful. He had no answers, he looked as lost as Griffin had done minutes before. It was, of course, a black member of the audience who put this point most effectively - for which, thanks, whoever you are - and in a few moments destroyed what Labour thinks even if it does not say out loud; that only racists want to talk about immigration as a "front" for their racism.
It should not go unsaid that whilst the concerrns expressed by that man in the audience were not wholly in line with Griffin's stated position, it wasn't far off it when hGriffin said that ethnic minorities were equally concerned about the way immigration to this country is handled.
I think it was necessary for the BNP to go on the programme. It has served its purpose, if only to confirm what most people think of the BNP.
- Charlie Farley, Broxbourne
Three questions for the 'no airtime to BNP' crowd:
One, what leads you to believe the the rest of British public have no intellectual ability or moral compass to see BNP and Nick Griffin for what they really are?
Two, what leads you to believe that it is you who have some sort of superior (?) intelligence and moral compass to decide what the rest of British public should or should not hear?
Three, having grown up in the Soviet Union where the most widely read and listened to were the books and stations banned by the authorities - don't you think that by trying to ban Griffin off the waves you have in effect given him a boost greater than the BBC ever could? How many more will be clicking on the BNP website - the dissatisfied? the disenfranchised? the anti-establishment rebels? people who simply do not appreciate being told what to think and what to do?
One word of advice if I may - stop focusing on your good intentions, think of the potential unintended consquence of your actions instead.
- Legal Immigrant, London
Abraham, they may not be wanted by most but they have a right to their viewpoint, regardless of how loathsome the majority may find it, it called freedom of speech and it's paramount in a democracy. If you detest it so much do something about it, whether it be voting against them, attending demonstration or help funding anti-facist organisations. The one thing you can't do is to try to censoring the view of others, at that point you become a dictatorship.
- Bob, Cheam
It's a pity none of the real issues that affect our everyday lives were discussed in any depth. It seemed all the Establishment hacks wanted to talk about was the KKK and whether or not Griffin had denied the holocaust. Quite frankly, I couldn't care less; I'm far more concerned about such things as being involved in an unwinnable war, and knifings, shootings and sundry street violence committed in the main by our imported citizens. But, of course, the hacks were too afraid to talk about that, weren't they?
- Croyboy, Croydon
This was so staged managed I switched off half way through. A specially invited audience all against The BNP leader and a panel that were about as exciting as watching paint dry. Jack Straw was shiftier than Nick Griffin and I would be hard pressed to decide who the best man was. The rest of the panel were total non entities. I was hoping for a real battle with some BNP supporters in the audience instead of it being weighted all one way in favour of the other side and the BBC trying to brainwash me into believing that they are right. They only needed to get some of Griffins supporters in and start asking them serious questions about their other policies that you would have seen that they couldn’t govern even if given the power. If that had been a lone black man with racist policies and just an all white audience the media types would have been screaming the place down. For me it didn’t work as a debate, to one sided.
- Stephend, London, England
Well that ended up being a bit of a damp squib. A very partisan audience and panel with no real issues being discussed. All those deeply insecure groups that thought everyone would suddenly start voting BNP because of 'that' appearance. How funny!
The most amusing moment was when the Lib-Dem idiot tried to desperately distance himself from Labour and their policies. Policies that the Lib-Dem helped to bring in. There must be an election looming!
- Frank, Home Counties, England.
As one brave sole from the audience said, if we have such high levels of unemployment, why do we need more immigrants. This went unanswered.
The BBC's 'Question Time' strayed far from the path of reasoned & opend-handed debate, it's bigotry was shown in clear focus for all to see.
- J R J, Glen Vine
Big storm in a tea cup. Most of the panel were pretty inadequate and did not respond to BNP's main political argument about too much uncontrolled immigration.
Jack Straw looked weak and did not deal with Griffin strongly enough.
It looked as though the panel were picking on Griffin and made him look like a victim. In all it was good telly!
- Darren, london
A truly wasted opportunity. If Dimbelby had controlled the panel and the audience and made sure that Griffin and Co answered the important questions of the day instead of trying to score cheep points off the BNP we, the viewing public, would have seen for ourselves what substance the BNP have to offer. Instead we witnessed playground mentality and only saw Griffin squirm on a few questions.
- Cratchet, HLC, LINCOLNSHIRE.
Personally,I thought the anti nazi protesters with their pointless antics looked more stupid than Mr.Griffin on the day.If they could channel that energy and enthusiasm into finding a job Britain might be in a better position financially.
Silly me,perhaps they booked the time off.
- Steve, London
I hate to say this but it became a ‘bear bating’ contest.
All of the panellists, the presenter and the audience against Mr Griffin was just a bit too much to be considered a 'debate'
Whilst Griffin dodged a few issues so did the other panellists. I was also very concerned that the audience appeared to have been 'whipped into a frenzy' before the programme started.
The performance of the panellists the presenter and the very limited aspect of questioning coupled to the cutting of answers and ignoring of points, much more than normal created a real feeling of 'were here to humiliate you for your views which in other aspects of society would be prosecutable.
Whilst I could never support Griffin or his party, it was the others involved in the programme that actually gave the man a measure of public acceptability because he stood firm in a massive onslaught of hostility.
There should have been many more questions about the economy, getting Britain working and the postal dispute, so unfortunately we have learnt very little more about Mr Griffin apart from the views we know him to have.
- Jan, London UK
Bit of a damp squib really. I think Jack Straw must have a long day as he looked like it was well passed his bed time. I think the BBC fell down in not making the audience a bit more representative - there were far too many people of ethic minorities for there to be any real debate about the main issue - "Why do people in siginificant numbers now vote BNP". It really was a case who could shout the loudest and throw the most insults at Griffin. The programme was an exercise in nothing more than doing the BNP down. Whether that succeeded will only be judged at the next election. All we have at the moment are knee jerk reactions in the popular press, written after watching only exerts of the programme. The debate will rumble on into the Sundays; but the only way the BNP will be defeated is for the main stream political parties to face up to the many issues affecting the indigeneous population by mass immigration. Ignoring those issues for far too long has led to the rise of the BNP for which the government, the tories and the liberals must take the blame. Its not really Griffin and his cohorts faults - they are just opportunists exploiting a void left by politicians who value the votes of ethnic miniorities more than they do in accepting responsibilty for the effects of their open door policy of mass immigration in the last decade on the poor indigenous population of this country. Hopefully Gordon Brown will wake up to reality beofre it is too late.
- Brian G, Norfolk Gorleston
Fascinating to hear Baroness Warsi attacking the immigration policy of the Labour Government while Jack Straw squirmed in his seat!
She was advocating a cap on immigration and was supported by Chris Huhne and the issue of repatriation was raised as a solution to those who failed in their application for asylum, residency and work permits.
Dimbelby asked Straw if he agreed with the Cross Party Board on Immigration who advocate restricting and reversing immigration and he was totally flummoxed by finally was forced to admit he does not want any limit on immigration.
If nothing else, the appearance on the Question Time of the BNP has bought the issue of immigration centre stage in the run up to the next election and it will not go away. With the Office of National Statistics projecting a population of more than seventy million in the next decade, mainly due to immigration, and the ten million going to be located in the south-east Evening Standard readers will have to decide whether immigration should be stopped and reversed!
- Manny Goldstein, London, England
Nick Griffen was just ganged up on by a load of political lefties.I do not support the BNP but this method has got them more and more votes.When are these people going to learn that just by bullying someone it only gives them a sympathy vote.
- Edwina, croydon
In a debate as important as this, why did Brown or Mandelson not offer to appear? Jack Straw looked, frankly, tired and weak and completely failed to respond to the very obvious and largely indisputable assertion that Labour’s inept record on immigration, and by that I mean listening to the electorate and acting accordingly, is the wind in the BNP’s sails. All Griffin has to do is hoist the spinnaker while people like Jack Straw remains in Government.
But, again, where were our leaders, Brown and Mandelson? Can you imagine Thatcher hiding from a debate like this? No, she would have met Griffin square on, ridiculed him and made the public see him for what he really is.
- Londoner, London
Labour is solely responsible for the rise of the BNP, their policies have caused the "indigenous" population to turn to Nick Griffin and his party.
- Paxton, N17
NO,NO,NO to putting on Nick Griffin, BNP LEADERS who idolise Hitler and say that Holocaust was a myth,and that ships carrying refugees off the coast of Europe should be sank before they reach the shore.History repeats itself,and l believe us British people must wake up ,and remember Winston Churchill when he was warning the British public about fascism and Hitler.We must move away from this Chamberlain type of attitude by being sympathetic and lending our ears to Griffin,all on the sake of democracy,isn't it how Hitler started?With storm troopers ending up wearing suits and pretending to be diplomatic and signing peace treaties with Chamberlain Government only to Invade Poland and Austria?The racists of the world such as the Nick Griffins & Robert Mugabe's are not wanted in this world!!!!
- Abraham Jacob, London, U.K.
Griffin was doing very badly until they got to the subject of immigration and then the other panel members and the audience had no logical reply to his points. The debate then turned on Straw and the Labour inability to control matters. Straws reply that we now know who is going in and out of the country was laughable.
- Jack Spratt, Richmond, Surrey
What a choice the British public have at the next election.We can stay with either the Communist Dictators of Labour or Conservative goverments,where our democratic right to have a say on Europe or Immigration is denied,or we can get our democratic vote and end up with the Nazi BNP.
- Dave, london
