The BNP have complained that they were victims of Question Time and that the show’s format had been changed to completely target their party. If Nick Griffin had eloquently defended his views which underpin BNP policies and delivered a polished performance, I imagine we would be hearing something very different. Question Time is about addressing the topical issues of that week and the BNP’s controversial appearance on the programme was an important topic to be discussed. It therefore did spark many questions from audience members, who wanted to interrogate the BNP on its viewpoints. Griffin criticised the cross-examination of his opinions and said that “People wanted to see me and hear me talking about things such as the postal strike.” Well, no Nick, actually that’s the last thing I want to hear you talking about. While the postal strike is an interesting issue within itself, having an extreme right wing group in the national forum for the first time, meant that I, like the audience, was far more interested in questioning Griffin on the BNP’s immigration policies that affect “non-indigenous” Britons like myself.
“If the BNP leader cannot even explain his beliefs now, what would it be like if the BNP were to come to power and had to account for much more?”
If Griffin had given a smooth delivery, he would now be congratulating himself on his opportunity to explain to eight million viewers his opinions on issues such as immigration and homosexuality. However, he gave a jittery and incompetent performance. He showed that his viewpoints crumble when under robust questioning, revealing the ignorance and idiocy that lie behind them. He has now therefore adopted the role of the victim in order to try and reduce the damage done to the credibility of the BNP. If the BNP leader cannot even explain his beliefs now, what would it be like if the BNP were to come to power and had to account for much more?
“Griffin is angry because London, like many other cities, does not fit with the BNP’s propaganda that depicts societies in racial conflict as a result of ethnic diversity”
Griffin claimed that the composition of the audience had been unfairly slanted against him. According to him, he faced a “lynch mob”, a “totally non-violent one” I hasten to add, from an “ethnically cleansed” London that was “no longer British”. He suggested that the programme should have taken place in Stoke, Burnley or Thurrock. Firstly, Griffin wants to focus on hot spots such as Burnley because the BNP has stirred up and exploited the racial tension that exists there. I’m far from saying racial conflict doesn’t exist but it is not as widespread as the BNP would have us believe. We were right to hold Question Time in London, a city which is an example of the mostly harmonious and tolerant multi-cultural society that we live in. Griffin is angry because London, like many other British cities, does not fit with the BNP’s propaganda that depicts societies in racial conflict as a result of ethnic diversity. Secondly, it wasn’t a completely anti-BNP audience as the BBC made sure that BNP supporters were present. Why didn’t these supporters speak up more and ask questions that underlie BNP voters’ concerns? Thirdly, Griffin was asked questions about his views, views that he alone had devised. He should have been able to adequately account for them whether he was in Burnley or in London.
“After a while he was beginning to sound like a backing singer for Shaggy’s ‘It Wasn’t Me’ track”
You would have thought Mr Griffin would have come thoroughly prepared, ready with an articulate defence of his beliefs. However, the man was reduced to an incoherent, babbling and quite sweaty buffoon when under questioning, whose only defence every time was that he had been “misquoted”. After a while he was beginning to sound like a backing singer for Shaggy’s ‘It Wasn’t Me’ track. Although the panel heavily relied on their list of BNP quotes rather than directly engaging with and challenging BNP policies, they did reveal the false moderate party image that Griffin has carefully tried to cultivate. Although Griffin chanted “The colour is irrelevant” when challenged on his definition of British, he didn’t deny the quote about wanting the country to be 99% ethnically white. Griffin was pinned down over his deceptively moderate stance by the YouTube video brought up by Dimbleby, which shows Griffin sharing a platform with the former leader of a Ku Klux Klan. In the video Griffin advocates that until they have gained enough public support, the BNP must carefully twist their ideas into an acceptable, moderate package, focusing on “freedom, security, identity, democracy”, when what they really mean is “racial purity”. Hopefully many BNP and non-BNP viewers would have been encouraged to go and look at the video and see, for themselves, the lie that is the BNP’s carefully PR controlled image.
I was very disappointed by the way in which the mainstream parties dealt with the issue of immigration. Jack Straw played into the BNP’s hands when he refused to acknowledge that the “government’s misguided polices on immigration” had aided the BNP’s success in the European Parliament elections. His refusal will have reaffirmed the thoughts of BNP supporters that the government is still not willing to listen to their concerns about immigration. Question Time was meant to allow for an honest debate on immigration and for the mainstream parties to show the public that they can offer feasible, alternative solutions that aren’t racist or inhumane. By continuing to deny that there are some communities who are worried about the pace of change within their area, the government is continuing to isolate sectors of the public, which the BNP will all too happily try and attract.
Question Time could have been more structured and precise in its interrogation of BNP policies. A longer version of the programme was necessary in order to give the panel and the audience enough time to properly grill the BNP leader on his stance on different issues. There were times when panellists were shouting over each other and when they didn’t allow Griffin to finish what he was saying and started firing multiple questions at him. If we are through vigorous questioning going to reveal the ignorance and illogicality that lies behind BNP policies, then it is only fair that we give Griffin the chance to finish his answers. Also the producers should not have encouraged and allowed booing. Immature jibes such as “Dick Griffin” and booing is the type of language that I would expect at a rowdy BNP meeting. Why lower ourselves to their standards and give them ammunition to portray themselves as the victims. It’s far better to reveal the fluff that makes up Griffin’s policies through intelligent, probing questions and reasoned arguments.
Overall Question Time did go some way in exposing Nick Griffin for his incoherent and racist views. However, the mainstream parties could have done much more to thoroughly analyse and tear apart his polices and so show why they are better placed to address the concerns of the British public.
