BNP on BBC Question Time - open thread
Apologies for a lack of blog posts this week, I'm currently off work with flu (possibly swine flu).
Tonight of course is the much hyped BBC Question Time including the BNP for the first time.
I'll be tucked up in bed while it's on, and will watch it tomorrow on the iplayer.
But I thought it might be worthwhile creating an open thread for readers to debate the programme.
I expect Jack Straw to do a good job exposing the BNP.
Prior to my arrival at the Post and Echo I worked at the Lancashire Telegraph, which covers Straw's Blackburn constituency.
As political reporter at the time I covered the controversy that erupted after his remarks about the veil, it was a very interesting few days.
Straw is famous for still taking to the town centre for soapbox sessions at the weekends and I suspect there are few towns where the local MP is so well known.
Blackburn is a town that has had its fair share of racial tensions, and continues to have them. And Mr Straw has not shied away from confronting difficult issues, like the veil. There are probably few politicians who know the arguments of the BNP as well and are so effective at dealing with them as Straw.
As you can probably tell I think the BBC made the right decision in allowing the BNP on Question Time. It is only through proper debate and acknowledging that the far right party taps into some very genuine concerns that some people have about issues like housing and migration, that the BNP and what it stands for can be defeated.
The only shame is that having used the fact the party now has two MEPs elected to allow it onto Question Time the BBC chose not to host the programme in either of the regions where the BNP won those seats, instead opting for London.
Let's try and keep the debate nice and clean without getting personal.
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David Bartlett
City editor of the Post and Echo covering politics, regeneration, and urban affairs.
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You've just deleted two of my posts on another thread because I gently teased the pseudonym, Streetwise. How absurd. In fact, I specifically retain reference to the pseudonym, rather than name the person suspected to lie behind it, precisely to retain its teasing quality. By censoring these two pretty harmless posts, you have not merely raised the anonymising pseudonym to the status of a real person, you have also rendered it pointless engaging here in terms anything other than bland prissiness. And if a LibDem objects, even a pseudononymous LibDem, we can guarantee their every whim will be respected and posts will be chopped. No point posting anything critical of the BNP then. Sorry to hear about your swine flu. Didn't know it affected judgement too.
Ronnie,
They were initially removed and then edited, it may have taken a bit of time to feed through. But if you refresh your browser you will see that they are still there, but edited. As a regular reader of this blog you will admit that very few comments are edited or removed. I took the view that part of your post was too personal (nothing to do with complaints or otherwise of other people). For the sake of clarifying the rules of engagement vis-a-vis commenting on DSB. You can say whatever you like, so long as it is not libelous, distasteful, or too personal, and while you might call it teasing to bring into the debate the girlfriend of a political foe, that is stepping over the personal line for me.
I hope you feel better soon David.I value your forum as a great way to debate Liverpool politics and think you are fair with allowing comments.
Get well soon mate, you are missing all the news while you are in bed. Or we are, LOL. Take lots of lemsips.
I hope my recent blog postings didn't help bring this on, David! Best wishes.
Oh dear, sorry to hear you are under the weather, mind you don't drop your Blackberry into the gazunder while you are blogging away and checking on any mischief.
If you like, I could send Mrs Hewitt around to give you a good rub down mustard bath. She has healing hands you know, so if you don't mind the scabs or would prefer to wait until they have healed just let me know. Hope you are soon better.
Now as for this Griffin, and his party being allowed on Question Time. I don't think there is any debate to be had with people who hold this kind of ideological view, no matter how you try to dress it up. And don't listen to the well meaning but ultimately dangerously naieve apologists who drone on about the right to free speech. The BNP programme is about ultimately denying free speech to anyone who does not fit in with their idiotic and hateful views on race. Their inspiration and existence is founded and based in Hitler's Nazism, which is clear from their previous allegiences and activities. There is no sensible or civilised discussion or debate to be had with them. I think we had a pretty heated and conclusive debate on this subject in 1939. They are no different in their ideological aims no matter how they try to dress it up.
Well either you are not feeding them through or the open thread snapped I thought it important to tell you that Mt friend and local GP from Lidl carpark Dr Strukov has contacted me to say you must ignore Louise Baldock's advice about taking lots of lemsips and only take the prescribed dose. I'm glad I don't go to her surgery! Don't hold it against her though, you may have noticed, like you, she hasn't posted much on her blog recently. As a regular reader, I had a look at her splendid blog tonight and found that the poor woman has an imbedded widget. No wonder she hasn't been posting much. Hope you both get better soon.