Tuesday, October 20, 2009

BNP leader Nick Griffin wins a battle but he won't win the war














Dear All

The British National party, Nick Griffin, is to appear on Question Time.

The reason put forward by the BBC is the success of the far-right party's success in the European elections.

During that election in June 2009, the BNP managed to obtain enough votes to secure to MEP seats.

The stance of most political parties is to refuse to share a platform with the BNP because of its policies on race.

This stance is now out of date, but refusing to deal with the problem the BNP represent, the mainstream political parties have given them oxygen and fueled grievance.

The BNP are where they are because ordinary people; misguidedly have voted for them but that is their right in a democracy.

It is the job of mainstream political parties to face down their challenge so that voters know what they stand for.

So, should the BNP be allowed on Questiontime, the answer has to be yes because unless we can convince people that politicians are operating a democracy, BNP numbers will continue to grow!

For the BNP, this appearance is a coup for them but I believe their success will be short lived because I believe that most ordinary people confronted with facts will turn away from them.

In Glasgow, 3,000 people voted BNP.

My first thought was this is 3,000 people who the political parties had badly let down, they had not made their case properly.

But to quote General Mike Jackson;

“we are where we are”!

So, the challenge must now be met head on and defeated in public, not with slogans, not with rhetoric but with cold hard factual evidence.

A BBC spokeswoman said the corporation is obliged to treat all legal political parties registered with the Electoral Commission with due impartiality.

She added;

"Our audiences and the electorate will make up their own minds about the different policies offered by elected politicians."

Because at the end of the day, it is these people who cast their votes.

I expect anti-fascist groups to stage a demonstration outside the BBC to protest but trying to get into a physical fight with the BNP is counter productive and helps only the BNP.

The BNP have won a battle but they will never win the war because I firmly believe that most people are better than that, even when sometimes some get misguided with false promises.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

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