91Èȱ¬

I don't think it's Margaret Hodge, it's the crypto-thatcherite politicians that are to blame for working-class whites feeling alienated from the political process.
New Labour has cut itself off from its historical roots and would rather get cozy with multi-millionaires than their natural constituency.

That was an awesome take down by David. The BNP looked just like we all know they are.

Nick,
Who is tipped to come in with the pending Labour reshuffle? Will Ed Balls have a chance or will it be someone like Prescott who perhaps can communicate better with those tempted to vote BNP?

It should seriously be concerning all politicians right now, that people are turning to parties such as the BNP rather than vote for them. We need to get back down to the small matter of democracy and listen to what people want or we are going to be very sorry in the future.

Nick said that no one was calling for the Prime Minister to go. I think he missed the interview with Frank Dobson (in Camden) during the blackout in which he called today's reshuffle "like changing the officers on the Titanic" - he meant that Blair had to go.

I have a question about national share of the vote- is that UK or England?

A significant rise in turnout in Barking and Dagenham has been recorded in this election. At the same time, the BNP have done significantly well in this area. It seems as though they're getting out voters who aren't moved to vote for the three main parties. As the turnout survey suggests, a lot of working class people see the three main parties as the same, and the lack of an alternative pushes them towards the BNP. The BNP are not the alternative to the pro-big business parties. The trade unions should break with Labour and set up a new party that could cut across the racist lies that the BNP put forward, by uniting white, Black and Asian workers.

I live in Barking and when I went to vote today I had to vote for three candidates out of a choice of four, three Labour and one Liberal. Those voters who wanted to make a protest didn't have a lot of choice. The electorate have been cynically manipulated by the Tory and Liberal parties not fielding candidates, with the resultant shock headlines.

I'm not David Dimbleby's biggest fan but I thought his Griffin interview was a textbook example of political journalism. His research was impeccable and his manner was impressively calm, polite and - in the best traditions of the 91Èȱ¬ - coldly impartial.

Incidentally, can someone please call the various Labour interviewees on this "nine days of bad headlines" smokescreen? Are they really saying that Lobbygate, the war, ID cards, Bernie Ecclestone, Tessa's mortgage mess, Mandelson's mortgage mess, the Bristol flats and Tony Blair's apparent inability actually to HEAR what he's "listening to" had no effect?

I keep hearing major figures fretting about the mainstream political parties' failure to deal with the threat of extremists like the BNP and it leaves me speachless. The UK deals with the far-right remarkably well in my opinion. (At least, compared to the rest of the world.) Let's not focus on the potential of pathetic and brainless racists. Rather, let's focus on selling the wonders of our open, pluralist, multicultural, and increasingly equitable democracy. The politicians need to stand up more for what they're doing - building an open and progressive society for all of us regardless of race, skin color, gender, or sexual orientation. Congrats to D.D on an excellent interview. He really showed up Griffin for the fool he is. Discussion and debate - that's the way forward. The media has a big role to play in the battle against the BNP - please follow David's example.

There is nothing so cringrworthy as having to watch a tv broadcast that tries to deny the facts. The BNP is an existing political party and without any doubt is becoming more and more so. No one has the right to criminalize any minority of the electorate simply because of the way that they vote. To allow tv broadcasts to maintain the view that anyone voting for an ultra right wing party is evil is equivalent to saying that that anyone who has a penis that is shorter than four inches or longer than ten inches is a freak.

David D was excellent in the interview completely throwing Nick Griffin a few times.

However easy it is to deconstruct them in studio interviews, it is still a cold hard fact that they won those council seats and the people's fears that led them to vote for them deserve to be addressed properly and not dismissed by all parties.

Nick Griffin looked very silly and pathetic thankfully.. But then again it wasn't hard for David too make him look that way, he just simply quoted from his manifesto.

Nick Griffin will need a serious amount of media training if he's going to be on our screens a lot more.
After seeing him talking to David Dimbleby earlier, the saying 'give them enough rope and they'll hang themselves' was never more true.

It's not the MP's of Barking & Dagenham who lost the seat in the borough it was the local labour parties inaction and lack of care of peoples concerns...... NOT SOCIAL HOUSING ISSUES AS STATED by your labour rep on TV.

Some of us in the borough running TRA's was flagging this up a year - 18 months ago.

I've been watching the results and am heartily sick of the abuse heaped on the BNP. I'm not a BNP voter but i'm finding myself supporting them in what is a witch hunt, and i'm not alone. They are gaining seats but still you talk as if you must destroy them, in language i find quite vile.
When are all of you going to wake up to he fact that their gains are all the fault of the three main parties and the gutter press, people are starting to feel sorry for the constant nastiness and actually know BNP voters who are nothing like you portray. It's a disgrace and it's all because you won't listen. If you want to talk about vile you only have to look at the UAF/ANL/Searchlight, we know what they get up to on behalf of this wretched government and with tax payers cash so you can't fool us any more.
We don't want the immigration fiasco, the EU, the New World Order or ID cards which are being forced on us and we want our borders patrolled but you still won't listen. We also want Prescott and Clarke SACKED and Hewitt moved, it's only what you would expect in any other job.
I voted Tory and am glad they did well, as long as Labour and Limp Dems go i can handle anything else. The BNP do not frighten most of us any more, so leave them alone unless you want them to get increasing support. The choice is yours...the people have spoken. Some people just don't know the difference between racism and realism.

can i confirm from what jeremy vine said that if the labour party get 2% less of the national vote than the conservative party they will get a commons majority of 8. Sounds very american to me in that the party that comes second wins...

the vote for the bnp is a protest vote against the 3 main partys and what the voters see as there increasing move away from the will of the people.until the partys start listerning to the voters and do something about our real concerns then the bnp, greens and others will continue to gain support.

I laughed my head off while watching Nick Griffin's interview! They *insisted* they are not a racist party, and yet they want to ban all halal meat?! His interview was filled with contradictions!

But overall, what he said has worried me since he left (approx 30 mins now). As a Chinese myself, I cannot help but keep asking myself, what if we are the targets for their next campaign? If they can be racist against Islam, certainly it shows they are capable to attack anyone, any minority, right? Scared, is the only word lurking in my head right now.

Nick said that no one was calling for the Prime Minister to go. I think he missed the interview with Frank Dobson (in Camden) during the blackout in which he called today's reshuffle "like changing the officers on the Titanic" - he meant that Blair had to go.

I have a question about national share of the vote- is that UK or England?

Does anybody know if the Griffin interview will be available to view online - or indeed is already? I've been describing the excrutiating nature of this to friends abroad and would love to show them, but can't find it.

This phrase, 'the oxygen of publicity', seems very sinister. Are you seriously suggesting, good sir, that a point of view with which many people clearly identify should be denied publicity -- that proponents of that point of view should be given the right to speak but denied the right to be heard? How is this view compatible with the supposed 'impartiality' of the 91Èȱ¬?

I am from Barking but I have lived in Belfast for six years and travel back regularly. From my own experience and talking to people who have the misfortune of still residing there it seems to me that the success of the BNP is a direct result of the neglect of the Labour party at a local and governmental level. Large numbers of immigrates have been 'dumped' on this area, which has been in economic decline for many years, as a result of government policy without adequate increase in local government expenditure. This has resulted in a strain being placed on resources leaving people feeling that new immigrants have taken away housing, healthcare and education provision from the long term residents. It is precisely this kind of alienation and fear which feeds into support for the BNP. There is resentment for Margaret Hodge for this situation and her disrespect for the area. She was parachuted in after the death of the long standing MP and has sat on a safe seat with no time for Barking and it's people. Keen on making a name for herself, she is a Blairite who has steadily risen through the governments ranks. In a position to help the area the only input she has chosen to provide is to attack her constituents for their alienation.

D Michael makes an important point.

There is a clear 91Èȱ¬ bias against the BNP. Personally, I think that's a good thing, but it shows that the corporation's claims of impartiality only apply to viewpoints which they deem "acceptable".

Many Tories believe that they have been on the receiving end of this same kind of attention from the 91Èȱ¬ in recent years, and this is just another piece of evidence in favour of that thesis.

MTK.

Brilliant interview from David Dimbleby. I only hope that the mainstream parties won't respond to the BNP's success by moving in their direction.

Attacks on multiculturalism feel like personal attacks on my own racially mixed family.

I'd urge everyone to look at the BNP's website to see what they stand for and ask themselves whether that miserable vision for the world is one that they share.

BTW wd they ban kosher meat too???

Why is it that the BNP have got so much more publicity in this election than the Greens, who've also made impressive gains, when this was supposedly an election with the environment high on the agenda?

I would far prefer to see Caroline Lucas or Darren Johnson on my TV in place of Nick Griffin. Surely their performance merits at least some publicity.

There are some major inconsistencies on the standards of reporting by 91Èȱ¬ and other news channels too where the BNP are concerned. Whilst the majority of the population fundamentally disagree with the policies of the BNP, I believe they have an absolute right to think the way they do. This is the basis of democracy. Its no good banging on at them saying 'You're racist' etc - That is irrelevant really. The only way to defeat the BNP is democratically. To bad mouth them, disregard them and put them down as DD in his interview with Nick Griffin, will only serve to add more sympathy by alienated voters towards the BNP. So what I am saying is by slagging them off and being so blatantly anti-BNP (which also makes a mockery of the 91Èȱ¬ and other news channels to remain impartial) will only play into the BNP's hands. It also shows remarkable disrespect to ordinary men and women who have casted their vote in the BNP box. The BNP are not stupid - They are playing the game, so please give them coverage if you need to and let the voters decide they are wrong - Dont resort to bully boy reporting which is exactly what the BNP want you to do

I think there ware massive problems in this country. As a resident of inner city Birmingham I feel like none of the big parties care or act on my behalf.

Lucky for me I wont have to vote for the BNP again as I am emmigrating to Spain in the summer.

Taking what Sir Iqbal Sacranie stated earlier this year about same-sex relationships and what the BNP say on their website about such things, there isn't really a whole deal of difference. One perspective is terrible yet the other hardly worth mentioning. Why is that I wonder?

It seems obvious most people who voted BNP did so purely as a protest, feeling the three major parties were not listening to their concerns, and having no other alternative on the ballot paper.

In this context, the number of returning officers who disqualified independent and minor party candidates at this election based on the most bureaucratic of technicalities, even where they were misled by returning officer assistants, is a national disgrace.

For example, in Southwark, candidates from two political parties were disqualified because their nomination signatures, while valid, were "not in the right order".

Do you really think DD slamdunked Nick Griffin? He did a good job of highlighting what I consider to be their more odious policies (We consider mixed race marriages to be unnatural and wrong is a good example - especially as it caught him out in a lie and made him do a u-turn) but my analysis of the interview is that it was a skilled political journalist attempting to destroy a small party politician and failing to finish the job.

DD's performance will have done as little to sway those leaning towards the BNP as Nick Griffin's will have done to sway those prejudiced against it.

I am fed up with the attitude of the media and politicians regarding the BNP. They all try to discredit the BNP without addressing the very real issues that are concerning people. The main political parties are responsible for the mass immigration and asylum policies and the fiscal and other consequences foisted upon us

I think that it is partly because we have all attempted to push issues of national identity and ethnicity under the carpet, that we have what I am seeing on my university intranet, namely students openly stating that the BNP appeal to them. In the pursuit of tolerance I wonder whether we have in fact stiffled debate. As usual a lack of knowledge is fueling extremism.

Oh get real! This interview was good. However, the people who support the BNP or are tempted to do so, will watch it and not see the subtleties because they don't possess the intellect.

Having witnessed the ignorant filth the BNP have been delivering, their tactics are based on touting fear, prejudice and ignorance. I'm angry more with Labour than the BNP.

This clueless ineffective PM has come to the end of the road. His modernisation has disenfranchised natural labour supporters - hence the rise of the minority parties.

It's easy for David Dimbleby to sit there in his familiar environment and trip up Nick Griffin. However, the underlying fact is that white indeginous people can see that we are losing the identity of this once beautiful country and they are very scared.

All the mainstream parties and media establishment seem to want to ignore the facts, so you cannot blame people for turning to the BNP.

What the hell is the matter with these people who vote for the BNP? The white working classes feel let down by labour therefore it's the immigrants' fault? You what? I despair of this country.

Entryism = Labour, trotskyite = Respect, appeasement = Lib Dems, neo-nazi = BNP, we are becoming an extreme nation indeed, rather than concentrating all efforts vilifying the BNP, proper debate needs to start. the extreme left is just as damaging if not more so, than the extreme right, to our society and way life.

With regard to the BNP, I have no objection to them receiving the "Oxygen of publicity" referred to. Fanaticism and bigotry are forever busy and need feeding. The best method to counteract them is to lay bare their beliefs, not seek to give them credibility by simply ignoring them in the mainstream. There are always some people who will support people like the BNP but thankfully they are but a minute number of the electorate. DD's examination revealed the disingenous nature of Griffin's utterances and informed people of the vile nature of his party's beliefs.
As an aside, who was the Labour party female who looked incredibly embarassed when DD revealed that she was lying when she stated that the Labour party did not claim credit for the Olympic bid and to what E-Mail was he referring?

To quote the late Linda Smith, I'm not even sure we want to give them "the oxygen of oxygen".

Well, I'm sorry but I don't think it was a particularly effective interview. Shock , horror the BNP don't like mixed marriages and think the production of Halal meat is barbaric!!! Do people also seriously suggest that it would be revealing to find the BNP is racist? I think the real thing about much of the voting yesterday for the BNP was that it was a vote about stopping uncontrolled immigration. Can anyone tell me why we don't check people into the country and check people out... How difficult can it be to have a computer system that at least does that. Then at least would would have the glimmerings of an idea of how many people stay in this country illegally.

Quote: "They *insisted* they are not a racist party, and yet they want to ban all Halal meat?!"

Halal meat is from an animal which has had its throat cut open whilst conscious and then bled without sedatives or stunning.

The main political parties are just afraid of Muslim backlash and so wont discuss banning it. I would vote BNP just on this issue if it would make any difference. Obviously it wont, they're going no-where.

I wonder how many of those who support or are tempted by the BNP know anything about their 'other' policies. Forget race, you'll be on National Service, all men will be expected to keep a rifle at home - would you want your neighbour to be armed? - women will be "encouraged" to stay at home and go back to child production etc.. etc.. In other words the BNP would make most people's lives hell. So my question is why dont the 91Èȱ¬ report on these other barmy policies instead of just the race issue?

I am sure I could not hold my nose long enough to vote for the BNP, but they are certainly tapping into a deep well of discontent. If the major parties don't listen to the concerns of the "native" British electorate, or at least a significant chunk of it, parties like the BNP will prosper.
It is called democracy. You don't have to like what they say, but if you deny their right to say it, you are right down there with Hitler, Stalin and Chairman Mao in the deep pit reserved for oppressors.

Bob

Dear Nick,

I feel you're being very biased in your coverage of the BNP. 'Oxygen of publicity' and 'worries' point to this, but your mocking laughter when Nick Griffin was being interviewed was unprofessional. Dimbleby did pull him up on the mixed-race marriage question - but only on that. I hardly think this warrants your billing of 'devastating forensic'. It is peculiar that it was just the BNP which had to 'explain' all its policies in the context of electoral success - why were the Conservatives and Lib Dems not subject to such an inquisition? In my opinion, they both have, like the BNP, 'dodgy' policies beneath the surface - they should be asked to explain them just as Griffin was.

Regards,
Andrew.

Surely a party that spent so much effort on stoping cruelty to foxes should be in favour of banning Halal meat?

'Oxygen of publicity'? Did not the 91Èȱ¬ do all it could to give that publicity to a far more racist and murderous party a decade or so ago? The older of you out there will remember the disgusting sight of 'right on' 91Èȱ¬ using actors' voices to repeat the words of Sinn Fein politicians. No big debate then, well not within the pampered liberal ranks of the 91Èȱ¬.

Give us a break! Go and get a proper job and pay almost half of what you earn in taxes whilst trying to support a family in an inner-city. Then come back and tell me about what is and what isn't evil.

Quote: "They *insisted* they are not a racist party, and yet they want to ban all Halal meat?!"

I have to admit that I was in blissful ignorance of what Halal meat was until reading this post and so I did a quick 'google' search.

The first response was from the 91Èȱ¬ website, which returned an article entitled "Halal and Kosher slaughter 'must end".

The first paragraph from the article reads: "The Farm Animal Welfare Council (FAWC), which advises the government on how to avoid cruelty to livestock, says the way Kosher and Halal meat is produced causes severe suffering to animals."

Does this imply that the FAWC are also racist?

I have studied English literature all my life, lived in England for 20 years, and have followed developments there from the United States in the last three years. I find it distressing that a significant proprtion of the population is so obsessed with immigration, deep suspicion of Europe, and anti-Americanism. Virulent concentration on this triad of emotions will stand in the way of the country addressing deeper, more fundamental problems. Nobody can deny that immigration can be difficult but to be phobic on the subject prevents clear thought. I have not myself felt like an immigrant in either England or the United States for many years but my friendly advice to relative new-comers would be, "Try to give back to the host country as much as you take from it". The British are a fair people and will respond accordingly.

I'm not sure that this interview was "devastating". Griffin is simply a poor television performer.

DD's disdain for Griffin was clear throughout - I share it - but I think in adopting this tone DD merely made himself look and sound exactly like the metropolitian liberals who drove so many into the arms of the BNP.

It would be interesting to see DD adopting the same forensic (sic) questioning of, say, the Green Party's policies. I tried that last year at one of their public meetings in Norwich, and so confounded them that they refused to take further questions from me, and eventually asked me to leave. Democracy, eh?

I have just watched the Griffin/D.D. interview and sadly, I don't think it is as "devastating" as Nick suggests.

I abhor the policies and principles of the BNP so don't colour me a fascist. However, whilst DD was very capable in humiliating Griffin on a number of points, observing the interview as impassively as possible caused me to feel as though it was another 5 minute interview with a "mainstream" politico.

How do you fight the rise of extremists whilst maintaining a democracy?

I think we need a proper, Sunday morning style interview. Which would probably cause a knee-jerk reaction - "You can't give them publicity!"

Let them be seen for what they are, and let people make their own minds up about how abhorrent a BNP government could be.

Hi Nick,

I agree with a previous writer in this thread who said he didn't like you laughing at something Nick Griffin said, it WAS unprofessional and went along with the perceived easy route. It was beneath someone of your ability. Mind you you when I think about it the amount of times I've laughed at reporters comments in the past.. I'm just as bad I suppose.

I and a number of British people of non-white origin are getting increasingly concerned about recent developments in British politics.The furore regarding the release of foreign prisoners would give the impression that foreigners and foreigners alone are a threat to our collective safety, I seem to recall a few weeks back when there were concerns raised about the early release of prisoners in general, the ridiculous sentences they receive for serious crimes. In my opinion the 91Èȱ¬ Office is too unwieldy and needs to be broken into different departments, each headed by a minister or senior civil servant.

With regards to the BNP , I was horrified as indeed a large section of the ethnic minority community were to hear Margaret Hodge's comments. It was not so much what she said but how she said it...the impression was given that she sympathised with 'working class' people 's growing concerns and their feeling of marginalisation. Blaming foreigners, immigrants for all ills besetting a nation is how it all starts, for a Govt minister not to even try and correct their misconception and to even perpetuate it , is extremely alarming....given much needed publicity to BNP is unforgiveable.
For all those who voted for BNP and those who would like to , if you really think an all white society is the answer to all the ills that beset British society ,GOOD LUCK TO YOU. words canot describe the contempt one feels for racists.

There are thousands and millions of ethnic minorities contributing to the British economy...it will be a sad day when we decide that Britain is no longer our home or start fighting back. Enough is really enough.

"devastating", I don't think. The only word I'd use is "smug" and that's pointed towards Dimbleby. I used to think Nick Robinson was one of the better political commentators, how wrong I was. Yes, Nick Griffin probably does need more media training but he doesn't get the chance to speak on TV much. People here say he looked stupid, I don't see how, he re-itereated the points in what he believed in. He didn't get wound up in circles like Blair, Howard, Prescott, Cameron, Clarke (this list could go on for a long time) etc constantly do.

What's wrong with the BNP ? The government has been trying to force Sinn Fein into government in Northern Irlenad for ages and it didn't matter that they were killing people, had a private army and up to criminal activities.

Not the mainstream Political parties are going berserk over the BNP and look what there doing in N.Ireland with Sinn Fein.

What's the more dangerous party, SinnFein or the BNP ?

I saw some animal welfare protestors in Norwich a few weeks ago. They were trying to get signatures to ban greyhound racing. I asked them what they were doing about halal meat which I consider to be a disgusting way of killing animals. The woman had the nerve to call me a 'racist'. If David Dimbleby thinks banning halal meat is 'racist' too then maybe he should look for a job he's more suited too. Maybe he can give Nick Robinson a job as well.

It is quite astonishing to read descriptions of David Dimbleby's
sneering, sarcastic 'interview' of Nick Griffin as "devastating(ly) forensic","awesome",and even "coldly
impartial".(were we watching the same programme,I wonder?)
I can only assume that such comments emanate from people whose minds are so closed to any views other than their own rabidly multiracialist ones, that they consider it somehow a successful 'exposure' (?) of the BNP that, for example, its distaste for mixed marriages was confirmed by Mr Griffin.
While the extermination of our native population through integration with a massive influx of Afro-Asians may be regarded by liberals with disinterest or even pleasure, they are clearly totally unaware that such opinions are not popular outside their narrow circle.
A large and growing number of Britons find the concept alarming, and view those conducing to it as not merely wrong, but fully deserving their own overused epithets of 'vile', 'disgusting','wicked' and 'evil.'

A chap called "Phil B" taking an anti BNP stance had six comments published in the "Have Your Say" debate on the local elections.

My one comment was rejected. I'll try again here:

"I didn't vote for the BNP but I understand why so many people have - and that's just normal people by the way - not Nazi’s or idiots and not necessarily racists either.

Why vote BNP? Because they are genuinely worried about the state of their nation. They live with the negative sides of unchecked immigration and multiculturalism. They’re worried about jobs, the EU, stupid wars and radical Islam.

Last but not least they are sick of complacent, corrupt, spin-driven New Labour."

The 91Èȱ¬ is not impartial - quite the opposite. You can laugh at Nick Griffin if you like - however there are very real social issues that are firing up the support for the BNP. The 91Èȱ¬ and politicians have their heads firmly in the sand.

"Why is it that the BNP have got so much more publicity in this election than the Greens, who've also made impressive gains, when this was supposedly an election with the environment high on the agenda?"

The "Green" party have an open door immigration policy. Let in a million immigrants a year and you have a million extra cars on the road burning fossil fuels and needing more tarmac. You also need hundreds of thousands of new houses. Do you know how much carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere in concrete production? You'd be alarmed.

BNP is the new Green.

One thing I've noticed about anti-BNP comments from main party politicians, members of the media, and even correspondents to blogs : they seem to either consist of wild insults of the "they are evil" kind, or petty remarks about "odious and repellent", "morons", having to "hold my nose", etc; or they call for the party to restricted in various ways, be denied the right to speak, or be banned outright, on the grounds that they are not a democratic party (which is simply not true) or because their views are unacceptably 'racist'.
'Racism' has such a variety of definitions that virtually everyone falls foul of it at some time or other - but if it's grounds for denial of free speech, then on the same premiss a BNP government could quite reasonably obstruct/ban views IT considers 'beyond the pale', and pack the 91Èȱ¬ with staff IT might also cynically claim are 'impartial.'

There's a lot of fuss about the BNP, but it's as well to remember that:

(i) They are not a national force. They have a few seats in a few areas.

and

(ii) Many of their seats were picked up because the Conservatives and LibDems were not standing against Labour in safe seats and thus the BNP became just about the only possible protest vote.

Why give them so much undeserved publicity?

When Nick Griffin has been interviewed a few more times he will appear as good as Tony Blair.
Let's have a DD 'forensic interview' of Prescott with you guffawing in the background.

Halal is pretty much the same as kosher, but do the BNP say they'll ban kosher? Do they know that halal and kosher includes more than meat? All natural fruit is halal.

Halal and kosher killing methods may appear barbaric, but the animal dies very quickly, if it is carried out correctly. Compared to our 'traditional' method of trying to stun an animal (and often failing) and then firing a slug into its brain (which sometimes doesn't kill them), they don't seem so bad, and are arguably less likely to result in food contamination - less blood left.

I can just see now the BNP railing against all cruel farming practices in the UK - NOT. Nope, they just want to attack Muslims for some reason. Could it possibly be because they can do so and not fall foul of race legislation, thus allowing them to demonise brown people?

Luke M - I hope for your sake that when you move to Spain that the locals don't start resenting the fact that all these English people move in and spoil their country. Maybe they'll get frustrated and form a fascist party with the aim of kicking you out...

Why is it that so many 'patriots' leave the country?

The trouble is: half the population have an IQ less than 100, and they all have a vote.

I don't suppose that anyone who actually voted for the BNP watched David Dimbleby, and if they did the point probably passed them by.

I notice a number of people have suggested that a BNP vote was primarily a protest vote against the three main political parties.

You may be interested to know that just over a year ago a group from my college conducted a community survey project in Dagenham, assessing views on a range of issues. The most commonly cited issue which concerned people was that of immigration and race. It was no surprise to me at all that the BNP gained so many seats at this election since their views seem representative of so many people in that area. Of course, the size of the vote may have been increased by recent publicity and some may have voted in protest, but I think we would be foolish to pretend that the BNP does not strike a chord with the views of many ordinary people.

British politics in general is in meltdown// what a blessing not to have a Tory liar as a friend//its great theatre watching these politicians trying to work out whats happened and why no one listens any more// they could all be from another planet

So, Francis, Griffin "Didn't get wound up in circles like Blair" etc did he? So how come he got caught in a bare-faced lie and had to alter his viewpoint at the start then?

I'm absolutely astonished by some of the ridiculous comments posted on this thread, as though the 91Èȱ¬'s stance of probing the BNP's election manifesto is somehow more repellant and more worthy of attack than the BNP itself? Or letting Griffin off the hook because he has had no media training and Dimbleby was being a bully. It's not that at all - simply that the BNP has heinous policies that they'd rather keep under wraps to their core supporters and not broadcast to the nation, thus ending up looking as sily as they should do.

For God's sake, just because the Daily Mail tells you that the 91Èȱ¬ is biased (a case of the pot calling kettle black in a major way there), doesn't mean you have to believe them and fanatically apply its doctrine to the extent that you'd even defend the leader of a racist, facist, neo-authoritarian party (EVERYONE, no matter what the colour of your skin would lose liberties we take for granted under the BNP) from that nasty bully-boy Dimbleby. Just look through the pages of this website and see the welter of views, articles etc questioning all three major political parties to show that, out of all the country's major media outlets, the 91Èȱ¬ can be called one of the least biased. As far as I'm aware, the 91Èȱ¬ has never said in a major editorial piece to "vote Labour...", unlike the Mail did when it requested its readers to do likewise with the Tories. Just give me the facts and let me make up my own mind, anyday.

And no, Dimbleby never suggested that the BNP was racist because of its stance on Halal meat (which, agreed, there does need to be some debate about because of the cruelty invlved) - a poster on this thread did. Instead he asked "and you're not a racist party?" after Griffin confessed that only people of British or European descent could be members of his party. So it's best for whoever suggested that to next time read the thread first before making such assumptions.

You take an amazing view of the David Dimbleby exchange with Nick Griffin. David was his usual impartial self, and Nick batted away the misconceptions with ease and calm. Still, we musn't expect heads without hair to contain brains.

I find the strength of the 91Èȱ¬'s value laden position on this, quite breath-taking. How arrogant to assume people's only interest is one of concern, many people obviously voted for the BNP. Before anything is assumed and out of interest I did not but this lack of objectivity is highly alarming because one day I fear it will be applied to something I value which fails to comply with the 91Èȱ¬'s unspoken but fiercly applied "creed". It is particularly galling that I am also forced at threat of fine to fund this oppressive bias.

Bryan wrote:
[...] I thought his [David Dimbleby's] Griffin interview was a textbook example of political journalism. His research was impeccable and his manner was impressively calm, polite and - in the best traditions of the 91Èȱ¬ - coldly impartial.

... and I couldn't agree more. I particularly enjoyed "that's on your website" - "No it isn't]" exchange. Surely anyone with half a brain would not answer someone like Dimbleby (or Paxman or...) "No it isn't" when said interviewer was referring to a source as public as a website - these people have enough researchers to make sure the printout they are reading from is current...

It is because of moments like this that I do not mind at all paying a license fee, and that I watch 91Èȱ¬ rather than any other news channel.

To my surprise the BNP seem to be consistent on halal/kosher meat:

"7. Halal and Kosher slaughter, will be banned, following the lead against animal cruelty given by Switzerland."

I have no opinion on the matter, but would like to have one at some point. Tho' knowing very little about meat slaughtering practises I'm not sure how I'm going to go about this.

Dimbleby says to Griffin something along the lines of 'you're a con trick, don't you just latch on to local issues and exploit them'?
Isn't that what politics is all about? These are LOCAL elections where local issues matter.

Danivon, I think if I had a choice I'd rather be stunned and then killed rather than being hung upside down and having my throat slit. When an animal is stunned it IS stunned the huge majority of times. There is a previous posting about the FAWC and how they are not happy with the slaughter of animals the Halal way. Try reading the FAWC site before you make stupid assertions.

Immigration! Immigration! Immigration! as long as immigration continues to be an issue in this country, as surely it will, then the BNP will rise and rise and rise. It's as simple as that. The more you and your employers promote immigration and multicultralism as you do 24/7 then it will be seen as attacking the working class, it's as simple as that. Every time you attack, villify, vitriolically denounce as Nazi, Fascist thugs the BNP, you will be doing a Margeret Hodge. It's as simple as that. The working class plus the disenfrachised Blair - Cameron voters have now got a voice, that voice is saying enough! is enough! It will become a crescendo. It is as simple as that.

Orion Blue:
> Point by point: Privately owned media can be as partisan as it wishes (Sky, Daily Mail, ITV, Guardian, etc). The 91Èȱ¬ is publicly funded and should therefore at least appear to be unbiased, no matter which closed, elect and elite circle of society its priminent personnel are drawn from.

Is this not a little conspiratory though? Oh, of course I'm sure there are many at the 91Èȱ¬ with a political agenda, but there are many others who are aware of the vital public service part it has to play. I'm fully convinced that its output is, in the main, objective and therefore far more trustworthy than commercial media outlets, no matter which way they lean politically. I've seen the three main party's manifestos being analysed on 91Èȱ¬ reports, just like the BNP's was in this broadcast, so I see no issue with bias there. I'd just like to see a little more perspective than some of the gumpf displayed on this thread.

> The charge that only British or Europeans and those of European extraction could be members of his party probably comes under the heading of 'freedom of association', for example, elite institutions surrouding themselves with Oxbridge graudates, rather than graduates from just any university, or as another example, professional associations such as the Black Policeman's Association, or comparable associations for Lawyers and other professionals.

True, but if this is the case is it not curious that a party declaring that they represent British nationals (there's a clue in their name) will exclude some of these nationals because of the colour of their skin? And if it bothers them that much, why did they feature a Sikh in one of their party political broadcasts? Or am I being far too pedantic and the BNP really don't have a racist bone in their collective bodies?

> On the matter of Halal meat, by all means discuss it from the point of view of animal welfare, but lets not use it as an oblique way of 'getting at' Muslims or others who use ritual slaughter.

Agreed.

Ian:
> The more you and your employers promote immigration and multicultralism as you do 24/7 then it will be seen as attacking the working class, it's as simple as that.

Er, would you mind stating some examples of news reports when the 91Èȱ¬ has stated explicitly that immigration is good? And then would you mind telling me what exactly is wrong with multi-culturalism and why it is "attacking the working class" - a bizare concept, really, unless you're thinking in rather paranoid "they're taking our jobs" terms.

Don't tar all working class people with that brush - there are many people out their who would consider those (from all backgrounds) who would seperate sections of society in such simplistic terms as cultural differences as more of a threat to the quality of life in cities than those who would promote multi-culturalism and realise it can work when people aren't too busy putting up walls between streets.

The fundamental problem is that so many unimaginative middle class types dismiss the BNP and BNP supporters as ignorant, without having even *been* to Barking. As usual, the do-gooder, liberal middle classes vote to dump the problem on the poor.

I'm another Barking voter who was faced with 3 votes and only 2 non-labour candidates.

Barking has no mainstream opposition. People are fed up with Labour. So, they vote for the BNP. No doubt there are racism problems as well and thankfully I didn't even have an option to vote for the BNP in my ward, but BNP must be getting a lot of votes not just as a "protest" against mainstream politics, but because they are the only "protest" against Labour available.

It really does make you look twice at people you pass in the street when you see a result like this in your home area...

Andrew, "And then would you mind telling me what exactly is wrong with multi-culturalism".
The best people to ask would be the people who have seen the 'benefits' of multiculturalism e.g. the people of Barking and ask them "why are you voting BNP when you've seen all the 'benefits'".

Jane, I live in a multi-cultural city. I also have lots of friends from lots of different backgrounds. Most people I know don't bat an eyelid. Strangely, however, it's not those who want multi-culturalism to work that causes the problems rather the troublemakers in each section of community who create some kind of an eye-for-an-eye mentality. It's that we need to deal with and the way to do that is not to create barricades.

ButI see that everyone has to go to Barking now in order to get the 'right' idea of the evils of multi-culturalism, do they? Right-oh.

How many minutes from bed to Beckett interview then Nick?

When Mr Blair refers to her experience in foreign affairs, what do you think he had in mind? EA

Andrew are you saying everybody should think like you because you're 'right'. Are we all wrong master. By it's very definition 'multi cultural' does create boundaries because that's exactly what you get multiple cultures that don't integrate but exist next to each other try and get on with each other. What people want to protect and people like you want to destroy are their communities where there are no boundaries.
You probably do live in a multi-cultural city, London maybe? Which part? Kensington? Belgravia? Some other nice white, middle/upper class region. Get yourself down Barking, buy a house there, oh no, you won't want get as much a return on your investment. And I wonder why that is.

First off Jane, I apologise for the contritness in my original post. But you gave me a patronising response so I gave you a patronising reply back.

However, you make some very grave assumptions about me that are as wrong as they were predictable.

This subject is far more difficult than just declaring you're right, but if I didn't have a point of view, what would be the purpose of me voicing anything on here. It's obvious you believe you have more of an idea than me about this, so your point is a moot one. I just found the suggestion that the only way to debate the issue was to speak to the good citizens of Barking, as though all outsiders were incapable of understanding the issue, as though pro-multiculturalists were unable to comprehend it as if they hadn't any first-hand knowledge of the issue, was ludicrous.

For what it's worth, and it's worth very little, no, I do not live in London, but in the centre of a midlands' city that has had visits and election candidates from the BNP and National Front, thanks to the problem being grossly mishandled by the council. I know full well of the emotions that can be raised through this subject and have been affected by them personally before. But thanks for trying to enlighten me.

Why do you presume I live in some executive borough of London, anyway? Why do you presume I'm middle-class? This is such a gross presumption and you're obviously equating me to a predisposed stereotype you have in your head that pro-multiculralist = middle-class homeowner sheltered away in a white community. Can you deny that, in a thread like this, it's pretty obvious that resorting to generalisations like this is a pretty dangerous thing?

No, I completely refute that multi-culturalism is, by design, devisive. The subject is a damn complex one and, as I'm sure you're aware, not easily debated in full in the pages of a tabloid rag, or even a 91Èȱ¬ reporter's blog. But in essence, and this is in very simplistic terms, it normally works in places where different communities are given the opportunity to embrace each other's culture through education etc, rather than letting initial suspicions win through and everybody gets seperated because of reactionary impulses.

People like me though, eh? Destoyers of the free world, aren't we? Funny that, I just think it's nicer when everyone gets along. Perhaps you'd be happier when people get kicked out of their homes because they come from a different background, but not me. What is wrong with bringing down boundaries? That doesn't mean to say that you can't keep the culture you come from, but you can always embrace others along the way and actually speak to people about who they are rather than, as you've showed with your presumptions about me, what you think they are. Broaden your horizons and all that. Or is living in some kind of city-state akin to Berlin in 1960 with partitions everywhere more appealing to you?

Just as an addition, but James M (post 22) explains my viewpoint better than I ever could and points the finger mainly at political incompetance to grasp the issue. I may not live in Barking, but the picture he paints from anecdotal info is one that's very recognisable.

I live in the East End of London. As a white woman here, I am in a racial minority. I am physically and verbally abused by asians on a daily basis whenever I step out of my house. No one within 15 minutes walk seems to speak English. Everyone spits and throws litter onto the pavements. The local council proudly declares it is "building homes for Asian Elders". [Can you imagine the furore if it were "building homes for elderly white people"?] Local schools teach in languages other than English. How are these children ever meant to get jobs outside of this area? I would never vote BNP but Griffin is right - the multicultural experiment has clearly failed. It's just the middle classes can pretend it hasn't because they don't have to live here.

Many of you are complaining about the amount of coverage of race-related issues in this interview. You have forgotten that a significant amount of time was devoted to economic policies (probably because they are less easy to understand than the race comments).
The policies of restricting imports and attempting for self sufficiency are one of the quickest ways to impoverish the nation. This is an economic truism that has been known for over two hundred years. Nick Griffin's ideal of concentrating on value added industries and exports is sound, but will have very indirect benefits to BNP supporters, who are uneducated and poorly placed to benefit from these high-tech industries. This will instead increase income inequalities, which I think are partly the root of the problem for BNP supporters. These were not race-related issues, but were very poor policy prescriptions.