I just might have changed my mind about the BBC's decision to allow Nick Griffin on Question Time. Jack Straw was rightly cheered to the rafters as he laid in to this repulsive specimen of humanity and what he stands for. How heartening it was also to see politicians for once speaking from the heart and more or less zero tolerance from the audience for Griffin's racist, homophobic, unacceptable views.
He was inarticulate, incoherent, and my guess is the BNP will not be regarding this as an "early Christmas present" but an unmitigated disaster.
Which is not to say that Labour does not need to get out there in the coming period and expose the BNP's fascist ideology for what it is. Come up with some answers as to why so many of their natural supporters have turned to the extremism of the right. And come up with some policies to stop it. But, by and large, I'm cheered by the expose of Griffin for what he - and his Party - are.
Our task is now to convince the millions who will not have been watching the programme tonight.
Thursday, 22 October 2009
HOIST BY HIS OWN REPULSIVE PETARD
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10 comments:
I thought Straw and Warsi had a good debate about immigration, but overall none of them really tackled a big issue, which is that people buy the myth that English people have been made into second-class citizens.
The BNP thrive on the idea of a conspiracy, that X, Y and Z are conspiring against X, Y, and Z (the indigenous British in this case).
It's a shame that immigration is not tackled and then it takes the BNP getting 1 million votes before it enters mainstream debate, and then most of the show is about it.
Griffin showed himself as a far-right nasty-man who relies on the idea of this conspiracy, but the issues which force people into his grubby paws were not properly addressed. Straw tried, and I thought did pretty well all night, but didn't make the case forcefully enough. People need to know that it's ok to feel proud to be British without being labelled racist, which is something the Tories have traditionally done far better than Labour. Due, I think, to our more bleeding heart liberal wing (including me to some extent).
Griffin's a right winger, so I don't like him. But if enough people shun pride in their origins (e.g. being British), there is a vacuum created into which the likes of Griffin step.
For once, I am forced to disagree with you Susan, partly at least.
I supported the BBC's original decision, and I back it still; however last night was a giant missed opportunity to nail Griffin, in my view. While I agree Griffin was incoherent, that was because the show was allowed to be run along the lines of a baying mob chucking rotten veg at the racist in the stocks. This approach is probably what the BNP were hoping for, as it solidifies their position as the 'alternate' to the mainstream. The voters who gave him legitimacy know he's a racist and a bigot, but that's not what they are thinking of when they cast their vote.
Anyway, I have expanded upon my thoughts here: http://www.the-vibe.co.uk/2009/09/09/spenny/the-bnp-on-the-bbc-why-auntie-is-right/
I'd welcome comment. See you at the LRC conference!
"And come up with some policies to stop it."
Like curtailing immigration, perhaps?
David Duff
http://duffandnonsense.typepad.com/
In a calmer moment 24 hours on yes of course Griffin was ganged up on. Tha main parties had a common cause and they milked it.
But if you are a politician then you should be able to perform better than Griffin did. He was an embarrassment to his own henchmen.
QT is of course a limited audience. Largely middle-class I grant you.
I suppose a just found it encouraging that Griffin was so inept, incoherent and with so little to say to the electorate beyond blind hatred.Our task in the Labour Party has, also, surely been aided by this debacle. Much as I opposed it initially.
Curtailing the BNP cannot include adopting their policies, and Labour will have to recognise that there are some racist voters who will vote BNP because they hold similar views
Not to long ago it was labour with egg on it's face as labour tried to tell the public expenses was a moral battle not a legal one, so stealing £100,000 from flipping a home was moral, bull shit.
Griffin now has turned this into a moral battle I was ganged up on and many people feel the whole show was about hurting him and some of the public feel this was wrong. My own feeling as simple we did not hit him where it hurts, why did nobody ask him about his remarks about the military, why did nobody really demand he comes clean on gays. we did not and this whole show became the Griffin show.
Lots of people are now feeling sorry for him.
David Duff
"Like curtailing immigration, perhaps?2
This is of course what has happened since 2007 without the need for any of the measures you would doubtless like to see. Of course emigration has also slowed down - probably because of the fall in £ against the Euro has made it less attractive for the relatively well off to retire abroad.
The fact that you now wish to make these arguments when they are no longer supported by the statistics of course speaks volumes for your true motivation.
Praise the Lord, we have a true believer! Here is someone who actually *believes* immigration has slowed in the last 2 years! Why? Probably because the government told him so. Like I said, a true believer.
David Duff
http://duffandnonsense.typepad.com/
at the risk of wading in somewhere i'm not sure i want to be, EU immigration into the UK has slowed markedly recently.
Other types of immigration have slowed too, but the Eastern Euro drop has been the highest profile.
i haven't got any figures here, but i'm judging from your response above that you never let facts get in the way of your rantings
Duff
As they say its the economy stupid.
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