Defeat, or victory? Nick Griffin on Question Time
Well, after all the hype and chaos, the censorious left trying to break into Television Centre, Peter Hain's desperate attempts to prevent it, I just watched Question Time.
How did Nick Griffin come out of it? Well, he's rather better spoken, and seemingly better educated, than I'd expected. And to be completely fair to him, he reacted with good humour to what must, for him, have been a horrendous experience. But it blew the BNP and their policies to kingdom come. He was absolutely savaged by both the audience and the other panelists.
He did make some valid points, but got thoroughly run down (as if by a train!) by the points others made against him. He tried to wriggle out of the holocaust denial accusations but got nailed firmly to the floor. The youtube video footage issue he absolutely couldn't answer.
One thing it did bring out - it forced all the main party representatives to back each other up as all being totally opposed to the BNP policies. When Labour ministers and Conservative spokesmen, who'd normally be tearing each other apart, are in complete agreement both with each other and the Liberal Democrats, it proves something, I think.
The (mixed-race, I think) guy who asked "where would you send me" scored massively - effectively he forced Griffin to change the BNP's policy there and then (unless they'd seen the writing and done it already?), from "all imigrants and children of immigrants must go" to "only the troublemakers should be ejected".
And 10/10 for style to the lesbian woman at the end who replied to Griffin's homophobic comments with "the abhorrence is mutual". Nice!
Who came out of it worst? The censorists. Closely followed by the BNP.
Well done to the BBC for staging it.
How did Nick Griffin come out of it? Well, he's rather better spoken, and seemingly better educated, than I'd expected. And to be completely fair to him, he reacted with good humour to what must, for him, have been a horrendous experience. But it blew the BNP and their policies to kingdom come. He was absolutely savaged by both the audience and the other panelists.
He did make some valid points, but got thoroughly run down (as if by a train!) by the points others made against him. He tried to wriggle out of the holocaust denial accusations but got nailed firmly to the floor. The youtube video footage issue he absolutely couldn't answer.
One thing it did bring out - it forced all the main party representatives to back each other up as all being totally opposed to the BNP policies. When Labour ministers and Conservative spokesmen, who'd normally be tearing each other apart, are in complete agreement both with each other and the Liberal Democrats, it proves something, I think.
The (mixed-race, I think) guy who asked "where would you send me" scored massively - effectively he forced Griffin to change the BNP's policy there and then (unless they'd seen the writing and done it already?), from "all imigrants and children of immigrants must go" to "only the troublemakers should be ejected".
And 10/10 for style to the lesbian woman at the end who replied to Griffin's homophobic comments with "the abhorrence is mutual". Nice!
Who came out of it worst? The censorists. Closely followed by the BNP.
Well done to the BBC for staging it.