My Question Time ranking

[Gromit]

1st - Baroness Warsi
2nd Bonnie Greer
3rd - Bland man from Lib Dems
Last = Jack Straw
Last = Nick Griffin

What did you think?

[Quinlad]

Two things Zeuhl.

Firstly, there are several other democratically elected UK political parties that have never been asked onto Question Time. It's an editorial decision, not a democratic right.

Secondly, if the reward for getting elected is a platform to spread your views further (and therefore continue to get elected), that sounds to me like a closed shop. Is it just the successful parties that have the right to 'free speech'? Don't the ones that are new or underfunded or small have this democratic 'right'?

(Incidentally, I'm not sure either way whether the BBC should have had them on. It's a tough call. But the 'free speech'/democracy argument is b*llocks.)

[anotheoldgit]

Judging by the number of answers Gromit, it pays to burn the midnight oil. Did you also watch the BBC News Channel, Question Time discussion, or should I say autopsy?

[anotheoldgit]

jno

Sorry, I thought I had, but obviously not in your mind, so I would be indebted to you if you would provide the answer that you and Quinlad seek?

[Quinlad]

Will you be campaigning for the Scottish Jacobite Party to go on QT? How about the Cornish nationlists Mebyon Kernow? Or Boston Bypass Independents? Or the Socialist Alliance?

[Ankou]

peoples front of judea ?

[jno]

"No"

And what is your answer to his question, aog? Does a right to free speech mean you have a right to go on primetime TV? All you've said so far is that you may appear on TV if you are a personallity (whatever that means) or if you have a valuable contribution to make on a topical subject. Did Griffin fulfil either of those crieteria? Is he a personality? What valuable contributions did he make?

[Quinlad]

Zeuhl,

"i'm honestly not sure but I understood there are specific criteria for the 4th seat. If it is that a party has to show some degree of popular support and therefore relevance, I agree with you it's not perfect. Not sure how else they could handle it."

I agree. But we seem to be agreeing that it's an editorial decision made on a number of factors - size, level of support, relevance. Not an automatic democratic right. If people disagree with the BBC's value judgement on whether the BNP merits the 4th seat, it's not the same as denying free speech.

Not being invited onto a telly prgramme isn't censorship. Otherwise we'd be sat here complaining that the Cornish nationalists (democratically elected onto Cornwall council many times) were being denied free speech.

[jno]

agreed, Zeuhl. If the government want the BNP silenced they should ban them themselves, not demand that the BBC do it for them. But Peter Hain isn't the government and I don't think he was necessarily voicing official pollicy.

[weecalf]

Was the whole thing not like the Antique Road show 1 million pound item a damp squib It was another ploy by BBC to up the amount of views.Is there any point to these type of shows Was Nick Griffin going to rock the boat no way .Him self or other members of his party will be back .The BBC could not buy the publicity this apppearnce recieved .

[mosesg]

I would never vote BNP despite not always agreeing with immigrants taking over our country, but I do not object ot people from other countires coming here if they already have a job to come to. what I object to is the immigrants who come here because this is some sort of promise land, its not. But we cannot be hypocritical loads of british people have emigrated oversea. The one thing that does iritate me is that our government is bending over backward to the PC brigade if we were more like Australia we would all be able to live in harmony. This not only applies to immigrants this applies to our justice system as well. the only thing wrong with our country is that we have lost our morals, this has nothing to do with the people who come to live here. we just need to bring back some self respect, working ethic and learn to respect others.

[jackthehat]

...........splitters..........!!!!!

[Gromit]

Thank you all for your answers.

Griffin was obviously going to be the loser last night. When you are so far out on the extremes, there isn't anyone going to be your friend. That said, I would have expected him to do a lot better than he did. Denying saying things that can be easily viewed on YouTube is just dishonest. I did not have any opposition to the BNP being offered a place on the panel. As this week has shown, they are topical and their profile is higher than the small amount of votes they receive. Griffin's inexperience showed.

The other big loser on the night was Jack Straw. From such an seasoned politician, he really fluffed it.

Overall, I don't think the BNP would have garnered any new votes on last nights performance. The British public dislike extremists, whether they are the BNP or al qaeda, and Griffin cut a pretty lonely figure last night.

[Quinlad]

Sadly, Gromit, I disagree.

Griffin would have had to stab a black person live on air and defecate on a photo of the Queen to not get a boost from appearing on Question Time.

A similar show worked wonders for Le Pen in France. It legitimises the party in the eyes of many potential voters, especially the ones that get off on the persecution complex thing.

http://www.guardian.c...griffin-question-time

[rabbitygirl]

Regarding those on the panel, I understand that the beeb had asked quite a few to take part who declined, for whatever reasons. And political parties were very choosy on which members they wanted on, and some of those individuals declined because they thought NG shouldn't have been on the panel.

I'm sure we can all think of politicians, columnists, etc., whose participation last night would have livened things up no end.

[anotheoldgit]

Excerpt taken from the Guardian web site:

//////////" Downing Street said Gordon Brown did not watch last night's edition of Question Time, but he telephoned Straw to thank him for appearing on the programme."////////////

Well that says it all doesn't it?

Now we know why he is always so out of touch.

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Gromit

//////// "Griffin cut a pretty lonely figure last night".//////////

Now there's a surprise, could it be because of the choice of panel members, or the bias BBC employed Chairman, or the Left Wing corporation who put on the show, or even the BBC's specially invited audience?

On a Radio phone-in today, a person who had been accepted onto the audience was quoted as saying "he was surprised how many block invitations had taken place, judging by the fact that so many groups of people knew each other".