Nick Griffin on the Breakfast phone-in
When Nick Griffin of the British National Party appeared on the 5live phone-in today, it came as no surprise that we received a text message like this:
The publicly funded BBC should not under any circumstances be giving this odius, racist, homophobic, anti-semitic fascist a platform - Mike
Such strong reactions go with the territory. Mr Griffin knows that his party and his views provoke controversy. He arrived at the 5live studio with a security entourage in tow. He explained he took his security seriously because, he claimed, left-wing activists were out to get him and he also didn't want to end up like the Dutch far-right politician Pim Fortuyn who was murdered.
Whenever he has appeared before we have had lots of texts similar to Mike's from people questioning why this man was being allowed access to the airwaves. This time though - and of course this is anecdotal and not scientific - there seemed to be fewer comments like this. And Mike's view was contrasted by Michael's:
Thank you BBC for giving Griffin a fair crack of the whip. I would never vote BNP but am sick of the hysterical vilification prevalent in media circles, and among all the other political parties.
The BNP is of course putting candidates up in hundreds of seats at the General Election and has had Party Political Broadcast on the TV. Amidst huge controversy last year, Mr Griffin even appeared on BBC1's Question Time. It won two seats in the European elections and has ambitions to gain representation in the Westminster parliament. So maybe some of the shock value of an appearance by the BNP has now gone.
And the listeners wanted to engage Mr Griffin in a debate about various issues including, but not exclusively, immigration. Ian in Leeds asked if, as a black person, he was welcome in the BNP. John in Dumbarton wanted to know Mr Griffin's views on civil partnerships. Abdul in Manchester asked if the BNP had any Muslim members. Mr Griffin said he thought it was quite possible they had none.
There was also an exchange about corporal punishment (Mr Griffin told Nicky he'd bring it back in schools) and devolution (Scottish and Welsh independence was an "EU plot to break up Britain").
But no doubt the most surprising question was from Dave in Poole. He asked about the BNP's arts policy. Mr Griffin said the liberal elite spending public money on trendy art was not valid. "If you want to be into arts you should buy it yourself". Listen again to the phone-in here.
Richard Jackson is editor of 5 live Breakfast
- The Breakfast phone-in, presented by Nicky Campbell, is on BBC Radio 5 live weekdays between 0900 and 1000.
- The picture was taken by Nicky and posted to Twitter while on-air this morning.
- Listen to this morning's phone-in or watch it on video on the 5 live web site.
Comment number 1.
At 08:57 22nd Apr 2010, Tempus Fugit wrote:I was expecting another loaded hatchet-job like his QT appearance so it was quite a surpise to hear the actual result. You even let some BNP supporters and people who don't support per se but intend to vote BNP for all the usually cited reasons on air!
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Comment number 2.
At 09:05 22nd Apr 2010, ryanw wrote:Word reaches me that the BBC snuck Mr Griffin in the night before under the cone of silence to avoid any hysteria.
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Comment number 3.
At 21:35 25th Apr 2010, Nick Vinehill wrote:Interesting! All that commotion and hype back in September 09 about Nick appearing on Question Time yet nothing about him beforehand being heard on air on 5 Live in April 10) Double standards indeed!
However absolutely 'right' that the BNP and the other lot like UKIP (who are in political theory just the same) come on air providing they are confronted on main economic issues and policies out of which fears about immigration, (which is the BNP/UKIP's core issue) stems from.
Unfortunately Nick Griffin wasn't. In a half hour session well contained by the other Nick C (clearly under orders to ensure nothing too untoward occurred) he was never questioned once by the carefully selected callers on economic policy.
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Comment number 4.
At 08:37 26th Apr 2010, Tempus Fugit wrote:"Interesting! All that commotion and hype back in September 09 about Nick appearing on Question Time yet nothing about him beforehand being heard on air on 5 Live in April 10) Double standards indeed!"
Probably a sensible decision to avoid a repeat of the rather fascist behaviour of the UAF that preceded his QT performance. The BBC may even have been advised by the police to take any and all steps to avoid a breach of the peace such as was previously witnessed.
It's tragically ironic that the people who bang on most about freedoms and having voices heard are the first to act, often violently, to try and deny such rights to someone when that person wants to say things that those people themselves don't agree with or approve of.
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Comment number 5.
At 15:08 28th Apr 2010, PA71 wrote:Wouldn't be highly amusing, if someone researched into Nick Griffin's past, only to find he is a descendant of Romanian Jewish immigrants?
I'd LOVE IT :)
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Comment number 6.
At 10:31 29th Apr 2010, Tempus Fugit wrote:He'd be so embarrassed - especially if it turned out some distant cousin or other was a camp survivor. Y'know - those camps he once claimed never existed and were faked up by the Allies and all that.
Mind you, one - just one - BNP MP would be a nice result, just for one parliament, for no other reason than the mainstream might get the "protest" this time and take the views of the people on board instead of doing what they did at the EU election and ignoring the public view in favour of blustering about how awful it was that people should exercise a democratic choice that they didn't agree with and how they couldn't understand how it happened, etc. At the end of the day, the more the Westminster ostriches bury their heads in the sand singing "La la la la la la la la la" the worse they make the "problem" of people voting the "wrong" way; if they don't listen they just make more people lash out by voting for the BNP idiots.
(Dons steel hat and flak jacket in readiness for backlash).
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Comment number 7.
At 19:38 3rd May 2010, Nick Vinehill wrote:Watch Barking Tempus. You get the result you want!
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Comment number 8.
At 19:40 3rd May 2010, Nick Vinehill wrote:if you know that for a fact PA71 then please elaborate.
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Comment number 9.
At 14:17 4th May 2010, PA71 wrote:Nick, no it's not a fact. Not that I know of anyway. It's just an amusing thought that occured to me as I was listening to his racist rants!
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Comment number 10.
At 10:10 9th May 2010, Tempus Fugit wrote:"Watch Barking Tempus. You get the result you want!"
They might be in Barking but they're not THAT mad...!
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