Upon further reflection, I'd actually say the Lib Dems probably put on the best appearance. They said very little, but what they did say had meaning. While I went into it with no political bias whatsoever, I think if I lived in England, I'd be putting some serious thought into voting lib dem. But onto the real discussion at hand here.
I think, given the way the show was addressed, it was wrong to bring on Nick Griffin. He was given far too much attention, and dare I say it, bullied by the other pannels to such an extent, one almost felt pity for him, something sure to increase his wretched numbers.
It didn't help that Jack Straw gave the most pathetic performance in the history of politics. Between blatent personal attacks and mudslinging at Nick (hardly professional conduct, not the way to sell your party!) he actually had the gall to stand there and claim that his immigration policy is working. If it was, do you really think the BNP would be getting anywhere near the support it has been?
By refusing to adopt a reasonable compromise, he is essentially giving britons two distinct choices; labours multi-cultural mess, or BNPs get-them-out-of-here facism. And it would appear that many people would prefer the latter.
Population control is spiralling out of control simply by our birth-rate alone; we're fucked within 20 years even before anyone else enters the country. Is it that unreasonable to just stem the flow slightly, so at the very least we can guarantee housing and jobs for everybody? That doesn't mean getting rid of anyone who's already here, just keeping a cap on those wishing to enter.
Never mind the fact that Jack openly encouraged Nick to break the law, on national TV no less, with the promise of what was effectivly diplomatic immunity from being convicted for it. Well done dumbass, you've proven that you can just make and break rules on the fly; fuck it, it's only the british legal system you're tampering with, with no thought to the concequences. As some viewers have said, if he can make a deal like that to his worst opponent, what does he offer his friends behind closed doors?
In a totally equal question time, I would fully support the right of a BNP representative to appear, based on the following two points.
1) They're fucking idiots. Between coments of 'mostly non-violent' kkk members, to holocaust denial, to his comments in the papers today of London being 'no longer a part of real Britain', there's no way the public would give him any support if he was freely able to shout these views at whomever he wants. The constant bullying and heckling, however, served only to have people side with him, if only because he is portrayed as a victim, and as the better man for not fighting back. Let him ramble on, and people will figure out sooner rather than later that he is completely full of shit. Having some genuinly intellegent guests next to him on the panel probably wouldn't have hurt either.
2) Like it or not, the right to express oppinions (even those thought to be completely abhorent and revolting) is guaranteed to us, and it's there for a good reason. Look around you, and think about how different the world might be, if we weren't allowed to piss people off in the past. We would still be walking upon a flat Earth, those who say otherwise would be charged with heresy. Black slaves would still be tending our fields, as nobody could speak up for them. Children would be forced up chimneys to earn their keep. Gay people could face life imprisonment, and even chemical castration as a 'cure' for their illness.
These things have only changed in the last couple of hundred years(some were still being carried out this centurary!) and it has only been through expressing of an unpopular oppinion that we were able to grow as a society, and adapt. No, I don't think Griffin and his ilk are even going to contribute anything positive to society, but by silencing them, you pave the way for silencing others. Based on the valuees I hold dear, this is something I cannot allow to happen.
So yes, we do occasionly have to put up with shit like this, from the less-than-developed corners of our community. But it is, I think, a small price to pay, for the things that are undoubtable to come.
Uggh, that turned into a rant. tl;dr, right?
