Will the Question Time witch hunt backfire?
October 23, 2009 7 Comments
Well the build up was like waiting for the Cup Final. Talked about all week, cameras rolling as he entered the building and then finally the big match, Griffin verses the political establishment. The BNP leader gave the performance I expected, evasive, twisted, nasty and repulsive. That’s what the vast majority of viewers will think and they would be right.
However, Griffin knows he’s not going to attract the vast majority. He’s after the let down by Labour white working class vote. People who feel victims of the political establishment, trapped on low wages or benefits, living in poverty and bypassed by the boom. The format of the questions and the ganging up on Griffin will enable him to play the victim to those whose vote he’s trying to attract.
The most wounding moments for Griffin last night was when he was given rope. His point about he Ku Klux Klan not being violent was bizarre. Unfortunately the politicians on the panel were so desperate to get their attacks in on Griffin that the approach was scattergun and enabled him to duck many of them. The most effective panellist was Bonnie Greer who treated him with a comical derision which Griffin would have hated.
The questions could have been more effective. Not having the Royal Mail as the first question showed the programme was about Griffin and set the scene. Had this been the first question been this, and the rest variations of BNP attack quetion then it may well have settled the panel down and allowed Griffin more rope to hang himself.
So what will be the effect, working in a constituency with BNP Councillors, I expect their WWC voters will feel a little more justified in their votes after witnessing what they consider to be the middle class establishment gang up on Griffin. The members will feel it’s us against the world, but it may just revitalise a few of the abstainers into actually going out to vote and make sure thus vile organisation doesn’t make any further progress within our political system.
Andrew Woodman
Tory Radio 
The entire programme was a set up and the very nature of the questions, completely changed. If ever Griffin was to get the sympathy vote from the public, it was after this Kangaroo court. Typical BBC, not allowing freedom of speech and filling the audience with left wing activists.
The way to defeat Griffin, is by exposing his policies, not by attacking him as a person (regardless if evil or not)
"the middle class establishment gang up on Griffin" Thats about it all right.
There was nothing to make someone who voted BNP in desperation in the Euro elections ( along with almost a million others ) change their minds.
Everyone knows the BNP are accused of being racist and nasty, and yet nearly a million people voted for them.
Not letting Griffin engage in politics but just lynching him may have made many breathless lefties feel a whole lot better, but it has left us none the wiser.
I agree. I only watched the first few minutes, but it was absolutely clear that everyone in the studio was going to press nasty ad hominem attacks throughout. Jack Straw and Chris Huhne were even reading from prepared texts – I've never seen that before on QT. From what I saw, Nick Griffin is right to complain about a lynch mob. His views may be foul, but the behaviour of the rest of the panel and the studio audience was just as shocking.
Very angry – what was the point of it – BBC should be ashamed.
Griffin will probably gain some more support after last night, because some people will see him as having been bullied.and I think he has every right to formally complain to the BBC
Nobody wanted to come across as soft on Griffin. Other panelists played to their own constituencies in maximising the differences they have.
The BBC audience couldnt care less about the Royal Mail on this night. They wanted to see what they got.
William, and Man-in-Shed, both make excellent points.
1 Attack and expose BNP policies.
2 Offer real alternatives and explain why they are better.
3 Many BNP voters are disaffected. Offer them a better way.
I didn't notice any BNP supporters in the audience. Doesn’t the BBC normally screen this to ensure a balance of political views and to prevent the discussions being one sided? Additionally the entire programme was a "Let's Kill Griffin" campaign by panel members and audience alike. Jack Straw's performance was rehearsed and predictable. I agree that Greer’s performance was most effective. Unfortunately the BBC succeeded in promoting Griffin in my view. The whole set up was completely biased against him, not a single question from the news that week was discussed. I don’t like the guy or his views but I thought he did well to stand up to the barrage of hate thrown at him and still score some hits; his put down of Jack Straw and his father’s imprisonment for refusing to fight the Nazis, nearly had me falling off my chair!
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